DS 8 yrs old has seemed a bit low recently. Today at bedtime he asked for a chat and then talked for a good half hour about how he's feeling sad because he doesn't have many friends anymore. He is a very outgoing cheerful and witty boy with a great imagination and was popular for years. But he is very clumsy physically and no good at sport, which has suddenly become the biggest thing in all his friends' lives. He has also put on a fair bit of weight recently. I try hard to encourage him to be active but even though he goes to cricket, football and gym he doesn't put much effort in, and is clearly one of the weakest, so last to be chosen for any teams, and people are starting to avoid him.
He's become aware of this. This year several boys who usually invite him to their birthdays didn't bother. And one of his closest friends moved away. He's down to two friends now. A lovely boy he's known for years and a new but very popular kid, who he spends a fair bit of time with but who acts as though he's doing DS a favour being in his company.
I can't bear him being lonely because all the other boys have suddenly become obsessed with sports and are good at them. I try to keep him fit but he struggles a lot naturally. Despite years of swimming lessons he still can't swim more than a width while his friends are winning 200m badges and doing life saving training. He can't catch or bat easily... I don't know how to help him improve as I'm not very co-ordinated myself. Practise sessions with cricket or football end in disaster because I'm so useless at throwing or passing the ball, he gives up! :)
Any suggestions? Thanks for reading.