Lonely playtimes for non-footie mad DS

[MerylStrop]

I am being PFB, I know, but I am not sure what I can do to help DS.

He made a great start at school and is in Year 1. Bright, enthusiastic, lots of friends.

BUT he's just not into football. It seems that virtually ALL the boys and all his friends play footie ALL the playtimes and take it pretty seriously for 6 year olds. DS likes to play occasionally, is aware he's not that fantastic at it, but not that bothered, but is finding there's no-one to play with. All his friends want to play football. He's sad about it and losing his enthusiasm for school rapidly.

Does this football obsession go on forever? I try to encourage him to practice and play it when he wants but he's just not keen.

He's keen on going to a lunchtime art club that some of the Year 6s organise but his teacher (deep sigh) keeps forgetting that he is signed up for it so he's missed it for a couple of weeks.

OP - this is a tough one - I am another one with a non-football-playing DS and agree it can be incredibly isolating for them. My DS is lucky in that he does at least, at the moment, have a small group of like minded friends, so he has others to play with, but I am dreading next year's transfer to juniors for the same reason.

Our school has quite a good compromise though - football is allowed every day but each year group has their designated day i.e. Reception get Mondays, Y1 gets Tuesdays and so on. Think Y1 and Y2 get two days each, Reception limited to just the one, but this at least means that (a) it doesn't become a total free for all and (b) there are some days of the week where each year group has a football free playtime. Might that sort of thing be worth suggesting to your DS's school? at least that way there would be a few days per week when he did have classmates around to play with.

What a shame we can't have a mumsnet school - my boy would very happily sit and talk starwars and dinosaurs with yours!

If it's any consolation, my DS (year 5) is footie mad and I just spend all my time washing grass stains out of jeans (no school uniform at our school). Trading cards are always being banned by the school, as there are instances of cards disappearing in the cloakroom. OP you really should get on to the teachers about the Art Club.