Rough play in the playground

[Icklemonkey]

Help! My 5 yr old is in yr 1 and has recently started rough playing in the playground. Initially we were told by his teacher that it was the same group of boys playing together but she has since told us that it's our Son's name that keeps coming up. He's been fine in the classroom (although he lost his way for a week and stopped listening - we've sorted that bit) but we've had another instance today where he accidentally hit a boy while they were playing so he lost the rest of his lunch time. Nobody saw what happened so I haven't been too hard on him because he clams up if I do and I don't get any information out of him then!

I don't know what to do. We've have umpteen conversations about kind hands. I've rewarded him for his good days. We've got a reward chart at home so we've put stickers on there for using his 'kind hands' and for 'caring' as well as a few other things. I just don't know what else to do. He's not a poorly behave child and this seems to have come out of nowhere. Don't get me wrong...I know he plays rough with his friends but to this extent?? He's not like it at his after school club. In fact, they were shocked when I told them! I'm lost! Any advice on anything else we can try?

So no one knew what happened and yet a 5 year old who is having a bumpy ride, loses the rest of his lunchtime? WTF?

This is going to sound a bit “leave the bastard” but my spidey senses are tingling.

It seems that no matter how much mums and teachers go on about being kind, the kids go selectively deaf (and it does seem to be boys more than girls, I think). There's one boy in dgs's class (year 1) who has taken to spitting. Personally, I'd keep the child in at playtimes - "if you can't play nicely, you don't play at all", and maybe after a week or so they might learn the lesson.

itchyknees Eh?

If no one saw what happened how did they know it was an accident? If it was an accident why did your ds miss his lunch?

My DS admitted he did it and said sorry to the other child as soon as he'd done it (he said) but the other child told their teacher so DS was told off. I'm a little leaves that he was told off purely on another child's word but he has admitted to me that he did it by accident while they were playing bad guys and good guys.

I just don't know what else to try to make him understand that he plays TOO rough. If I was in that playground I would soon tell him!! But they aren't as supervised at play time. We had an issue last week because DS had 'thumped' a child in the year below him. The staff said he did it for no reason. Just walked up to him and thumped him. That's definitely NOT my DS. He won't even look a baby in the eye if he doesn't know them. When I asked him about it he said the little boy had been punching himself. A few days later the little boy was told off for doing exactly that and my DS had reported him to the teacher instead of retaliating (so he did listen to me that day!!)