Sports day - it's looming - WWYD/WDYD

[survivingspring]

DD is the only child at school with physical difficulties. School have been great but I really can't see how they can accommodate her on Sports Day. She's mobile but wobbly and can't run very well. It's just setting her up to fail isn't it? She's not that aware of her difficulties/differences yet and I don't want this to be the start of anything to hurt her confidence. Obviously they will say it's all very non-competitive but we all know this isn't the case really - there will always be winners and losers!

Do I talk to school or keep her off without saying anything? Has anyone experience of a school handling this problem well?

I would speak to the school and ask them what they are planning to do.

At our school they often find small jobs for the children who (for whatever reason) don't want to join in with the races. They do things like helping to record the results, putting out equipment for races, or being the teacher's messenger.

Thanks - I guess I don't really know what to suggest to them! Having an older DC I know that most of the races won't be possible for her without a lot of help.

That's a possibility coppertop - she likes being helpful!

DS goes to a special school and they always have a great sports day.
Could you ask her teacher to include some things your daughter could do on an equal footing, like skittles, bean bag throwing, floor darts?

I watched my DS (ASD?) through teary eyes last year, start to run with the MS kids, throw himself to the ground and roll about laughing. Pitiful since it looked like all the parents were taking note and nodding. So the idea of taking him out of the spotlight and giving him something else to do sounds good, however I'm not sure he would understand why.

Good ideas - I will ask about the throwing games as DD can do that ok. That would upset me too keepingthefaith as DD does look quite comical when she tries to run and can't bear to think of the other parents laughing - even if inwardly

Liking the idea of disabling the other kids zzzzz - visions of tying weights around their legs etc

zzzzz

Disabling the other kids would also let them know what if it feels like not to be able to something. Perhaps in the parents' race too heehee

Speak to the school about what sort of activities/races they intend to have and how your DD can be included/assisted to take part.
For example at DS's old school they had egg and spoon race. The really sporty ones ran really fast to the line - but the rule was that if you dropped your egg you had to sit down where you were and you were out - so most of the cocky/fast children didn't make it to the finish line. DS, who was very slow, actually won 3rd place a couple of times as he just focussed on crossing the line with his egg still on the spoon.
I have also seen children with physical disabilities take part in sack race with the TA holding the sack quite tightly around the child and virtually lifting them off the ground - which is fine when they are small!!!
I like the idea of somehow disabling the able bodied so that they are on a par with your DD. That would be an excellent lesson for the other children. I have been to workshops where we have had to do things such as thread beads on string whilst wearing gardening gloves to show how difficult it would be for some disabled people or draw a picture of a mystery object whilst blindfolded from a description given to you by a sighted person (not suggesting these are sports day activities but just giving you ideas of how people can think outside the box)
In my experience the audience have always cheered on the disabled children, no matter how far down the track they are, but I guess it depends what your group of 'school mums' are like.
Some schools don't do competitive sports day, but do team activities which means they can put mixed abilities/age groups together to take part in an activity. Maybe they do that at your DDs school.