Boys rough play

User5678_2

I hope this is the right place to post!

My youngest is a boy and plays roughly with his friends. I've checked with him (and others) and from observing I can see they are only playing and choosing to play this way, they aren't bullying one another but sometimes he (or his friends) get hurt. They still choose to go back to playing this way. Should I just accept this and move on? Or try to stop them play fighting so that nobody will get hurt?

WantToBeSE

After raising my 2 boys, i can honestly say thats just how boys play.
I am quite a gentle person, so it shocked me to start with, but i just accepted thats how they play.
As long as its play, and voluntary, its all good

building_with_lego

How old is he?

My youngest is 5 and can tolerate an enormous amount of injury and pain- he just carries on. I take it you have older daughters too? They play totally differently while they're young!
If he, and his friends, seem happy with the play I'd tolerate it while keeping an eye on it...

User5678_2

Haha how did you guess I am used to gentle, girls play! He is four so just started school, I don't want him getting into trouble because of it!

gibson123

My twin brother would knock their heads together at that age and try to "see the stars", they would also use a box to sledge down our stairs, whohc always resulted in a sore bump and throw themselves bodily rolling down the hillsides, even over sharp stones and twigs, they would also knock lumps out of each other. When they were older they played a variety of games with a wider circle of biys that seemed to involve thumping each other until some-one divulged the password. or putting coats on backwards with hoods up, making each other dizzy until they banged into the wall or pavements. We only intervened when murder was about to be committed. Yes it is normal for boys and some girls to indulge in rough play.

building_with_lego

There was a documentary on a few years ago following a class of Reception children through the first year. Often the boys would be walloping each other, and I remember being quite shocked by one of the teachers basically saying "it's what 4-5 year old boys do".

I'm sure there was mention of a surge of testosterone at about this age, which boosted all the aggressive play. It seems to fit with my experiences, anyway.

YoungBaker

Boys will be boys
I have 3 nephews and a young brother who all do this.. dont think they can sit in the same room for a few hours without someone getting chokeslammed!

MX5huggy

A sizeable minority keep doing it in to their 30's or longer.

They add some fairly complicated "rules" but rugby is just organised rough play.

Redouble

WantToBeSE wrote: »

After raising my 2 boys, i can honestly say thats just how boys play.
I am quite a gentle person, so it shocked me to start with, but i just accepted thats how they play.
As long as its play, and voluntary, its all good

Whilst raising my children I can honestly say it's how children play.

Within reason, leave them to it, sometimes they need a gentle guiding hand to explain that x,y,z was / is dangerous etc but mostly they figure it out together

Barneysmom

It's not just boys, girls do it too! I remember when I was little my brothers used to hang me on the door by my trouser loops
But I would get my own back by walloping them with my dolls, and punching them. Bless us

geoffky

I have only had girls but when visiting friends houses who have boys i have been amazed at the level of rough play...I used to get stressed by the level of noise and play fighting..