What is wrong with my five year old?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op thanks for all the suggestions. I think the consensus is that he sounds like a normal five year old, but the fact that every other kid around the same age (on both teams) can get through ppl the game and focus on what’s happening concerns me. I spoke with his school teacher today and she said he is happy to be there but definitely struggles with attention, but doesn’t want to say look into it yet because he’s so young. For example while all the kids are sitting on the mat, he will be off to the side rolling around. He isn’t interested in painting or doing anything they are learning about. Not sure if he should be evaluated for something or if it will pass. There are things he can do (riding a bike, swims, knows his letters) but he has no use for art or sports whatsoever

OP, I totally could have written your post about my own 5yo DS. Last soccer practices were worse disasters than you described. His pediatrician volunteered (we did not ask; she just brought it up after he was bouncing off the walls during the appointment) that we should get him assessed for ADHD at some point. We’re watching and waiting as the school teachers think he’s doing fine and still developing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP please give more context. Besides the soccer game, is he unprofessional in other situations? How is he at Kumon, and violin lessons? Does he follow through when you tell him to cook dinner or wash the car?

[Anonymous]

My kid this age is diagnosed with ADHD. This does not sound like ADHD. It sounds like maturity. Id keep an eye on it but expect to outgrow.

[Anonymous]

My 9yr old was like that in kindergarten soccer. He loved practice and hated games. Baseball was a much better fit for him.

[Anonymous]

Been in your shoes. My son was diagnosed with ADHD-Inattentive at age 7. Frustrating bc he’s actually a decent athlete when he tries, but he’s just not interested. Needed meds to get thru the school day without daydreaming constantly or needing 50 prompts from the teacher. He can control his focus better now as a teen but now the glaring problem is social skills. These things tend to go together many times.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't worry about it. He might not like soccer, or he might just be adjusting to a lot of new structure in his life. Presumably he just started kindergarten and team sports? That's a lot of people suddenly telling you what to do. It's exhausting for a lot of kids.

How many of the other, more "focused" kids have older siblings in sports? Anecdotally it seems like the kids who have been dragged to many soccer sidelines are more aware of what they're supposed to be doing and more excited to do it bc they've been watching older sibs getting attention for it. When my DD was 5, she was running off for the playground & chasing butterflies. At 9 she's doing club and rec. My younger kids kinda knew what to do right away because they've played with her and come to so many of her games & practices.