My 6 year old storms off the colony cricket game every time he's out

umber_bookmark_886615 Sept 2026

Evenings in our colony are one long cricket match with kids from about 5 to 12. My son is one of the smallest, so he gets out a lot. Every time, it's bat thrown down, straight home, door shut. Ten minutes later he wants to go back. The older boys are quite patient with him, which makes it more embarrassing. I've tried talking to him before he goes down, I've tried not reacting at all. Neither works yet :) Is this just six, or should I keep him off the game till he can take getting out?

4 comments

violet_kettle_437815 Sept 2026
Ours was exactly like this with board games at that age, cards flying everywhere. What helped a little was playing lots of games at home where I lost too and made a big drama of being a good loser, so she could laugh at me doing it. Slow, but by 8 it had mostly gone. I wouldn't take him off the game. The older kids being patient is worth a lot.
willow_balcony_606515 Sept 2026
Could he keep score for a while after he's out? Gives him a job instead of an empty walk home.
mint_kite_883215 Sept 2026
Reading this after my shift. My daughter is 6 and she cries when she loses a race at school, so I think yours is normal. We are moving to Hyderabad in January, Hitec City side. Do most colonies there have these evening games for small kids? In Mysuru our street has, I hope she finds the same.
amber_veranda_263416 Sept 2026
This is an assumption rather than experience, since my daughter's version was much quieter. If he comes back within ten minutes, he is managing the feeling, just loudly. I would pay attention to the coming back rather than the leaving; a short 'good that you came back' may do more than any talk beforehand. Do the older boys let him bat again, or is he out for the rest of the game?