It's Friday! It's five o' clock! It's football practice!

Kai has got it into his head that he wants to go to football training. I don't think he's desperately interested but it's something all the lads in his class are doing so he's succumbed to peer pressure.

Football practice is at 17.00 on Friday afternoon and I can think of many better ways of starting my weekend. The first time was unrelieved misery. Icy winds blowing and in places there was still snow on the ground. Tor Zombiedad and myself skulked around the perimeter like a pair of malcontents from a Jacobean revenge drama, muttering curses and profanities.

We parents were given a pep talk.In a few weeks time there would be a full day tournament and then later in the summer a two day tournament in some far-flung corner of Greater Stockholm. This was supposed to fire us up with enthusiasm. It sent cold shivers down my spine.

I've heard nightmare stories from parents with older children who have spent long hours on sports pitches. Pia in Canada claims that being a baseball parent is the pits. I wonder which team sport is worse.

What is this all about? It's great that the kids want to kick a ball about and they clearly enjoy themselves. And hats off to the parents who give up their time to lead the sessions, sell refereshments etc. It's very churlish of me to grumble. But I can't help thinking: isn't this all a bit over-serious? In a year's time, for example, girls and boys will no longer be able to play in the same team. Sport and exercise should be fun and as inclusive as possible. Friskis & Svettis are wonderful in this respect. I have a lot of time for their philosophy.

Kai is showing few signs of being the new Beckham. Week 2 he created his own new game: Forest Ball. Week 3 he was feeling out of sorts (not surprisingly with his mum in hospital) so he found some charcoal and did a makeover on his face so that he looked like one of the Black and White Minstrels.

He clearly is taking nothing too seriously.