Here's what I don't understand about red shirting

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I swear people only think in the moment, because if they thought longer term they would realize their child will be a 20 or 21-year-old HS senior.

We didn't red shirt our child with the late-summer birthday, and she will graduate HS at 17. It will give her an earlier start on finishing her undergrad degree by 22, and grad school by 25. I'd rather help her get an earlier start on her career rather than kindergarten.

You'd have to start at 8 to end up a 21 year old HS senior. That doesn't happen. Kids with disabilities can stay in the public school system until 21 (and sometimes do), though, so there is precedent for it. But they aren't usually called seniors, it's just that they continue to receive services in transitional classes.

[Anonymous]

This is anecdotal, but in my kid's day care the only kid i know being redshirted actually has a late September birthday, which is well within the fealm of reasonable. An extra $18k is a lot to pay for that!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is anecdotal, but in my kid's day care the only kid i know being redshirted actually has a late September birthday, which is well within the fealm of reasonable. An extra $18k is a lot to pay for that!

Yeah. Daycare kids aren’t being redshirted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I swear people only think in the moment, because if they thought longer term they would realize their child will be a 20 or 21-year-old HS senior.

We didn't red shirt our child with the late-summer birthday, and she will graduate HS at 17. It will give her an earlier start on finishing her undergrad degree by 22, and grad school by 25. I'd rather help her get an earlier start on her career rather than kindergarten.

That's not how math works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pointed this out already in one of the others threads but you can’t redshirt two years. The kid must start at 6.

They don't have to stay 6 through the entire school year though. I do know a couple of February/March birthdays that were redshirted.

Under the current entry rules in Fairfax county they can’t be older than 6 by 9/30.

[Anonymous]

Here's a thought; if it matters that much to you, plan your pregnancy accordingly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This came up on the other threads but was never really answered. Now that people are starting to red shirt kids with spring and even winter birthdays, in order to get an extra year on the kids routinely being red shirted with fall and late summer birthdays, what does that do to the kids with the fall birthdays? It just sets everything back a year. Does that mean they're going to start red shirting two years in a row?

That’s not why people redshirt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This came up on the other threads but was never really answered. Now that people are starting to red shirt kids with spring and even winter birthdays, in order to get an extra year on the kids routinely being red shirted with fall and late summer birthdays, what does that do to the kids with the fall birthdays? It just sets everything back a year. Does that mean they're going to start red shirting two years in a row?

That’s not why people redshirt.

Why do they?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This came up on the other threads but was never really answered. Now that people are starting to red shirt kids with spring and even winter birthdays, in order to get an extra year on the kids routinely being red shirted with fall and late summer birthdays, what does that do to the kids with the fall birthdays? It just sets everything back a year. Does that mean they're going to start red shirting two years in a row?

That’s not why people redshirt.

Why do they?

There are literally 50 pages of threads on this with dozens of stories of why people redshirted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This came up on the other threads but was never really answered. Now that people are starting to red shirt kids with spring and even winter birthdays, in order to get an extra year on the kids routinely being red shirted with fall and late summer birthdays, what does that do to the kids with the fall birthdays? It just sets everything back a year. Does that mean they're going to start red shirting two years in a row?

That’s not why people redshirt.

It’s why some people redshirt. And redshirting is currently allowed for any reason or no reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This came up on the other threads but was never really answered. Now that people are starting to red shirt kids with spring and even winter birthdays, in order to get an extra year on the kids routinely being red shirted with fall and late summer birthdays, what does that do to the kids with the fall birthdays? It just sets everything back a year. Does that mean they're going to start red shirting two years in a row?

That’s not why people redshirt.

Why do they?

There are literally 50 pages of threads on this with dozens of stories of why people redshirted.

The stories are all the same and virtually none cite a visit to a dev ped or educational professional. Defensive, hm.

[Anonymous]

Oh, stop. I've been in education for 20+ years. The concept of sending a child who was born within 1 month - at the most 6 weeks) before the cut off has been a conversation among middle class parents for all those 20 years. Nobody is talking about holding a child who was born in February and will therefore be 51/2 at Kindergarten entry into public school. They are talking about kids who turned 5 a few days before they start school. There is a HUGE difference at 5 years old between being barely 5 (Aug birthday) and being basically 6 (Sept/Oct birthday). Just as there is with a just turned 1 year old and a child who is basically 2 at 23 months old.

And for those who ARE held back with a spring birthday - the 2 examples given above - were a child who immigrated to this country with NO English and a child with serious developmental delays. (and frankly, a child with developmental delays needs MORE than just to be held back, but their parents know that - it's none of your business).

And by right before the cutoff I mean an August or mid July birthday for a Sept 1 cutoff, a Nov 15 through Dec 31 birthday for Dec 31 cutoff. Even the June kids are going to kindergarten.

Someone needs to be the youngest, someone needs to be the oldest, but if my child weren't socially and emotionally ready for the heavy lift of kindergarten (at this time, this country has VERY developmentally INappropriate kindergarten expectations for children, too) then I'd hold my August birthday kid back if he really wasn't ready. And some just aren't! Or, if I wasn't sure, I'd send him to a different Kindergarten (private or Waldorf), and then send him to either Public Kindergarten (to keep holding him back/redshirting) or 1st grade depending on whether he were ready.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This came up on the other threads but was never really answered. Now that people are starting to red shirt kids with spring and even winter birthdays, in order to get an extra year on the kids routinely being red shirted with fall and late summer birthdays, what does that do to the kids with the fall birthdays? It just sets everything back a year. Does that mean they're going to start red shirting two years in a row?

That’s not why people redshirt.

Unfortunately, that is not always the case. I know people who red shirted due to serious asthma, the child was missing Pre School because they were struggling to get the asthma under control, speech delays and learning issues. All of those kids were receiving services and the choice was made to help the child be healthy and ready for the academics of school.

I also know people who have red shirted their child so that they have an advantage for sports in Junior High and High School. They wanted their child to have an edge because they saw sports as an important extra curricular for college and a possible scholarship. The sports issue doesn't make sense to me since many sports are divided by age at registration and not grade group but I suppose the idea is that in Junior High and High School they will hopefully be physically larger which can be important for some sports.

There are good reasons to red shirt a child and I have no problems with that. I will say that the kids who I know who were red shirted are all more involved with activities with the kids their own age and less with their grade level. As in, they are in the Wolf Den and not the Tiger Den for Cub Scouts. They end up on t he older kids sports team because many of those are based on date of birth and not grade level. There seems to be a bit of a disconnect there.

Honestly, I think people just need to chill and stop being so concerned about what other people are doing. I am sure that there are pros and cons to red shirting as well as not red shirting. Do what you think is best for your kid and be there for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People have been redshirting for sixty years. It is not getting earlier and earlier with spring and winter birthdays being redshirted.

This is what people are claiming though.

You need to read actual studies and not the redshirting hysterics on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I swear people only think in the moment, because if they thought longer term they would realize their child will be a 20 or 21-year-old HS senior.

We didn't red shirt our child with the late-summer birthday, and she will graduate HS at 17. It will give her an earlier start on finishing her undergrad degree by 22, and grad school by 25. I'd rather help her get an earlier start on her career rather than kindergarten.

That's not how math works.

Can any DCUM poster who opposes redshirting do even basic math?