Should I just redshirt my upcoming Kindergartener?

[Anonymous]

I would never redshirt a girl if only because I witnessed the terror inflicted on the girls who developed first. I still remember the girl who had a big chest and got her period first in 5th grade. The boys were brutal.

[Anonymous]

I second the idea of a private kindergarten. The school might be able to open or close based on their needs at the local level. Personally, I wouldn’t redshirt a March baby unless there was a global developmental delay with a chance of catching up. If your kid was a September baby, and small, I might think differently.

[Anonymous]

The older teachers who can retire will as soon as possible. So if there’s an amazing kindergarten staff at your base school, I would send her sooner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would never redshirt a girl if only because I witnessed the terror inflicted on the girls who developed first. I still remember the girl who had a big chest and got her period first in 5th grade. The boys were brutal.

Yet in the VA schools forum a whole gang of parents are calling those who send Aug-Sept birthday girls on time (at 4 or newly 5) crazy. Why? Because everyone ostracizes the youngest girl.

You can’t win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would never redshirt a girl if only because I witnessed the terror inflicted on the girls who developed first. I still remember the girl who had a big chest and got her period first in 5th grade. The boys were brutal.

Yet in the VA schools forum a whole gang of parents are calling those who send Aug-Sept birthday girls on time (at 4 or newly 5) crazy. Why? Because everyone ostracizes the youngest girl.

You can’t win.

Really? I was one of the youngest girls in class and relatively small, I think it was a good academic challenge and socially a non-issue. Girls mature faster than boys, so being a younger girl tends to be more advantageous towards the middle school years. It seemed like the girls who were very tall or busty had the bigger challenges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m going to send my May kid to kindergarten on time. It’ll certainly be a very different experience than what her older sister had but I figure this entire cohort will be in the same position. It will be unique but it will be theirs. And they are so young that any deficiencies in learning will be worked through over time.

I think this is important to keep in mind. It's not like it's happening to just one school, or one state. It's going to be every kid across the country.

[Anonymous]

I'm sending mine to whatever live instruction we can manage to get in this year and will probably ignore any distance learning component unless some major deficiency turns up. It's just kindergarten. I really feel for the kids who are older and are missing out on major academic work and social experiences.

[Anonymous]

I'm holding my late August DS out. He's big for his age, but definitely lacks maturity and impulse control. Being away from his pre-k environment for so long has not exactly worked in our favor either. Sending him to school in this climate would be a nightmare!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would never redshirt a girl if only because I witnessed the terror inflicted on the girls who developed first. I still remember the girl who had a big chest and got her period first in 5th grade. The boys were brutal.

Yet in the VA schools forum a whole gang of parents are calling those who send Aug-Sept birthday girls on time (at 4 or newly 5) crazy. Why? Because everyone ostracizes the youngest girl.

You can’t win.

Really? I was one of the youngest girls in class and relatively small, I think it was a good academic challenge and socially a non-issue. Girls mature faster than boys, so being a younger girl tends to be more advantageous towards the middle school years. It seemed like the girls who were very tall or busty had the bigger challenges.

Really.
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/891080.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - i am leaning toward just starting her. Also her younger sister would only be one grade behind her if we opted to red shirt her (they are only 19 months apart) and I feel like two year spacing in school would benefit both of them. I am just sad she isn't going to get a traditional kindergarten experience. Also I have no idea how I will deal with 2-3 days of asynchronous distance learning and working from home (plus I have a 5 month old at home).

She's never been to kindergarten. She doesn't know. If your kid takes a ballet class once a week you don't say "I'm just sad she can't do ballet full time because she has so much fun."

well unless she's planning on a career in ballet it's not really going to impact her very much to have such a substandard experience starting out.

But missing out on A lot of the kindergarten curriculum could definitely impact a student's ability to continue their education with a substandard foundation

[Anonymous]

I really want to put my June birthday girl in kindergarten but it's tricky. Academically I think she's totally ready for kindergarten but Given how much she disliked distance activities with her preschool cohort (including several teachers that she adored) I don't have a ton of faith that she's going to be doing well with distance kindergarten especially with the teacher who's a total stranger. If kindergarten is supposed to be full distance learning I'm leaning towards keeping her in preschool another year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not redshirt a March kid. I would look for non-public school opportunities or homeschool, if possible. There are church preschools that have K and even 1st grade classes and many of them are planning to open. You could ask around about Catholic schools too. If you do send to public, be prepared to supplement with lots of independent work on their days off and to look elsewhere for socializing.

Yeah I was going to say to look at privates and preschools with K that will be open. Many of these are planning on moving forward with five days a week with smaller classes. From a risk standpoint five days a week in a small class in a setting where they’re taking precautions may well be as good as or better than 2-3 days a week in a bigger class where the kids are often going to camps and mixing with another group on the other days.

It costs more but it’s one year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really want to put my June birthday girl in kindergarten but it's tricky. Academically I think she's totally ready for kindergarten but Given how much she disliked distance activities with her preschool cohort (including several teachers that she adored) I don't have a ton of faith that she's going to be doing well with distance kindergarten especially with the teacher who's a total stranger. If kindergarten is supposed to be full distance learning I'm leaning towards keeping her in preschool another year

Can you swing a year of K at one of the private preschools that also have K?

[Anonymous]

No way. Homeschool for K then start kid in 1st grade in fall 2021.

[Anonymous]

We are sending our late July DD, though likely doing private kindergarten vs public due to Covid. Still TBD till we know what our district decides.

Holding a March baby is going too far in my opinion (assuming there’s no delays to consider). The age gap between redshirt kids and younger kids being sent on time is getting out of control.