Why is redshirting so rare if it's so advantageous?

[Anonymous]

A friend sent her July birthday son on time while also moving cross country. The following summer, they all came back to visit and the boy struck me as though he had been bullied- very antisocial- he stayed inside alone the first hour of the get together while all the other kids were playing together outside, then later had an incident on the playground over a perceived slight that he couldn't get over and was crying off and on for 20-30 min). The mother did mention there had been some "maturity issues".

Idk if he was just tired or having a bad day or what and maybe it was the move moreso than being sent on time but I was just so blown away by the change- this boy was the oldest in our group. He always previously had a ton of self confidence and it was so unlike him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think most kids would feel insulted if they were redshirted; like their parents thought they weren't smart enough to be on a normal schedule.

I know my son would. He'd be embarrassed to tell other people how old he was turning.

You have no idea what he would do. I know loads of redshirted kids including one of my own. This has never been an issue. But you won't be convinced, you're living in your own fantasy world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think most kids would feel insulted if they were redshirted; like their parents thought they weren't smart enough to be on a normal schedule.

I know my son would. He'd be embarrassed to tell other people how old he was turning.

You have no idea what he would do. I know loads of redshirted kids including one of my own. This has never been an issue. But you won't be convinced, you're living in your own fantasy world.

^ oh and by the way my son is turning the same age as the other kids at their next birthday. He's just the first in his group. But somebody has to be and the next kid is a few weeks after him. There's nothing to be embarrassed about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where did the OP get the idea that redshirting was uncommon?

https://news.virginia.edu/content/study-redshirting-kindergarteners-not-common-reported

https://edsource.org/2013/kindergarten-redshirting-not-very-common-study-finds/31934/31934

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where did the OP get the idea that redshirting was uncommon?

https://news.virginia.edu/content/study-redshirting-kindergarteners-not-common-reported

https://edsource.org/2013/kindergarten-redshirting-not-very-common-study-finds/31934/31934

Maybe, but like anything else there are different trends in different groups. From your source:

"The low rates nationwide, however, mask large variations across groups. According to the study, redshirting is extremely unlikely in schools in low-income neighborhoods, but in some high-income communities there are schools where nearly one in four children delay kindergarten entry."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think most kids would feel insulted if they were redshirted; like their parents thought they weren't smart enough to be on a normal schedule.

I know my son would. He'd be embarrassed to tell other people how old he was turning.

You have no idea what he would do. I know loads of redshirted kids including one of my own. This has never been an issue. But you won't be convinced, you're living in your own fantasy world.

Because he has some redshirted kids in his class and he thought they failed since they were all turning a year older. Kids know what's what and if one of them is turning 13 in 6th grade, other kids will assume they were held back a grade. Being held back implies that they aren't very bright.

[Anonymous]

I think more people would do it. They just cant afford an extra year of faycare/preschool. So there's jealousy.

[Anonymous]

Daycare

[Anonymous]

I don't recall kids making a big deal of this growing up, but yes, by the time we got to upper elementary/middle school, we were certainly "aware" if a classmate was as old as the kids a grade older. The obvious assumption was that the kid was held back a year for some reason... we had kids who were coming from another country, and that transition to the US also often resulted in the kids being repeating a year, then there some with obvious social development or other issues, and of course some who were obviously remedial academically (and even though a year older, usually still struggled to keep up). Nobody assumed it was voluntary/advantageous to be held back (was redshirting as frequent in CA in the 80s? I don't know), we just assumed that there was _some_ reason the kid had to be held back a year, often that reason was obvious and went without saying, it was really the international kids who were the only ones who ever talked about it and explained why (probably just to be clear that it wasn't because they were challenged and avoid any such perception/stigma).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think most kids would feel insulted if they were redshirted; like their parents thought they weren't smart enough to be on a normal schedule.

I know my son would. He'd be embarrassed to tell other people how old he was turning.

You have no idea what he would do. I know loads of redshirted kids including one of my own. This has never been an issue. But you won't be convinced, you're living in your own fantasy world.

Kids know what's what and if one of them is turning 13 in 6th grade, other kids will assume they were held back a grade.

Since it's only Fall kids who are considered for redshirting, any redshirted kid would be turning 13 at the beginning of 7th grade, not an any point in 6th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think most kids would feel insulted if they were redshirted; like their parents thought they weren't smart enough to be on a normal schedule.

I know my son would. He'd be embarrassed to tell other people how old he was turning.

You have no idea what he would do. I know loads of redshirted kids including one of my own. This has never been an issue. But you won't be convinced, you're living in your own fantasy world.

Kids know what's what and if one of them is turning 13 in 6th grade, other kids will assume they were held back a grade.

Since it's only Fall kids who are considered for redshirting, any redshirted kid would be turning 13 at the beginning of 7th grade, not an any point in 6th grade.

There were at least 3 boys in my kid's class in 6th grade who turned 13 in the spring of 6th grade. They had been held back from starting kindergarten on time and they had spring birthdays. Heck, Baltimore private schools have an entire extra grade for this called pre-first.

[Anonymous]

No kid thinks other kids were “held back”. Schools don’t hold kids back any more. That’s not a thing.

[Anonymous]

The older boys in middle school and early high school tended to be bigger, more athletic, the girls liked them, and they got to drive sooner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No kid thinks other kids were “held back”. Schools don’t hold kids back any more. That’s not a thing.

Yes, they do. We have at least 2 students held back in kindergarten or 1st grade every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think most kids would feel insulted if they were redshirted; like their parents thought they weren't smart enough to be on a normal schedule.

I know my son would. He'd be embarrassed to tell other people how old he was turning.

You have no idea what he would do. I know loads of redshirted kids including one of my own. This has never been an issue. But you won't be convinced, you're living in your own fantasy world.

I have seen this play out in middle and high school. Why is Bobby already driving as a freshman? Sure it is cool for a week, but then everyone realizes, Bobby is a year older. Strange.