Preschool Is “Redshirting” DD

[Anonymous]

This really won’t matter that much unless these children are also going to K at her school and you want her to have familiar classmates which still might not happen even if they do go to the same school. My kids preschool had an older 3s room, a 4s room, and a Pre-K room. They all had the same curriculum, older 3s received more assistance and Pre-K went more days and for longer but that was it.

[Anonymous]

I think I'm missing something. If she's in the 3s classroom for 25- 26 school year she's exactly where she should be for a 27 kindergarten entry.

[Anonymous]

Also.parents tend to overestimate how mature and advanced their child is

[Anonymous]

Since many of your DD's kindergarten classmates will not have attended formal preschool at all, it does not really matter what particular preschool class your DD is in right now, from a K readiness perspective. Her K class will have kids who were in structured care since infancy and kids who were cared for by a nanny or SAHP up until K.

If you think your DD isn't learning enough reading and math at the current school, either tell the director your child needs more academic challenge, or provide it at home yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This would really bother me. I don't know that there's a solution, and I don't know what I would do, so I don't know how helpful I am (sorry!) but as a parent of a late summer kid who also started school on time (though in DC where everybody does) I can see how this would have been a real disadvantage.

It's clear the daycare leaders also know it's a problem, which is why they gave you a heads up, but their solution kinda sucks.

Is there something to suggesting that they just mix it up? If there is (for sake of argument) essentially 20 kids who should be in the 4s class (including your daughter) and 16 that should be in the 3s class, and they're holding two kids back so that there is 18 in each, could they instead just mix everybody up and do two classes that are a true mix of 3s and 4s? Lots of schools do that anyway.

Anyway, just solidarity in your angst.

Oh sorry PP here, I just realized I was off and she's being held out of essentially the 3s classroom this year.

Yeah, I'd be looking for another preschool. And I'd let your current center know (nicely, and with understanding!) that you're looking because you want her in preschool and not daycare since she's starting on time. You'll either find another school or they'll figure out a different solution. But I'd want two years of true preschool before K, especially for a younger K kid who seems ready for preschool now.

That's ridiculous. There's not much distinction between preschool and daycare at that age. Every daycare that deals with that age group is incorporating academics and art and outside time, just like a preschool.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s appropriate to say you want her moved up. They want your money so they will likely appease you.

[Anonymous]

This happened to my August DD too. Honestly it was fine. It's just numbers. They can not add her to a full class. You will likely cover most if the prek curriculum yourself. She is getting social skills. Some kids start K never having gone to school before.

[Anonymous]

I agree it's not going to matter unless all of these kids are going to the same elementary school (unlikely.) If you otherwise like the school and it's convenient for you, I wouldn't change. Obviously if you are very unhappy you could try to find another school.

At preschools that are not also daycares, you select the type of class you want your child to enter. Although it will be difficult to find a spot in one of those in August. But you could do it for next year. Most schools start accepting enrollment in January.

[Anonymous]

We had an August baby. He was very bright but on the shy side. He went to a Catholic school and they suggested “pre-first” which is essentially redshirting. They didjt think he was socially ready. It seemed to me like a money grab to get an extra year of $$$ from us.

I had been fretting about it. My neighbor, who teaches at a HS, said he has watched this dynamic for years, and in almost all cases, the parents who rushed their kids ahead regretted it and those who waited/“redshirted” were glad they did.

He did prefirst and the cohort he was with was SO much better than the grad above.

My own brother had a great argument based on his experience with an August baby: “You either get an extra year of childhood or an extra year of adulthood, and childhood already goes too fast.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had an August baby. He was very bright but on the shy side. He went to a Catholic school and they suggested “pre-first” which is essentially redshirting. They didjt think he was socially ready. It seemed to me like a money grab to get an extra year of $$$ from us.

I had been fretting about it. My neighbor, who teaches at a HS, said he has watched this dynamic for years, and in almost all cases, the parents who rushed their kids ahead regretted it and those who waited/“redshirted” were glad they did.

He did prefirst and the cohort he was with was SO much better than the grad above.

My own brother had a great argument based on his experience with an August baby: “You either get an extra year of childhood or an extra year of adulthood, and childhood already goes too fast.”

We sent out, now in hs, no regrets. Kid is glad we did it too. You don’t get an extra year of childhood. You are an adult still in hs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had an August baby. He was very bright but on the shy side. He went to a Catholic school and they suggested “pre-first” which is essentially redshirting. They didjt think he was socially ready. It seemed to me like a money grab to get an extra year of $$$ from us.

I had been fretting about it. My neighbor, who teaches at a HS, said he has watched this dynamic for years, and in almost all cases, the parents who rushed their kids ahead regretted it and those who waited/“redshirted” were glad they did.

He did prefirst and the cohort he was with was SO much better than the grad above.

My own brother had a great argument based on his experience with an August baby: “You either get an extra year of childhood or an extra year of adulthood, and childhood already goes too fast.”

Sadly you don't gain an extra year of childhood by starting formal school a year behind. Being in school is not robbing anyone of their childhood. School is fun for most kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had an August baby. He was very bright but on the shy side. He went to a Catholic school and they suggested “pre-first” which is essentially redshirting. They didjt think he was socially ready. It seemed to me like a money grab to get an extra year of $$$ from us.

I had been fretting about it. My neighbor, who teaches at a HS, said he has watched this dynamic for years, and in almost all cases, the parents who rushed their kids ahead regretted it and those who waited/“redshirted” were glad they did.

He did prefirst and the cohort he was with was SO much better than the grad above.

My own brother had a great argument based on his experience with an August baby: “You either get an extra year of childhood or an extra year of adulthood, and childhood already goes too fast.”

Sadly you don't gain an extra year of childhood by starting formal school a year behind. Being in school is not robbing anyone of their childhood. School is fun for most kids.

I think he meant from the parents’ point of view. You definitely get an extra year of childhood because the child is home for one more year before college, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We had an August baby. He was very bright but on the shy side. He went to a Catholic school and they suggested “pre-first” which is essentially redshirting. They didjt think he was socially ready. It seemed to me like a money grab to get an extra year of $$$ from us.

I had been fretting about it. My neighbor, who teaches at a HS, said he has watched this dynamic for years, and in almost all cases, the parents who rushed their kids ahead regretted it and those who waited/“redshirted” were glad they did.

He did prefirst and the cohort he was with was SO much better than the grad above.

My own brother had a great argument based on his experience with an August baby: “You either get an extra year of childhood or an extra year of adulthood, and childhood already goes too fast.”

Sadly you don't gain an extra year of childhood by starting formal school a year behind. Being in school is not robbing anyone of their childhood. School is fun for most kids.

I think he meant from the parents’ point of view. You definitely get an extra year of childhood because the child is home for one more year before college, etc.

I mean, it’s also essentially an extra year of childhood (defined as living at home without adult responsibilities) from the child’s point of view. A high school senior is a high school senior. It’s not like the experience of an 18 YO senior is really any different from that of a 17 YO senior.

I was sent to school “on time” but have a September birthday and was 18 for basically my entire senior year. My senior year of high school definitely felt more like childhood than my freshman year of college, so I do think I got an extra year of childhood that I wouldn’t have had if I had been born a few weeks earlier and graduated from high school a year earlier. I didn’t resent being an 18 YO senior or really even think twice about it. And now as an adult, I’m glad I had that last year at home before college and then the real world since I agree with other posters that childhood is too short!

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't think this is a big deal, especially since there are going to be other kids your daughter's age in her class. You said she's not even going to be the oldest kid, she's just one of the older ones. Doesn't seem like an issue to me. You have two years before she starts kindergarten, don't worry about it.

[Anonymous]

You are gonna burn out so fast, OP.