oldest or youngest in your grade - how did it impact YOU?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was probably one of the originally red-shirted kids almost 30 years ago. Our cutoff was Dec. 1 at the time and I have an early August birthday, so started K when I was 6 and a month old.

I was already a good student, so the extra year just put me that much further ahead of some of my classmates who were still 4 for the first 3 months of the year. I was bored. Every fall my mother would get a call about me reading under my desk with exasperated teachers complaining that they thought I wasn't paying attention. However, when they tried to catch me, I could always answer their questions.

By the time we hit middle school, I thought my classmates were immature and by the time sophomore year of high school rolled around I was over school. My friends were always a grade or 2 above me, it sucked when they all left for collge and I was stuck behind. I didn't date, thought high school boys were a waste of time, and couldn't grasp the obsession with boy bands my peers were gaga over.

Admittedly, I graduated top of my class, went to an Ivy, and from there to a top law school. However, I think it's quite possible that would have happened even if I started on time.

Why did your parents hold you back? Just curious. Mine held me back in the early 70s because I was two weeks from the cutoff and they thought I needed another year to mature. Like you - I think I probably would've been successful at school even if I hadn't been held back.

[Anonymous]

I have an August birthday; I think where/when I grew up the cutoff was late October. My older brother has a mid-Sept birthday. We both started on time--for me, I was barely 5, and he was 4 for the first few weeks.

I was always, always the smallest kid in the class and never played sports (though I don't think this had anything to do with age). I would not call myself a "leader" then or now, but I was happy in school, did well, and always had friends. Ditto for my brother--he played sports, didn't excel but always did well, and much more so than me, he always marched to the beat of his own drummer and was more of a leader socially.

When I asked my brother what he thought about redshirting (I have a small, smart, June-birthday DS) he told me, "I think kids act their grade much more than they act their age" and said a few things about positive peer pressure that sealed my decision to have DS start on time.

[Anonymous]

My twin sister and I skipped 3rd grade. We had a late spring birthday so we were always one of the youngest ones. Didn't affect us at all, really. The only issues were driving and turning 21. In terms of driving, we just carpooled with friends and with drinking, there were definitely times we weren't able to join some of our friends at a bar, but we had other friends who weren't going out that night or who weren't into bars, etc.

Did well in school, academically and athletically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was probably one of the originally red-shirted kids almost 30 years ago. Our cutoff was Dec. 1 at the time and I have an early August birthday, so started K when I was 6 and a month old.

I was already a good student, so the extra year just put me that much further ahead of some of my classmates who were still 4 for the first 3 months of the year. I was bored. Every fall my mother would get a call about me reading under my desk with exasperated teachers complaining that they thought I wasn't paying attention. However, when they tried to catch me, I could always answer their questions.

By the time we hit middle school, I thought my classmates were immature and by the time sophomore year of high school rolled around I was over school. My friends were always a grade or 2 above me, it sucked when they all left for collge and I was stuck behind. I didn't date, thought high school boys were a waste of time, and couldn't grasp the obsession with boy bands my peers were gaga over.

Admittedly, I graduated top of my class, went to an Ivy, and from there to a top law school. However, I think it's quite possible that would have happened even if I started on time.

Why did your parents hold you back? Just curious. Mine held me back in the early 70s because I was two weeks from the cutoff and they thought I needed another year to mature. Like you - I think I probably would've been successful at school even if I hadn't been held back.

My mom taught middle school algebra and by the time I came along she'd been teaching for 15 years. In her personal sample, she generally saw that the children who started when they were six or about to turn six simply did better, particularly in math and science, having had an extra year. She always said it was more pronounced in boys than girls, but she chose to hold both my brother and I out for the extra year. In my brother's case, it was absolutely the right decision maturity wise. He was still immature even having an extra year. She put us in a full time private pre-k program for the year we were 5.

[Anonymous]

I was rather young, with a Sept birthday. It didn't really impact me until HS when my friends all had their licenses the summer before Junior year. Also, my Senior year was weird because I was 17. Had I started college right out of HS, I wouldn't have even been old enough to sign a legal document. That always struck me as odd.

[Anonymous]

My parents skipped me ahead (September 1st cut off - had a late September birthday).

I remember always feeling younger than everyone else, but it never affected me academically or socially. I was a little socially awkward, but I still am, and don't think being older would have prevented that. Despite the awkwardness, I had plenty of good friends, I just hung out with the nerds.

I was always really smart, so I think if my parents followed cut offs, it would have been bad. I went to a pretty good college and turned out just fine in my opinion

[Anonymous]

I had a May birthday, which put me in the middle to slightly younger range.

In high school, I noticed that of my group of ten girlfriends, the oldest of us was born in late April. The rest were born May through August. We were reasonably socially ept and did very well academically, but were defn not in the socially savvier "popular" group.

[Anonymous]

I was the youngest in all of my grades. February birthday with a Dec cut-off, and started early.

It was fine. I did great academically through high school and college and went on to grad school.

I hated being the last one to get my driver's license, but it was fine. I got rides from friends my senior year.

[Anonymous]

When I was in school the cutoff was December 31 so with a summer birthday I was always in the middle of the pack. I had friends who were slightly older and some who were a bit younger. I was athletic and did well at sports. I also did well academically. I actually think the Dec 31 cutoff makes for more balanced classes in terms of age for a school year that begins in September.

[Anonymous]

I was always a year younger than everyone. It had no affect. Noone even knew I was a year younger. My father also started high school at 16. He's very successful and a completely normal person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was among the youngest (late Nov. birthday) and it was a non-issue.

+1

[Anonymous]

I was the youngest. I was always near the top of my class academically and I didn't struggle socially at all. I wouldn't have been any good at athletics no matter what grade I was in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was always one of the youngest (early Sept birthday), and I definitely think it affected me as far as confidence, etc. I was always very strong academically, which is why my parents let me go on instead of holding back, but emotionally and developmentally I was immature. Very shy. Not assertive. Afraid to participate or speak up. Was often bulllied. I think having waited a year would have made a big difference for me developmentally with confidence levels.

this was me, too. although who can say it was due to me being the youngest? I also went to a small school where everyone was in a clique and if you weren't, you were picked on. I was smart, and had preschool, which many of my peers did not, but I really didn't find school even remotely challenging until the last two years of high school. even then, I got good grades with a minimum of effort. not surprisingly, college was difficult for me, and I had a hard time adjusting to the independence. perhaps an extra year of maturing would have helped, but I was so glad to get out of my fish bowl small town that I'm glad I didn't start later.

[Anonymous]

Youngest - LOVED IT! I would have been bored and not accomplished anything in my life, not nearly what I have, had I waited a year. Entered Kindergarten at age 4, graduated HS at age 17. Same with my husband. Would not change a thing.

Personally, the moms redshirting are really, really hurting their children; doing them a huge disservice. There are extremely rare circumstances where this is not true, but otherwise I strongly feel that children should not be held back, which is just what it is.

Aside from the riches we have, we have the wisdom of knowing better, you can't buy that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was always one of the youngest (early Sept birthday), and I definitely think it affected me as far as confidence, etc. I was always very strong academically, which is why my parents let me go on instead of holding back, but emotionally and developmentally I was immature. Very shy. Not assertive. Afraid to participate or speak up. Was often bulllied. I think having waited a year would have made a big difference for me developmentally with confidence levels.

Me too.