When did your June birthday boy start school? How do you feel about it now that he is older?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. This is kind of ridiculous. Don’t red-shirt.

OP here. I was a teacher. The boy summer birthdays were almost always obvious! I could tell who had a summer birthday before even checking the roster.

I do not want him to be the last to turn 16/18/21. That is why I am asking the teen forum. I want to know how the boys are doing down the road.

I hate for him to be the last birthday, and to have girls/boys with birthdays in October. They'll be 9 months older than him and that is a LOT.

It sounds like you should hold him back for your needs and wishes. But, be prepared to have him ask why you had not confidence in him that he can do it. There are plenty of younger kids and the reason why there are not is because of parents like you. Send your kid to school on time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a high school DS with a May birthday --- I would never have considered red shirting him - he was smart and mature and ready for kindergarten.

But, I will say, he has always seemed young -- and he is. Most of the summer birthdays that are boys were redshirted (mostly July and August, some June) so May is really the end of the road. He is still 16 - almost all of his classmates are 17.

He is perfectly fine in his grade and someone has to be last - but it was him - last to get his driver's license, last to hit puberty, and a bit young socially.

I am totally fine with all of it - except the parents of kids that are more than a year older bragging their child is a "year ahead" in some class when in fact he was supposed to actually be in the "year ahead" class.

So do whatever you choose - it will be fine -- he will either be pretty old or pretty young - good and bad things for each.

No one is talking May birthdays. Your post makes no sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a high school DS with a May birthday --- I would never have considered red shirting him - he was smart and mature and ready for kindergarten.

But, I will say, he has always seemed young -- and he is. Most of the summer birthdays that are boys were redshirted (mostly July and August, some June) so May is really the end of the road. He is still 16 - almost all of his classmates are 17.

He is perfectly fine in his grade and someone has to be last - but it was him - last to get his driver's license, last to hit puberty, and a bit young socially.

I am totally fine with all of it - except the parents of kids that are more than a year older bragging their child is a "year ahead" in some class when in fact he was supposed to actually be in the "year ahead" class.

So do whatever you choose - it will be fine -- he will either be pretty old or pretty young - good and bad things for each.

Thank you. So helpful. I would NEVER "brag" about it, for goodness sakes!

[Anonymous]

DS June birthday went on time. He was already reading chapter books in K. There was no way I was going to hold him back. He's on the smaller side, and still is at 13. But academically, he's doing really well. He's not as mature as some of the other kids, especially since he hasn't hit puberty yet, but I have no doubt he will hit his stride in the next few years.

I had a talk with DS about whether I should've held him back since he is on the smaller side. He said, "No way.. school is already boring, and it would have been worse if I was held back a year."

So, I have no regrets, and neither does he.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. This is kind of ridiculous. Don’t red-shirt.

OP here. I was a teacher. The boy summer birthdays were almost always obvious! I could tell who had a summer birthday before even checking the roster.

I do not want him to be the last to turn 16/18/21. That is why I am asking the teen forum. I want to know how the boys are doing down the road.

I hate for him to be the last birthday, and to have girls/boys with birthdays in October. They'll be 9 months older than him and that is a LOT.

It sounds like you should hold him back for your needs and wishes. But, be prepared to have him ask why you had not confidence in him that he can do it. There are plenty of younger kids and the reason why there are not is because of parents like you. Send your kid to school on time.

I don't want him to be the last to turn 16, 18, or 21. How is that MY need or wish. I don't want him to have a hard time being the last birthday. I think there's a chance he could resent me for sending him "late", but it is more likely that he'll have hardships for being so young.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a high school DS with a May birthday --- I would never have considered red shirting him - he was smart and mature and ready for kindergarten.

But, I will say, he has always seemed young -- and he is. Most of the summer birthdays that are boys were redshirted (mostly July and August, some June) so May is really the end of the road. He is still 16 - almost all of his classmates are 17.

He is perfectly fine in his grade and someone has to be last - but it was him - last to get his driver's license, last to hit puberty, and a bit young socially.

I am totally fine with all of it - except the parents of kids that are more than a year older bragging their child is a "year ahead" in some class when in fact he was supposed to actually be in the "year ahead" class.

So do whatever you choose - it will be fine -- he will either be pretty old or pretty young - good and bad things for each.

No one is talking May birthdays. Your post makes no sense.

I found it helpful because May is pretty close to June.

[Anonymous]

^PP here.. all of us, DH, the kids, and I .. have summer birthdays. We were ALL the youngest in our grades. Last to get xyz is not the end of the world for a teen. It's a lot better to be the last to get xyz, then be considered "slow" for being held back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a high school DS with a May birthday --- I would never have considered red shirting him - he was smart and mature and ready for kindergarten.

But, I will say, he has always seemed young -- and he is. Most of the summer birthdays that are boys were redshirted (mostly July and August, some June) so May is really the end of the road. He is still 16 - almost all of his classmates are 17.

He is perfectly fine in his grade and someone has to be last - but it was him - last to get his driver's license, last to hit puberty, and a bit young socially.

I am totally fine with all of it - except the parents of kids that are more than a year older bragging their child is a "year ahead" in some class when in fact he was supposed to actually be in the "year ahead" class.

So do whatever you choose - it will be fine -- he will either be pretty old or pretty young - good and bad things for each.

No one is talking May birthdays. Your post makes no sense.

I found it helpful because May is pretty close to June.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DS June birthday went on time. He was already reading chapter books in K. There was no way I was going to hold him back. He's on the smaller side, and still is at 13. But academically, he's doing really well. He's not as mature as some of the other kids, especially since he hasn't hit puberty yet, but I have no doubt he will hit his stride in the next few years.

I had a talk with DS about whether I should've held him back since he is on the smaller side. He said, "No way.. school is already boring, and it would have been worse if I was held back a year."

So, I have no regrets, and neither does he.

I really don't understand why "reading chapter books" in kindergarten is valued higher than being mature in middle school. That just sounds hard.

[Anonymous]

^ sorry.. THAN not then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS June birthday went on time. He was already reading chapter books in K. There was no way I was going to hold him back. He's on the smaller side, and still is at 13. But academically, he's doing really well. He's not as mature as some of the other kids, especially since he hasn't hit puberty yet, but I have no doubt he will hit his stride in the next few years.

I had a talk with DS about whether I should've held him back since he is on the smaller side. He said, "No way.. school is already boring, and it would have been worse if I was held back a year."

So, I have no regrets, and neither does he.

I really don't understand why "reading chapter books" in kindergarten is valued higher than being mature in middle school. That just sounds hard.

What's hard about it? He's still doing well in school, has friends, and is generally happy.

I guess it depends on what you value. I value academics more than being mature in MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teacher here. This is kind of ridiculous. Don’t red-shirt.

OP here. I was a teacher. The boy summer birthdays were almost always obvious! I could tell who had a summer birthday before even checking the roster.

I do not want him to be the last to turn 16/18/21. That is why I am asking the teen forum. I want to know how the boys are doing down the road.

I hate for him to be the last birthday, and to have girls/boys with birthdays in October. They'll be 9 months older than him and that is a LOT.

It sounds like you should hold him back for your needs and wishes. But, be prepared to have him ask why you had not confidence in him that he can do it. There are plenty of younger kids and the reason why there are not is because of parents like you. Send your kid to school on time.

I don't want him to be the last to turn 16, 18, or 21. How is that MY need or wish. I don't want him to have a hard time being the last birthday. I think there's a chance he could resent me for sending him "late", but it is more likely that he'll have hardships for being so young.

First of all, with a JUNE birthday he won't be anywhere near the youngest in the class. Not even close. We have 3 kids in my son's class with late September birthdays. Second, you are forgetting the other side of the coin- that your son will now be the one whining because he's board in K because he's in an inappropriately young class for his age. You'll be on here bitching that things aren't advanced enough for him and, when he starts misbehaving, it's because they school is failing to challenge him.

And if that's not enough... when he's in high school and he and all his friends get caught doing something stupid, they'll all wind up getting their parents called while he, being 18, gets to go right to jail. Enjoy!

[Anonymous]

Is red shirting a June birthday even legal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS June birthday went on time. He was already reading chapter books in K. There was no way I was going to hold him back. He's on the smaller side, and still is at 13. But academically, he's doing really well. He's not as mature as some of the other kids, especially since he hasn't hit puberty yet, but I have no doubt he will hit his stride in the next few years.

I had a talk with DS about whether I should've held him back since he is on the smaller side. He said, "No way.. school is already boring, and it would have been worse if I was held back a year."

So, I have no regrets, and neither does he.

I really don't understand why "reading chapter books" in kindergarten is valued higher than being mature in middle school. That just sounds hard.

The hard part obviously is that you can’t predict what will happen in the future. You just gotta go with what you know when they are 4!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS June birthday went on time. He was already reading chapter books in K. There was no way I was going to hold him back. He's on the smaller side, and still is at 13. But academically, he's doing really well. He's not as mature as some of the other kids, especially since he hasn't hit puberty yet, but I have no doubt he will hit his stride in the next few years.

I had a talk with DS about whether I should've held him back since he is on the smaller side. He said, "No way.. school is already boring, and it would have been worse if I was held back a year."

So, I have no regrets, and neither does he.

I really don't understand why "reading chapter books" in kindergarten is valued higher than being mature in middle school. That just sounds hard.

The hard part obviously is that you can’t predict what will happen in the future. You just gotta go with what you know when they are 4!!

Yes, and at 4 he was reading way above grade level, and he was as "mature" as any other 4 year old.