"redshirting" - holding kids back a year just to gain an advantage

[Anonymous]

At my DC grade at GDS, I think the oldest is a July Bday. There are august and September's who are a both on older and younger side.

[Anonymous]

I have a boy in preschool with an April birthday who will attend the DC private his brother currently attends. No one at either school has said anything about redshirting and I’m not going to push it.

But I admit I hate that he is and may continue to be the youngest!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a boy in preschool with an April birthday who will attend the DC private his brother currently attends. No one at either school has said anything about redshirting and I’m not going to push it.

But I admit I hate that he is and may continue to be the youngest!

The idea that an April birthday would be "the youngest" in any school cohort points to the whole problem with redshirting, which is that parents just chase each other around in a circle. It used to be that it was the June kids that people felt were borderline, then May, now April. It's just a silly self-created problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Careful, you just entered a DCUM war zone. Prepare for the wave of parents who say they are doing what's best for their kids, completely ignoring that redshirting inevitably puts younger kids at a disadvantage. Holding your kid back, no matter how "shy" or "immature" he or she is, will always, always skew a class demographic.

I wish private schools would set a cut off and stick with it, but that would piss off too many monied families who don't want their kid to be on the younger side. Make April or May cut offs, I don't care, but let it be a real thing and stop creating grades that span 18+ months.

Are you a private school parent in DC?

Because many/most kids with summer birthdays are pretty much forced to redshirt for DC privates.

I am, and in our experience it is very dependent on the school.

Which DC privates don't redshirt summer kids?

I think it’s up to the parents not the schools. However, many of these schools have group “play dates” and observe the kids and obviously the older children are going to stand out more especially at three years old, so yes, maybe indirectly the schools are pushing this practice. (how was a child that is 3 1/2 going to compete with a 4 1/2 year-old at a play date)

No, schools are directly telling parents that they will offer admission for summer kids iff they are redshirted. Parents can decide to send their kids there or not, but they are being forced to redshirt their kids if they want them to attend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a boy in preschool with an April birthday who will attend the DC private his brother currently attends. No one at either school has said anything about redshirting and I’m not going to push it.

But I admit I hate that he is and may continue to be the youngest!

The idea that an April birthday would be "the youngest" in any school cohort points to the whole problem with redshirting, which is that parents just chase each other around in a circle. It used to be that it was the June kids that people felt were borderline, then May, now April. It's just a silly self-created problem.

Agreed, which really speaks to the schools needing to be firmer with this boundary, as parents will never be able to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Careful, you just entered a DCUM war zone. Prepare for the wave of parents who say they are doing what's best for their kids, completely ignoring that redshirting inevitably puts younger kids at a disadvantage. Holding your kid back, no matter how "shy" or "immature" he or she is, will always, always skew a class demographic.

I wish private schools would set a cut off and stick with it, but that would piss off too many monied families who don't want their kid to be on the younger side. Make April or May cut offs, I don't care, but let it be a real thing and stop creating grades that span 18+ months.

Are you a private school parent in DC?

Because many/most kids with summer birthdays are pretty much forced to redshirt for DC privates.

I am, and in our experience it is very dependent on the school.

Which DC privates don't redshirt summer kids?

I think it’s up to the parents not the schools. However, many of these schools have group “play dates” and observe the kids and obviously the older children are going to stand out more especially at three years old, so yes, maybe indirectly the schools are pushing this practice. (how was a child that is 3 1/2 going to compete with a 4 1/2 year-old at a play date)

No, schools are directly telling parents that they will offer admission for summer kids iff they are redshirted. Parents can decide to send their kids there or not, but they are being forced to redshirt their kids if they want them to attend.

^specifically for PK/K. Upper grades are probably different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Careful, you just entered a DCUM war zone. Prepare for the wave of parents who say they are doing what's best for their kids, completely ignoring that redshirting inevitably puts younger kids at a disadvantage. Holding your kid back, no matter how "shy" or "immature" he or she is, will always, always skew a class demographic.

I wish private schools would set a cut off and stick with it, but that would piss off too many monied families who don't want their kid to be on the younger side. Make April or May cut offs, I don't care, but let it be a real thing and stop creating grades that span 18+ months.

Are you a private school parent in DC?

Because many/most kids with summer birthdays are pretty much forced to redshirt for DC privates.

I am, and in our experience it is very dependent on the school.

Which DC privates don't redshirt summer kids?

I think it’s up to the parents not the schools. However, many of these schools have group “play dates” and observe the kids and obviously the older children are going to stand out more especially at three years old, so yes, maybe indirectly the schools are pushing this practice. (how was a child that is 3 1/2 going to compete with a 4 1/2 year-old at a play date)

No, schools are directly telling parents that they will offer admission for summer kids iff they are redshirted. Parents can decide to send their kids there or not, but they are being forced to redshirt their kids if they want them to attend.

Then why do the schools have a Sept. 1 cut off? They should just make it June 1, or April 1 or whatever they decide, but then be done with it. Don't make parents of summer kids have to figure it out. They don't know, they don't see classes full of kids and know what is "normal" and schools can't tell from a single playdate, either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a boy in preschool with an April birthday who will attend the DC private his brother currently attends. No one at either school has said anything about redshirting and I’m not going to push it.

But I admit I hate that he is and may continue to be the youngest!

The idea that an April birthday would be "the youngest" in any school cohort points to the whole problem with redshirting, which is that parents just chase each other around in a circle. It used to be that it was the June kids that people felt were borderline, then May, now April. It's just a silly self-created problem.

Agreed, which really speaks to the schools needing to be firmer with this boundary, as parents will never be able to do so.

Schools are the ones pushing redshirting.

[Anonymous]

Anecdotally friends have said that Beauvoir insists on redshirting June but won’t allow March. Anyone know if this is accurate or what happens in between? Is this a directive from upper schools who are concerned with college outcomes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anecdotally friends have said that Beauvoir insists on redshirting June but won’t allow March. Anyone know if this is accurate or what happens in between? Is this a directive from upper schools who are concerned with college outcomes?

I don’t think that’s accurate -that they won’t allow March. It probably depends on the child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anecdotally friends have said that Beauvoir insists on redshirting June but won’t allow March. Anyone know if this is accurate or what happens in between? Is this a directive from upper schools who are concerned with college outcomes?

There is no reason to hold back a March birthday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anecdotally friends have said that Beauvoir insists on redshirting June but won’t allow March. Anyone know if this is accurate or what happens in between? Is this a directive from upper schools who are concerned with college outcomes?

There is no reason to hold back a March birthday.

Beauvoir is correct. There is no reason for this. Your kid will be 1 1/2 years older than some of their classmates. No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anecdotally friends have said that Beauvoir insists on redshirting June but won’t allow March. Anyone know if this is accurate or what happens in between? Is this a directive from upper schools who are concerned with college outcomes?

There is no reason to hold back a March birthday.

Beauvoir is correct. There is no reason for this. Your kid will be 1 1/2 years older than some of their classmates. No.

But, would it be better for him/her to be 1 11/2 years younger??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Careful, you just entered a DCUM war zone. Prepare for the wave of parents who say they are doing what's best for their kids, completely ignoring that redshirting inevitably puts younger kids at a disadvantage. Holding your kid back, no matter how "shy" or "immature" he or she is, will always, always skew a class demographic.

I wish private schools would set a cut off and stick with it, but that would piss off too many monied families who don't want their kid to be on the younger side. Make April or May cut offs, I don't care, but let it be a real thing and stop creating grades that span 18+ months.

Are you a private school parent in DC?

Because many/most kids with summer birthdays are pretty much forced to redshirt for DC privates.

I am, and in our experience it is very dependent on the school.

Which DC privates don't redshirt summer kids?

I think it’s up to the parents not the schools. However, many of these schools have group “play dates” and observe the kids and obviously the older children are going to stand out more especially at three years old, so yes, maybe indirectly the schools are pushing this practice. (how was a child that is 3 1/2 going to compete with a 4 1/2 year-old at a play date)

No, schools are directly telling parents that they will offer admission for summer kids iff they are redshirted. Parents can decide to send their kids there or not, but they are being forced to redshirt their kids if they want them to attend.

This was exactly the situation for us.

[Anonymous]

May now feels "young" for a boy when so many in the class are June/July/Aug bdays the year ahead but almost none are summer bdays of his year (younger than him)