Did you send your late summer birthday son to kindergarten that Fall?

[Anonymous]

Our son is a VERY active, very busy boy. He does not sit for long or have what some might say school-ready attention and focus skills. He's not ADD or anything like that, and extremely bright, just very active. His birthday is at end of June. We are trying to decide whether to enroll him in a pre-k program for maturity reasons vs. just waiting it out and see what develops over the next 10 months.

It seems most parents I speak to in similar situation are split down the middle with a slight bias to enroll the girls earlier than the boys.

What did you do those in similar boat?

[Anonymous]

Go read all the threads on redshirting in the schools forum.

[Anonymous]

My DS is an early May b-day, but very similar temperament to your son. He is v. v. busy, never sits still, etc., but he was otherwise 100% ready for K. He does struggle with classroom rules (sitting still, not talking), but not at all with the work. And truth be told, it seems like MOST of the kids girls/boys/5/6 struggle with the rules based on what I've seen in the classroom. Follow your instinct, if you think he's ready...send him!

[Anonymous]

definitely send him. If you wait a year and he's already bright he will be bored if you leave him back a year, that will make any attention/more active/easily bored worse.

I'd send him for sure. Most little boys are like yours, I think you'd regret leaving him back, it will impact him for the rest of his schooling and you may regret it. You can always pull him out and send to a prek if you really don't like how it's working. Maybe try finding a smaller kinder or a private with more recess and one on one attention.

[Anonymous]

OK since when does the end of June constitute a "late" birthday? I think you should send your son.

[Anonymous]

This area is NOTORIOUS for holding their kids back. If you, as his parent, feel he is ready and would otherwise be bored, you are doing him a HUGE disservice by holding him back, especially for your "convenience." I feel it is a sad commentary to hold your kid back in hopes of him getting a sports scholarship down the road (being one of the larger kids in class) for example.

It is a MUCH larger problem, and quite a substantial gamble, to have the child be bored in class and risk "losing" him as far as interest in school. This area hasn't much common sense, redshirting notwithstanding.

Flame away. In the more educated areas, redshirting is almost nonexistant.

[Anonymous]

Flame away. In the more educated areas, redshirting is almost nonexistant

I'm not going to flame, just point out that you have this bass ackward. In as much as education is an approximate correlation with household income.

[Anonymous]

My DS has a late June birthday, and he is loving Kindergarten at our local DCPS. Right now he is having a snack before bed while explaining the social dynamics among the boys in his class. I can't imagine how bored he'd be now had we redshirted him

[Anonymous]

I was going to say the same thing PP. This area has very educated, affluent parents who tend to overthink things like this. In other areas where parents don't have the money to hold their child back for another year of preschool or daycare, there would be no discussion. If a child is age eligible for K, they would send them. It really is the school's job to meet the child where they are.

[Anonymous]

We did redshirt (end of August bday) and DS is also loving K at our local DCPS. It seems like a really good fit socially, he is a bit ahead academically. I'd take a look at the school he would be in, talk to current teachers and talk to the future school to find out what the expectations are. I don't think this is a decision that can be made in the abstract. We moved DS from preschool to another school with a JK program so he didn't feel like he was "repeating" or being left while the other kids moved on. It's a totally kid dependent decision - good luck!

[Anonymous]

20:33 poster is not very bright..I also agree that redshirting has more to do with educated parents with extra income who can afford another year of nanny's, preschool etc. I think it is an individual decision and I can't think of anyone who is doing it in hopes of a sports scholarship. Perhaps 20:33 doesn't understand that some kids esp. little boys need that extra time and it can be much more hurtful to push a child forward when he is the youngest and smallest in his class. I am planning to redshirt with a boy born end of Sept. and I can assure everyone that sports fame is not being factored in.

[Anonymous]

20:33 here. Correction: more educated and/or wealthy areas do not concern themselves with such nonsense as redshirting. It was only a matter of time before the desperate namecalling began. Lest DC not be the be all and end all of the universe - egads!

I should have said, if you plan on your children ever relocating to someplace other than the deep south or middle America; redshirting is a non issue, if they are appropriately sent. THAT should bring some opinions. Consider yourself enlightened. And consider traveling outside of the area - GASP!

[Anonymous]

Who is your son's natural peer group? Does he play with kids the same age and older, or does he prefer younger kids?

[Anonymous]

From a purely social standpoint, I'll say that I am an October birthday and my parents held me after they had sent my brother (also October birthday) - granted boys mature at a slower rate but being the youngest was hard. I loved being older (get to drive sooner, etc). I think the extra year in maturity was very beneficial.

That said, I think the PP who questioned who your son's natural peer group has a good point...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:20:33 here. Correction: more educated and/or wealthy areas do not concern themselves with such nonsense as redshirting. It was only a matter of time before the desperate namecalling began. Lest DC not be the be all and end all of the universe - egads!

I should have said, if you plan on your children ever relocating to someplace other than the deep south or middle America; redshirting is a non issue, if they are appropriately sent. THAT should bring some opinions. Consider yourself enlightened. And consider traveling outside of the area - GASP!

I honestly am not following what you're saying, but I'm interested in your point of view.

Are you advocating redshirting or not? What's your take on how others outside this area will view it? (Don't the school cutoffs differ by state, by the way?)