Just another redshirting vent

[Anonymous]

Hold your kid back after K if he struggles. If not, suck it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you always tell why a kid was red-shirted if you don’t know them well?

Some people can. They can also see through your BS “excuses.” See the other thread on this.

My, my. Sooo angry. Fall birthdays here. Just wondering how everyone is always so certain why another parent did red-shirt when they don’t even know the kid. And of course a stranger knows much better than a parent, don’t you agree?

So then you have no idea what it's like in our shoes, as parents of children who turn 5 in July or August, starting K with kids who turned 5 LAST summer, and are now more than a full year older than them, and teasing them on the playground for being babyish and not wanting to play them them. I'm not worried about academics for my son I'm worried about the social aspect of him being picked on for being the youngest, smallest, and least socially mature boy in a class with kids who were held back, are over a year older than him, and then pick on him for being small!

Then hold your kid back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Friendly acquaintance posted a "back to school" pic of her son complete with his age (6.75 years) and grade (Junior First/ Prep First/ whatever your private school calls it). This little boy has a late fall birthday!!! He is going to be almost 8 years old when he starts first grade. Meanwhile, my child has a July birthday and I cannot afford private so he will be starting K right after he turns 5 and starting first right after he turns 6. He and this child are going to be almost 2 full years apart while in the same grade. I KNOW, it doesn't affect me in the slightest especially since he isn't even at my child's school. But it makes me so angry! My child is a little socially immature and I am worried he is not only going to be chronologically the youngest when he starts real school but he is going to be socially young for his age too, making it so much harder for him if his classroom is full of kids who are 7 when he is only 5. Ugh. Vent over. Side note- does anyone know if redshirting is as prevalent in public schools?

How is your public K classroom full of 7-year olds?

Well I hope it's not, but judging by how many people are telling me "just hold him back" when I've said many times we are using public, apparently it's completely allowed and therefore will be super common???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Friendly acquaintance posted a "back to school" pic of her son complete with his age (6.75 years) and grade (Junior First/ Prep First/ whatever your private school calls it). This little boy has a late fall birthday!!! He is going to be almost 8 years old when he starts first grade. Meanwhile, my child has a July birthday and I cannot afford private so he will be starting K right after he turns 5 and starting first right after he turns 6. He and this child are going to be almost 2 full years apart while in the same grade. I KNOW, it doesn't affect me in the slightest especially since he isn't even at my child's school. But it makes me so angry! My child is a little socially immature and I am worried he is not only going to be chronologically the youngest when he starts real school but he is going to be socially young for his age too, making it so much harder for him if his classroom is full of kids who are 7 when he is only 5. Ugh. Vent over. Side note- does anyone know if redshirting is as prevalent in public schools?

How is your public K classroom full of 7-year olds?

Well I hope it's not, but judging by how many people are telling me "just hold him back" when I've said many times we are using public, apparently it's completely allowed and therefore will be super common???

So there is no apparent looming actual issue as you described? There actually is no classroom full of kids who are 7 with your 5 year old? This is just some bizarre hypothetical?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Friendly acquaintance posted a "back to school" pic of her son complete with his age (6.75 years) and grade (Junior First/ Prep First/ whatever your private school calls it). This little boy has a late fall birthday!!! He is going to be almost 8 years old when he starts first grade. Meanwhile, my child has a July birthday and I cannot afford private so he will be starting K right after he turns 5 and starting first right after he turns 6. He and this child are going to be almost 2 full years apart while in the same grade. I KNOW, it doesn't affect me in the slightest especially since he isn't even at my child's school. But it makes me so angry! My child is a little socially immature and I am worried he is not only going to be chronologically the youngest when he starts real school but he is going to be socially young for his age too, making it so much harder for him if his classroom is full of kids who are 7 when he is only 5. Ugh. Vent over. Side note- does anyone know if redshirting is as prevalent in public schools?

How is your public K classroom full of 7-year olds?

Well I hope it's not, but judging by how many people are telling me "just hold him back" when I've said many times we are using public, apparently it's completely allowed and therefore will be super common???

So there is no apparent looming actual issue as you described? There actually is no classroom full of kids who are 7 with your 5 year old? This is just some bizarre hypothetical?

Do you have kids?? It's not a hypothetical!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Friendly acquaintance posted a "back to school" pic of her son complete with his age (6.75 years) and grade (Junior First/ Prep First/ whatever your private school calls it). This little boy has a late fall birthday!!! He is going to be almost 8 years old when he starts first grade. Meanwhile, my child has a July birthday and I cannot afford private so he will be starting K right after he turns 5 and starting first right after he turns 6. He and this child are going to be almost 2 full years apart while in the same grade. I KNOW, it doesn't affect me in the slightest especially since he isn't even at my child's school. But it makes me so angry! My child is a little socially immature and I am worried he is not only going to be chronologically the youngest when he starts real school but he is going to be socially young for his age too, making it so much harder for him if his classroom is full of kids who are 7 when he is only 5. Ugh. Vent over. Side note- does anyone know if redshirting is as prevalent in public schools?

How is your public K classroom full of 7-year olds?

Well I hope it's not, but judging by how many people are telling me "just hold him back" when I've said many times we are using public, apparently it's completely allowed and therefore will be super common???

So there is no apparent looming actual issue as you described? There actually is no classroom full of kids who are 7 with your 5 year old? This is just some bizarre hypothetical?

Do you have kids?? It's not a hypothetical!!

Yes, correct, it's a looming issue for next year not this year. If that makes a difference. Eyeroll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Sigh. No one cares.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both situations.

I know, that's why I titled it "another redshirting vent" so you could be free to scroll past it if you were tired of these posts. I unfortunately fail to see ANY advantages for my late summer bday boy though, to be honest.

OP, my kid also started 1st at 5. Keep in mind that some studies have found that the benefits of redshirting tend to peter out over time.

Also, just personally, I'd rather my kid have to hustle to keep up academically and in sports, rather than to coast through several years of school without adequately being challenged because of being older.

I also started 1st at 5. I don't even think I realized other kids were younger. It was only a pain for a couple months in college, when I had to wait for my 18th bday to go out to bars/clubs with friends. Anecdotal, but being young actually meant that I started grad school at 21 and had a Ph.D. at 26.

I know a few studies also bear this out. Here's a New Yorker account of one such study:

The researchers discovered that relatively more mature students didn’t have an academic edge; instead, when they looked at their progress at the end of kindergarten, and, later, when they reached middle school, they were worse off in multiple respects. Not only did they score significantly lower on achievement tests—both in kindergarten and middle school—they were also more likely to have been kept back a year by the time they reached middle school, and were less likely to take college-entrance exams. The less mature students, on the other hand, experienced positive effects from being in a relatively more mature environment: in striving to catch up with their peers, they ended up surpassing them.

https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/youngest-kid-smartest-kid

So it may not be as dire as you think!

OP: thank you for posting that study. It makes me feel a lot better, actually. I really appreciate it!

OP, if you Google "negative effects of redshirting" that Atlantic article is the 4th item that pops up. Research, my friend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Friendly acquaintance posted a "back to school" pic of her son complete with his age (6.75 years) and grade (Junior First/ Prep First/ whatever your private school calls it). This little boy has a late fall birthday!!! He is going to be almost 8 years old when he starts first grade. Meanwhile, my child has a July birthday and I cannot afford private so he will be starting K right after he turns 5 and starting first right after he turns 6. He and this child are going to be almost 2 full years apart while in the same grade. I KNOW, it doesn't affect me in the slightest especially since he isn't even at my child's school. But it makes me so angry! My child is a little socially immature and I am worried he is not only going to be chronologically the youngest when he starts real school but he is going to be socially young for his age too, making it so much harder for him if his classroom is full of kids who are 7 when he is only 5. Ugh. Vent over. Side note- does anyone know if redshirting is as prevalent in public schools?

How is your public K classroom full of 7-year olds?

Well I hope it's not, but judging by how many people are telling me "just hold him back" when I've said many times we are using public, apparently it's completely allowed and therefore will be super common???

So there is no apparent looming actual issue as you described? There actually is no classroom full of kids who are 7 with your 5 year old? This is just some bizarre hypothetical?

Do you have kids?? It's not a hypothetical!!

Yes, correct, it's a looming issue for next year not this year. If that makes a difference. Eyeroll.

Can you post the data on the birth date of each child entering the class in question? Oh, you don’t actually have that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Sigh. No one cares.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both situations.

I know, that's why I titled it "another redshirting vent" so you could be free to scroll past it if you were tired of these posts. I unfortunately fail to see ANY advantages for my late summer bday boy though, to be honest.

OP, my kid also started 1st at 5. Keep in mind that some studies have found that the benefits of redshirting tend to peter out over time.

Also, just personally, I'd rather my kid have to hustle to keep up academically and in sports, rather than to coast through several years of school without adequately being challenged because of being older.

I also started 1st at 5. I don't even think I realized other kids were younger. It was only a pain for a couple months in college, when I had to wait for my 18th bday to go out to bars/clubs with friends. Anecdotal, but being young actually meant that I started grad school at 21 and had a Ph.D. at 26.

I know a few studies also bear this out. Here's a New Yorker account of one such study:

The researchers discovered that relatively more mature students didn’t have an academic edge; instead, when they looked at their progress at the end of kindergarten, and, later, when they reached middle school, they were worse off in multiple respects. Not only did they score significantly lower on achievement tests—both in kindergarten and middle school—they were also more likely to have been kept back a year by the time they reached middle school, and were less likely to take college-entrance exams. The less mature students, on the other hand, experienced positive effects from being in a relatively more mature environment: in striving to catch up with their peers, they ended up surpassing them.

https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/youngest-kid-smartest-kid

So it may not be as dire as you think!

OP: thank you for posting that study. It makes me feel a lot better, actually. I really appreciate it!

OP, if you Google "negative effects of redshirting" that Atlantic article is the 4th item that pops up. Research, my friend.

Also, pro-tip, the fluffy pop culture and opinion piece articles you read do not count as "research." Some of the popular culture articles on redshirting are embarrassing in their lack of understanding of statistics and academic research.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Friendly acquaintance posted a "back to school" pic of her son complete with his age (6.75 years) and grade (Junior First/ Prep First/ whatever your private school calls it). This little boy has a late fall birthday!!! He is going to be almost 8 years old when he starts first grade. Meanwhile, my child has a July birthday and I cannot afford private so he will be starting K right after he turns 5 and starting first right after he turns 6. He and this child are going to be almost 2 full years apart while in the same grade. I KNOW, it doesn't affect me in the slightest especially since he isn't even at my child's school. But it makes me so angry! My child is a little socially immature and I am worried he is not only going to be chronologically the youngest when he starts real school but he is going to be socially young for his age too, making it so much harder for him if his classroom is full of kids who are 7 when he is only 5. Ugh. Vent over. Side note- does anyone know if redshirting is as prevalent in public schools?

How is your public K classroom full of 7-year olds?

Well I hope it's not, but judging by how many people are telling me "just hold him back" when I've said many times we are using public, apparently it's completely allowed and therefore will be super common???

If you can't do it, it must not be super common.

The boy you're talking about is in private. He won't be in class together with your child. For all practical purposes, he exists in a parallel universe of education. So why do you care?

People are telling you to hold him back because YOU are the one telling them he's immature and young for his age. Stop saying that and people won't recommend that you hold him back. You're like a person who keeps talking about having a fever and then get angry when people recommend Tylenol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you always tell why a kid was red-shirted if you don’t know them well?

Some people can. They can also see through your BS “excuses.” See the other thread on this.

My, my. Sooo angry. Fall birthdays here. Just wondering how everyone is always so certain why another parent did red-shirt when they don’t even know the kid. And of course a stranger knows much better than a parent, don’t you agree?

So then you have no idea what it's like in our shoes, as parents of children who turn 5 in July or August, starting K with kids who turned 5 LAST summer, and are now more than a full year older than them, and teasing them on the playground for being babyish and not wanting to play them them. I'm not worried about academics for my son I'm worried about the social aspect of him being picked on for being the youngest, smallest, and least socially mature boy in a class with kids who were held back, are over a year older than him, and then pick on him for being small!

I just don’t understand why you would put your child in this situation.

Spoken like someone who has zero clue what it's like to be not sending your kid to privates. You can't just arbitrarily decide your 5 year old wont' start kindergarten. The truant officers will come knocking. The people who do it send their kids to private settings before entering K

I don’t know what you are talking about. I sent my kids to public school starting in K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Friendly acquaintance posted a "back to school" pic of her son complete with his age (6.75 years) and grade (Junior First/ Prep First/ whatever your private school calls it). This little boy has a late fall birthday!!! He is going to be almost 8 years old when he starts first grade. Meanwhile, my child has a July birthday and I cannot afford private so he will be starting K right after he turns 5 and starting first right after he turns 6. He and this child are going to be almost 2 full years apart while in the same grade. I KNOW, it doesn't affect me in the slightest especially since he isn't even at my child's school. But it makes me so angry! My child is a little socially immature and I am worried he is not only going to be chronologically the youngest when he starts real school but he is going to be socially young for his age too, making it so much harder for him if his classroom is full of kids who are 7 when he is only 5. Ugh. Vent over. Side note- does anyone know if redshirting is as prevalent in public schools?

How is your public K classroom full of 7-year olds?

Well I hope it's not, but judging by how many people are telling me "just hold him back" when I've said many times we are using public, apparently it's completely allowed and therefore will be super common???

So there is no apparent looming actual issue as you described? There actually is no classroom full of kids who are 7 with your 5 year old? This is just some bizarre hypothetical?

Do you have kids?? It's not a hypothetical!!

Yes, correct, it's a looming issue for next year not this year. If that makes a difference. Eyeroll.

Can you post the data on the birth date of each child entering the class in question? Oh, you don’t actually have that.

Right, because I'm talking about the larger culture of redshirting kids (someone posted that their school district in Boston had schools with 20-30% of kids starting a year late- that's crazy). And worrying about how it will possibly/ likely affect my child next year when he enters K. I'm allowed to post about generalities and how they might apply to my specific situation in the future. There is no rule that I need to only post about exact problems I have at this exact moment. If you don't want to contribute in a helpful way, you can ignore this entire thread- I made it really easy to do so by titling it "another redshirting vent" and if you were eyerolling at that title. ,then SCROLL PAST.

[Anonymous]

They should start considering date of birth in college applications. Any kid who has had a year (or more!) of advantage over the other kids should be held to a higher standard.

I'm guessing the 7 years old in grade 1 problem will go away pretty fast.

[Anonymous]

Why don't we all just hold our kids back a year? Oh wait, then someone will want to hold their kid back another year, and then it keeps going on and on, and soon, we'll have 10 year olds in K, and 23 year college freshmens who still need their parents to talk to the professors about their grades, and negotiate their pay for their very first jobs.

[Anonymous]

For all the parents claiming that something "doesn't affect you" because the kid(s) in question are in other classrooms or schools, they are all part of the same college application cohort. So yes, it absolutely does affect everyone in the year level to have redshirted kids.