Here’s a new approach…Ask your pre-school teacher if they think your child is prepared.

A small rant. I hate the word “red shirt.” Call it what it is. You are holding your kid back.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just remember that if you redshirt, you'll have an 18 year old adult to get through senior year of high school.

Oh stop. Seniors are 18 now starting in Sept/October senior year anyway, Rip Van Winkle.

Very few. I'd be embarrassed to hold my child back. But, I'd rather set them up to succeed vs. hold them back and hope that fixes things.

Eh, there's nothing embarassing about redshirting. Everyone wants to give their kids advantages in life.

Anonymous wrote:My kid was born in March so red shirting was really never a consideration. But now he is one of the youngest kids in his class.

Its really going to depend on your community and the school you want to send him to. Can you ask around to get a feeling for what people do? I don't like red shirting, but I also wouldn't like my kid to be a full year younger than his classmates. Its a tough call, but you've got plenty of time to figure this out.

Us too. My daughter was born at the beginning of May and because her PK-12 school has a June 1 cutoff for Pre-K and inexplicably, an August 1 cutoff for K-5, most parents use the June 1 cutoff that school advises for Pre-K for K and 1st, so my daughter is the youngest in her grade. Holding her back didn't make sense because she's smart and mature and very social, but I also feel like I did her a huge disadvantage. Then again, I felt that redshirting her would also put her at a disadvantage. I was redshirted a billion years ago (end of July birthday) and had to play a year up in soccer and got made fun of a lot for being older than my peers. I really didn't like it and even lied about my age so I wouldn't have to answer questions about why I was older than everyone else. I keep telling myself that when my daughter goes out into the real world it won't matter, but in early elementary school it feels like she is at a disadvantage being younger especially because so many kids her class did PK elsewhere and then repeated PK while she only did it once.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just remember that if you redshirt, you'll have an 18 year old adult to get through senior year of high school.

Oh stop. Seniors are 18 now starting in Sept/October senior year anyway, Rip Van Winkle.

Very few. I'd be embarrassed to hold my child back. But, I'd rather set them up to succeed vs. hold them back and hope that fixes things.

My kid was born in March so red shirting was really never a consideration. But now he is one of the youngest kids in his class.

Its really going to depend on your community and the school you want to send him to. Can you ask around to get a feeling for what people do? I don't like red shirting, but I also wouldn't like my kid to be a full year younger than his classmates. Its a tough call, but you've got plenty of time to figure this out.

Anonymous wrote:Where we are, in the suburbs, I know very few August birthday boys who are in the correct grade. I know many summer/late spring boys who were redshirted. It is an advantage in every way for boys.

I don't see how you can make that blanket statement. I guess if you don't care about having a bored child waste a year in school when they could be doing something else?

Anonymous wrote:Just remember that if you redshirt, you'll have an 18 year old adult to get through senior year of high school.

Oh stop. Seniors are 18 now starting in Sept/October senior year anyway, Rip Van Winkle.

Anonymous wrote:Just remember that if you redshirt, you'll have an 18 year old adult to get through senior year of high school.

Which is perfectly normal and acceptable considering the cut off for many school systems is September.

We see a lot of Aug/Sep kids redshirted, even some July, here in NoVA but it's usually done in kindergarten.

Just remember that if you redshirt, you'll have an 18 year old adult to get through senior year of high school.

Where we are, in the suburbs, I know very few August birthday boys who are in the correct grade. I know many summer/late spring boys who were redshirted. It is an advantage in every way for boys.

This is a highly polarizing topic, so before the discussion turns rabid, here’s my advice:

Children aren’t widgets. Some are ready earlier than others, some may be ready in some ways but need more time in others. There is no universal rule, which is why they allow parents the option to redshirt. You know your child best, so go with your gut. If you have questions, you can talk to your child’s preschool teacher, their pediatrician, or even the elementary school. You’re not locked into anything and still have time to readjust if something comes up unexpectedly. While there’s no perfect solution, and you may at times second guess whatever decision you make, whichever decision you make you’ll find a way to work.

It sounds like your boy is right on track and (not having met him) I can’t imagine why you’d hold him back. The main thing is that because he has a parent who cares enough to worry about decisions like these, you’ll make sure he gets whatever he needs to thrive.

Send him. People hold back for their own needs and want validation by you doing it too. (said from a mom who didn't hold back her kid and is doing well)

Maybe it's just the circles you run in? When my friends / neighbors have a kid in August or September the attitude is "You're so lucky! They'll just make the cutoff!"

Redshirting an August baby in DC will cost you, what, $20,000 in childcare? Crazy.

Our son has a late August birthday, and we are planning to enroll him in PK3 next year. He is very verbal and seems to be enjoying his current full-time daycare. I hadn't even considered holding him back until a few people asked me about it, and I see it mentioned here all the time. Are there specific things people look for when deciding to hold a kid (boys, especially) back? He's only 2.5 so there's only so much I can "judge" him on at this point haha but want to be sure I'm not missing or considering something. Thanks!