Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our son turns 5 on October 4th, and we seriously considered redshirting him. There are countless studies that show that older kids do better academically. However, as tempted as we were to redshirt, we've ultimately decided that we're going to send him to Kindergarten this fall. Redshirting is cheating, and sometimes you have to give up what you desire in order to do what's right. It simply wouldn't be fair to kids born in 2016 if they had to compete with someone born in 2015. Even though he won't do as well in school as he would if we wait a year, my S/O and I have decided that we'd much rather our son do okay playing by the rules than excel by cheating.

Is this satire?

The poster said that it is Dec 31st cutoff. If it was a sept cutoff, that would be odd to redshirt.

Anonymous wrote:This is way too individual to make a broad statement on. The ONLY thing I have noticed about every red shirt family is constant complaints later on about not being challenged enough (starts in 1st/2nd and gets louder every year). The rest of the parents discuss when they are not around that the kid is not as challenged because they are a year older!
Otherwise, in terms of affecting the class environment, we have had one way too mature kid but most blend in enough.

Comedy gold.

This is way too individual to make a broad statement on. The ONLY thing I have noticed about every red shirt family is constant complaints later on about not being challenged enough (starts in 1st/2nd and gets louder every year). The rest of the parents discuss when they are not around that the kid is not as challenged because they are a year older!
Otherwise, in terms of affecting the class environment, we have had one way too mature kid but most blend in enough.

Preschool teachers recommended it based on ... I'm honestly not sure, but I was impressionable. He is now 18 and going to college in the fall. He absolutely did not need the gift of time AND I'm glad he got it anyway. If the pandemic has shown me nothing else, it's that you never know what's coming and childhood is fleeting. He had an extra year to run around and be a little boy. I didn't use it to game the system. He's not much of an athlete anyway. But fwiw, his classmates in general are clustered close to him in age, in part because so many people do redshirt. I didn't redshirt my youngest son (big age difference) because he wasn't close enough to the cut-off, but he does struggle, and I wish I had held him, particularly now with distance learning.

Anonymous wrote:I started my pretty average late September birthday boy on time (September 30 cutoff) and did not consider holding him back for any advantage. The preschool teacher agreed he was ready to go, and frankly, we were ready to stop paying for daycare.

As it turned out, he is one of the few non-gifted kids in FCPS , has ADHD and he hates sports, so he would not really have been the shining star of his classroom or whatever team if he had started K as a (nearly) six year old. He was probably in the top 20-25% of his HS class, did well in his area of interest, got into his desired colleges, etc.

I say he's really lucky to have you as a parent.

I started my pretty average late September birthday boy on time (September 30 cutoff) and did not consider holding him back for any advantage. The preschool teacher agreed he was ready to go, and frankly, we were ready to stop paying for daycare.

As it turned out, he is one of the few non-gifted kids in FCPS , has ADHD and he hates sports, so he would not really have been the shining star of his classroom or whatever team if he had started K as a (nearly) six year old. He was probably in the top 20-25% of his HS class, did well in his area of interest, got into his desired colleges, etc.

I figured if they were older they'd have an advantage both physically and mentally. Unfortunately, that doesn't always work out with tests like the CogAT that are age normed.

Anonymous wrote:My child was adopted at age 2 and had/has attachment and developmental issues. She did Pre-K twice and starting K at age 6.

Good for you for meeting her where she is at, not demanding that she meet you where society thinks she should be. You sound like just the type of parents she needs!

We're adoptive parents also. I wish you as many years of blessings and joy as we have had with our children.

My child was adopted at age 2 and had/has attachment and developmental issues. She did Pre-K twice and starting K at age 6.

I have 2 boys. First one, I sent on time and 2nd one was red-shirted. Why? It became apparent in 4th grade and even more so in middle school that boys develop slower than girls and they can benefit from the extra time.

As for sports, some HS freshman may not make the team because they haven't grown yet. This prevents them from making the team as a soph, jr, sr. because the coaches already "have their players" and don't want to take a chance on a new entity. Unless the kid magically grows to be 6'8" the window on high school sports closes early.

People who get all worked up about this haven't faced any real adversity when it comes to parenting. It's not "cheating" to redshirt, not by a long shot. You'll understand this as you & your kids grow up. I advise all the younger parents who ask my advice to hold back. Little to no downside, and potentially an easier path for your kid if they face academic challenges later in elementary school or middle school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also I am going to need more details from the sports redshirters. Most wont end up with a sports scholarship or even being a standout player. We’re you disappointed at your child if they didn’t achieve up to your expectations?

+1

The kid can't win

Do they feel good about themselves that their children were better athletes than kids a year younger? Kids who play up and excel are the impressive ones.

Anonymous wrote:Our son turns 5 on October 4th, and we seriously considered redshirting him. There are countless studies that show that older kids do better academically. However, as tempted as we were to redshirt, we've ultimately decided that we're going to send him to Kindergarten this fall. Redshirting is cheating, and sometimes you have to give up what you desire in order to do what's right. It simply wouldn't be fair to kids born in 2016 if they had to compete with someone born in 2015. Even though he won't do as well in school as he would if we wait a year, my S/O and I have decided that we'd much rather our son do okay playing by the rules than excel by cheating.

Is this satire?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our son turns 5 on October 4th, and we seriously considered redshirting him. There are countless studies that show that older kids do better academically. However, as tempted as we were to redshirt, we've ultimately decided that we're going to send him to Kindergarten this fall. Redshirting is cheating, and sometimes you have to give up what you desire in order to do what's right. It simply wouldn't be fair to kids born in 2016 if they had to compete with someone born in 2015. Even though he won't do as well in school as he would if we wait a year, my S/O and I have decided that we'd much rather our son do okay playing by the rules than excel by cheating.

Where do you live?

We live in an area with a calendar cut-off, so the oldest kids have January birthdays and the youngest kids have December birthdays.

New York? Isn’t that the only place left with a calendar cutoff?

Fwiw I enrolled my October birthday child in kindergarten at age 4 (turned 5 in kindergarten) here in the DC area. It has worked out well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our son turns 5 on October 4th, and we seriously considered redshirting him. There are countless studies that show that older kids do better academically. However, as tempted as we were to redshirt, we've ultimately decided that we're going to send him to Kindergarten this fall. Redshirting is cheating, and sometimes you have to give up what you desire in order to do what's right. It simply wouldn't be fair to kids born in 2016 if they had to compete with someone born in 2015. Even though he won't do as well in school as he would if we wait a year, my S/O and I have decided that we'd much rather our son do okay playing by the rules than excel by cheating.

Where do you live?

We live in an area with a calendar cut-off, so the oldest kids have January birthdays and the youngest kids have December birthdays.

Anonymous wrote:Our son turns 5 on October 4th, and we seriously considered redshirting him. There are countless studies that show that older kids do better academically. However, as tempted as we were to redshirt, we've ultimately decided that we're going to send him to Kindergarten this fall. Redshirting is cheating, and sometimes you have to give up what you desire in order to do what's right. It simply wouldn't be fair to kids born in 2016 if they had to compete with someone born in 2015. Even though he won't do as well in school as he would if we wait a year, my S/O and I have decided that we'd much rather our son do okay playing by the rules than excel by cheating.

Where do you live?