Think about your child going away to college a year earlier than necessary. Do you really want that?

Anonymous wrote:Do not do this. Think about middle school and high school. Such a disadvantage. They get into all the things their peers get into but your DD will be a full year younger than a good number of her classmates and in general, the youngest one in the whole class. Just no.

+1. My mom was a high school guidance counselor for 25 years and always commented how parents would push their kids ahead in age and then be so surprised when things went terribly downhill in high school. They had trouble making friends, staying organized, and generally keeping up and fitting in. The parents would say “but he/she is so smart and everything was great in elementary school..” My mom would say, yes, but now they are a year behind in maturity/puberty and this is where is shows. By then it was too late and they just had to move forward as best as possible.

Don’t rush it. Just let them be in the right grade.

Do not do this. Think about middle school and high school. Such a disadvantage. They get into all the things their peers get into but your DD will be a full year younger than a good number of her classmates and in general, the youngest one in the whole class. Just no.

I would just keep in mind that while you may think of your child as being a full year older than some kids if she goes to K on schedule, there will be plenty of other kids in the class with Oct./Nov./Dec. birthdays (as well as possibly a few Aug./Sept. who red-shirted).

There really isn't a downside to starting on time. K has a lot of new experiences, not just academic ones. Also, there is always going to be a range of academic abilities in a K class -- the teachers are used to dealing with that.

If you're dead set on trying to start your child early, the only option I know of is private K then test into public.

I have boys and they tend to mature socially later than girls. I have one with an August birthday that I sent to kindergarten on time. I have one with a September birthday that I held back a year. They are only 25 months apart chronologically but they were three years apart in school. There were pluses and minuses with both of them along the way - they are now young adults.

I do second others that suggest you know your child best. Try to look at the future - 6 years when your DD might be going through puberty. 11 years from now when all of her friends are driving and she has to wait a year. Starting college? How old will she be and do you want a 17 year old moving out?

My oldest has an August birthday. I sent him to kindergarten on time because at the time, he was socially and educationally ready for kindergarten. There were a couple of rough transitions over the years due to his young age: 1st grade, 7th grade; freshman year of college.

My middle one has a September birthday. Socially at the time, he was not ready for kindergarten so I held him back. Fast forward to middle school - he was much more mature than his classmates. Alot of his friends still wanted to play with toys - he was interested in girls. He was the first one of his friends to get his driver's license. He turns 21 this Sept, so he'll be the first one who can legally buy alcohol.

If I had to do it all over again, I would still send my August birthday DS on time and hold my Sept birthday DS back. It was the correct decision for each of them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good luck wading through all the “gift of time” and “don’t do it; they’ll be the youngest in class” posts, OP.

This area is ridiculous with wanting kids bigger, faster, older, etc… You know your kid and if they are ready socially, attention-wise and academically—best of luck to you.

Unless this parent is also a seasoned teacher in this school system, that makes zero sense

A teacher cannot predict the future.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Re redshirt, it means that MOST (certainly not all!) parents who can afford it will have boys (and sometimes girls too) who have summer birthdays do an extra year of pre-K, so they’re not the youngest but instead the oldest in the class. So if you started your child a year early, she’d likely be in class with kids who had turned 6 just before starting - which may (…or may not!) be fine now, but might not be ideal in 5/10/15 years

Anonymous wrote:Re redshirt, it means that SOME (certainly not all!) parents who can afford it will have boys (and sometimes girls too) who have summer birthdays do an extra year of pre-K, so they’re not the youngest but instead the oldest in the class. So if you started your child a year early, she’d likely be in class with kids who had turned 6 just before starting - which may (…or may not!) be fine now, but might not be ideal in 5/10/15 years

Your neighborhood must be quite different from mine. I would say that MANY parents of September birthday boys and some girls may wait a year--but MOST summer birthdays? Strongly disagree.

Some. We did not hold our boy back.

Anonymous wrote:Good luck wading through all the “gift of time” and “don’t do it; they’ll be the youngest in class” posts, OP.

This area is ridiculous with wanting kids bigger, faster, older, etc… You know your kid and if they are ready socially, attention-wise and academically—best of luck to you.

Unless this parent is also a seasoned teacher in this school system, that makes zero sense

Good luck wading through all the “gift of time” and “don’t do it; they’ll be the youngest in class” posts, OP.

This area is ridiculous with wanting kids bigger, faster, older, etc… You know your kid and if they are ready socially, attention-wise and academically—best of luck to you.

Don’t do it. My November BD kid started K on time, turning 6 shortly after the school year started. He was reading, writes full sentences, does 2nd and 3rd grade math - but also he’s happy and social. There is plenty to learn in K that is not academic.

Anonymous wrote:So, right now you are deciding whether or not your three year old should start K early? Did I get that right?

Huh? The kid turns 5 in October. That’s 5 months from now, so she’s 4.5, not 3.

My daughter is 14 now and her class is a mix of ages- some kids didn’t start on time because of late birthdays, somedid provate L because their birthdays were in October and some moved here from states where they could start K if their birthday was on December. It doesn’t matter. Do what is best for your kid

Anonymous wrote:Re redshirt, it means that MOST (certainly not all!) parents who can afford it will have boys (and sometimes girls too) who have summer birthdays do an extra year of pre-K, so they’re not the youngest but instead the oldest in the class. So if you started your child a year early, she’d likely be in class with kids who had turned 6 just before starting - which may (…or may not!) be fine now, but might not be ideal in 5/10/15 years

Anonymous wrote:Re redshirt, it means that SOME (certainly not all!) parents who can afford it will have boys (and sometimes girls too) who have summer birthdays do an extra year of pre-K, so they’re not the youngest but instead the oldest in the class. So if you started your child a year early, she’d likely be in class with kids who had turned 6 just before starting - which may (…or may not!) be fine now, but might not be ideal in 5/10/15 years

Your neighborhood must be quite different from mine. I would say that MANY parents of September birthday boys and some girls may wait a year--but MOST summer birthdays? Strongly disagree.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t - everyone red shirts their boys so she’ll be in class with kids two full years older than her.

what does this mean? "red shirt"

It means they think all parents of boys are holding back their kids a year to make it easier on the parents or to get them in a fancy private. Not true at all.

?? Not at all what it means. OP this person is confused by what redshirting means - it means keeping a kid with a summer birthday in preschool an extra year (to give the child an advantage and/or remove the disadvantage of being the youngest throughout school). Nothing to do with private school, and it’s generally tougher (versus easier) on the parents at least $$-wise, but they’re doing it for the benefit of the child

I would say among MC to UMC parents, it’s pretty common

Re redshirt, it means that MOST (certainly not all!) parents who can afford it will have boys (and sometimes girls too) who have summer birthdays do an extra year of pre-K, so they’re not the youngest but instead the oldest in the class. So if you started your child a year early, she’d likely be in class with kids who had turned 6 just before starting - which may (…or may not!) be fine now, but might not be ideal in 5/10/15 years