We redshirted our Aug and Sept kids. Above all, it helped with executive functioning. We never looked back and the kids didn’t seem to notice. Neither were the oldest in their classes either.

Without arguing whether it is the right thing to do, yes the private schools skew older for summer birthdays. If you’re applying for K, you likely won’t have a choice to start on time in several schools. If your child joins in later grades, and you don’t hold them back, have your eyes open about the prevalence of red shorting.

I really don’t understand Why people are doing this. If anything, I would have tried to get my kid started earlier if I could.

OP, when you ask for advice on this issue, ask how old the posters' kids are now. I posted above about my experience with a small son with a late birthday. Before sixth grade, I absolutely would have said that the decision to start him worked out fine. The implications are not just for about K-2.

We have two summer birthday boys. We sent one on time and it was a good decision. He is now in 3rd grade. We held the other back and are sending him to K next year just after he turns 6. We talked about it for years with each other and with his preschool teachers. K was their recommendation. He hits his milestones about a year later than his brother did and probably has some attention issues. I have to admit that he has had a great year in preschool and I hope we didn't make a mistake, but I could only take the advice of all of his teachers and the new school he is going to. We shall see.

I had a mid-May preemie whose due date was June 25. Chose to let him to to K when he was just 5. It has worked out fine. He wasn’t the youngest and I can’t imagine him being helped back intellectually and socially another year in pre-k. I am astonished by the older 6 year olds in kindergarten. It just isn’t developmentally right for most of them.

We have 3 summer birthday kids (2 sons and a daughter) and held all of them back. They're now 27, 24, and 21, and our long-range perspective is that it worked out great for them both academically and socially. BTW, this is also my perspective as a teacher in MS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Although many have sad before it depends on the kid. Its still hard to know the kid at such a young age.

I have an end of May child.

It’s ridiculous to hold a child back whose birthday is end of May or June do that matter. These parents need to get a grip.

Completely agree!

Anonymous wrote:Although many have sad before it depends on the kid. Its still hard to know the kid at such a young age.

I have an end of May child.

It’s ridiculous to hold a child back whose birthday is end of May or June do that matter. These parents need to get a grip.

In some of the Baltimore area private schools for boys, doing a year of "pre-first grade" is encouraged. Actually, they used to do that in public school too for those later in the year birthdays who needed a bit more time to mature.

If you are considering a specific school, you can always ask what percentage of students have been redshirted. As a parent of two kids with August birthdays who started on time, it can be challenging in high school when almost all of your classmates reach a milestone long before you do. I posted in another thread about my kids not being able to complete the pre-college programs they were interested in as rising juniors because they won't be 16 until just before schools starts again. When they were little, there were summer camp cutoffs and other restrictions that they didn't meet even though most of their classmates did.

I would also say that if you have a very small child, like my tiny son, the extra year might be helpful. For my very small athletic son, starting on time wasn't initially a problem. However, once puberty hit, the physical immaturity was difficult socially. In eighth grade, friends started coupling off, and he wasn't ready or interested at that time.. He didn't hit puberty until 10th grade.

We thought about it for our late June DS, who is a lifer at a Big-3. Admissions thought he was ready. Back when they did the WPPSI, he was "very superior" or whatever the highest category was across the board and fast processing speeds. He did act up a bit in 2nd and 3rd because he was bored, so I cannot imagine how much worse his behavior would be if we had held him back. He is now in HS and doing extremely well academically, socially, and plays a team sport that is tight-knit socially, as well (obviously not so much this last year).
I think you know your kid best, but if your kid is objectively bright, I would hesitate to hold him back. Also, ask admissions. They see thousands of applicants and have a much better understanding of the long-term than you do as a parent in the now.

Anonymous wrote:Although many have sad before it depends on the kid. Its still hard to know the kid at such a young age.

I have an end of May child.

This. We did pre-k classes for our 2 early summer boys. They’re in late ES and MS now and sometimes complain that they should be a year ahead, but they’re both doing fine socially and academically so so far so good.

said^^^

Although many have sad before it depends on the kid. Its still hard to know the kid at such a young age.

I have an end of May child.

My son has an end of August birthday and we sent him on time. We don’t regret it.