Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a child with a similar birthday. It's a challenging birthday because no matter what you do, they will be on the edge of the age curve. So there's no right answer, but that also means there's no wrong answer.

My child started 1st at just turned 6 and it's been fine. However, if the school had recommended starting 1st at 7, I would have been totally fine with that. In some ways it's better to have the school tell you what they think will work best because then you don't have to guess and you can be more confident that they will provide your child with the support he needs, whether he's among the youngest or among the oldest.

No, it is not best for that school to make that decision. Are you crazy and a lazy parent?

Ah, I recognize you.

Yes, it is best for the school to make that decision because they will have a far better idea of what the age range of other kids in the grade will be, as well as what will be expected of children in the grade and what skills the kids will be expected to have coming in. Especially in a private school, they are best able to make a recommendation. A parent might know their own child well, but especially coming to a school for the very first time after traveling, can't really have any idea of what the classroom environment will be like or what the other kids are like.

School is not an individualized experience. It's a group experience. It works best when kids are ready for what they will be asked to do and when they will fall within the expected range of abilities and behaviors. If you want a fully individualized education, homeschool or hire tutors. If you want school, you will need to defer to their judgment on some of these things, and your judgment comes into play in choosing the school.

Thank you for confirming your lazy parenting.
I bet you would medicate OPs child too if it made your life easier.

Stay mad. It is working out so well for you.

Stay lazy. It is working out so well for you since you are only concerned about yourself.

You get that you're arguing with yourself here, right?

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I appreciate everyone's comments (except that one flex person 😆).

I honestly didn't even know there was a term for this. I think I'm fine with starting 1st grade at 7 and ultimately graduating at 18.

I was weird, I am nearly a mid-Sept baby and graduated HS and started college at 17.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I appreciate everyone's comments (except that one flex person 😆).

I honestly didn't even know there was a term for this. I think I'm fine with starting 1st grade at 7 and ultimately graduating at 18.

I was weird, I am nearly a mid-Sept baby and graduated HS and started college at 17.

DS is a current senior and most of his friends turn 18 during senior year. I was 17 too at mine - different times.

I was 17 when I graduated high school too. Because I have a summer bday and went to school “on time.” Even then I was one of the youngest in my grade. So I wouldn’t say “different times.” People redshirted back then and they still do now. 🤷‍♀️

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a child with a similar birthday. It's a challenging birthday because no matter what you do, they will be on the edge of the age curve. So there's no right answer, but that also means there's no wrong answer.

My child started 1st at just turned 6 and it's been fine. However, if the school had recommended starting 1st at 7, I would have been totally fine with that. In some ways it's better to have the school tell you what they think will work best because then you don't have to guess and you can be more confident that they will provide your child with the support he needs, whether he's among the youngest or among the oldest.

No, it is not best for that school to make that decision. Are you crazy and a lazy parent?

Ah, I recognize you.

Yes, it is best for the school to make that decision because they will have a far better idea of what the age range of other kids in the grade will be, as well as what will be expected of children in the grade and what skills the kids will be expected to have coming in. Especially in a private school, they are best able to make a recommendation. A parent might know their own child well, but especially coming to a school for the very first time after traveling, can't really have any idea of what the classroom environment will be like or what the other kids are like.

School is not an individualized experience. It's a group experience. It works best when kids are ready for what they will be asked to do and when they will fall within the expected range of abilities and behaviors. If you want a fully individualized education, homeschool or hire tutors. If you want school, you will need to defer to their judgment on some of these things, and your judgment comes into play in choosing the school.

Thank you for confirming your lazy parenting.
I bet you would medicate OPs child too if it made your life easier.

Stay mad. It is working out so well for you.

Stay lazy. It is working out so well for you since you are only concerned about yourself.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a child with a similar birthday. It's a challenging birthday because no matter what you do, they will be on the edge of the age curve. So there's no right answer, but that also means there's no wrong answer.

My child started 1st at just turned 6 and it's been fine. However, if the school had recommended starting 1st at 7, I would have been totally fine with that. In some ways it's better to have the school tell you what they think will work best because then you don't have to guess and you can be more confident that they will provide your child with the support he needs, whether he's among the youngest or among the oldest.

No, it is not best for that school to make that decision. Are you crazy and a lazy parent?

Ah, I recognize you.

Yes, it is best for the school to make that decision because they will have a far better idea of what the age range of other kids in the grade will be, as well as what will be expected of children in the grade and what skills the kids will be expected to have coming in. Especially in a private school, they are best able to make a recommendation. A parent might know their own child well, but especially coming to a school for the very first time after traveling, can't really have any idea of what the classroom environment will be like or what the other kids are like.

School is not an individualized experience. It's a group experience. It works best when kids are ready for what they will be asked to do and when they will fall within the expected range of abilities and behaviors. If you want a fully individualized education, homeschool or hire tutors. If you want school, you will need to defer to their judgment on some of these things, and your judgment comes into play in choosing the school.

Thank you for confirming your lazy parenting.
I bet you would medicate OPs child too if it made your life easier.

Stay mad. It is working out so well for you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a child with a similar birthday. It's a challenging birthday because no matter what you do, they will be on the edge of the age curve. So there's no right answer, but that also means there's no wrong answer.

My child started 1st at just turned 6 and it's been fine. However, if the school had recommended starting 1st at 7, I would have been totally fine with that. In some ways it's better to have the school tell you what they think will work best because then you don't have to guess and you can be more confident that they will provide your child with the support he needs, whether he's among the youngest or among the oldest.

No, it is not best for that school to make that decision. Are you crazy and a lazy parent?

Ah, I recognize you.

Yes, it is best for the school to make that decision because they will have a far better idea of what the age range of other kids in the grade will be, as well as what will be expected of children in the grade and what skills the kids will be expected to have coming in. Especially in a private school, they are best able to make a recommendation. A parent might know their own child well, but especially coming to a school for the very first time after traveling, can't really have any idea of what the classroom environment will be like or what the other kids are like.

School is not an individualized experience. It's a group experience. It works best when kids are ready for what they will be asked to do and when they will fall within the expected range of abilities and behaviors. If you want a fully individualized education, homeschool or hire tutors. If you want school, you will need to defer to their judgment on some of these things, and your judgment comes into play in choosing the school.

Thank you for confirming your lazy parenting.
I bet you would medicate OPs child too if it made your life easier.

Stay mad. It is working out so well for you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I appreciate everyone's comments (except that one flex person 😆).

I honestly didn't even know there was a term for this. I think I'm fine with starting 1st grade at 7 and ultimately graduating at 18.

I was weird, I am nearly a mid-Sept baby and graduated HS and started college at 17.

DS is a current senior and most of his friends turn 18 during senior year. I was 17 too at mine - different times.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - birthday is late August. When the school said they wanted to chat, I had a feeling it would be to ask to have my child considered for first, rather than second.

Definitely fine. This is very commonplace. See all of the threads on redshirting. DC will probably not even be the oldest in their grade.

It is not commonplace to put children below their academic level.
The overwhelmingly vast majority of children across the entire US are in the grade for their age.

This would be my concern. I would only do this if the school offered appropriate academic acceleration options. If DC is doing well academically, then they will be bored if doing first grade work, right?

I had a friend who held back her DC for social reasons at a school where there weren't a lot of acceleration opportunities. He spent his early elementary years being very, very bored and needing a lot of supplementation at home.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a child with a similar birthday. It's a challenging birthday because no matter what you do, they will be on the edge of the age curve. So there's no right answer, but that also means there's no wrong answer.

My child started 1st at just turned 6 and it's been fine. However, if the school had recommended starting 1st at 7, I would have been totally fine with that. In some ways it's better to have the school tell you what they think will work best because then you don't have to guess and you can be more confident that they will provide your child with the support he needs, whether he's among the youngest or among the oldest.

No, it is not best for that school to make that decision. Are you crazy and a lazy parent?

Ah, I recognize you.

Yes, it is best for the school to make that decision because they will have a far better idea of what the age range of other kids in the grade will be, as well as what will be expected of children in the grade and what skills the kids will be expected to have coming in. Especially in a private school, they are best able to make a recommendation. A parent might know their own child well, but especially coming to a school for the very first time after traveling, can't really have any idea of what the classroom environment will be like or what the other kids are like.

School is not an individualized experience. It's a group experience. It works best when kids are ready for what they will be asked to do and when they will fall within the expected range of abilities and behaviors. If you want a fully individualized education, homeschool or hire tutors. If you want school, you will need to defer to their judgment on some of these things, and your judgment comes into play in choosing the school.

Thank you for confirming your lazy parenting.
I bet you would medicate OPs child too if it made your life easier.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I appreciate everyone's comments (except that one flex person 😆).

I honestly didn't even know there was a term for this. I think I'm fine with starting 1st grade at 7 and ultimately graduating at 18.

I was weird, I am nearly a mid-Sept baby and graduated HS and started college at 17.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where we live, you must be five to starry kindergarten, no exceptions, public or private. DD’s birthday is September 15. Two weeks after the school year starts. Thus, she was seven in first grade. She has the first birthday party of the school year. Oldest in her grade. Tallest girl in her grade. It’s fine.

That’s the grade she belonged in. Her birthday happened to be right after the cut off. This is not op’s situation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - birthday is late August. When the school said they wanted to chat, I had a feeling it would be to ask to have my child considered for first, rather than second.

Definitely fine. This is very commonplace. See all of the threads on redshirting. DC will probably not even be the oldest in their grade.

It is not commonplace to put children below their academic level.
The overwhelmingly vast majority of children across the entire US are in the grade for their age.