Anonymous
08/26/2025 15:04
Subject: What are FCPS redshirting polices for a September Birthday?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Gift of time. Don’t send a 4 almost 5 year old to kinder. Nothing wrong with be one of the older fall babies in the class (October, November, December).
I sent my daughter ON TIME as a mid September birthday. She fits right in physically, academically and has a ton of friends socially. I can't even imagine it if she had been redshirted just because of this "gift of time" nonsense. She was ready.
And this is exactly why PARENTS should have the choice to give their kids the gift of time. Your child might be ON TIME (emphasis yours), but what if she was born two weeks later and missed the cut off? Would she be "late" because she was one of the oldest? Kids mature differently and it's the parent's decision.
That's not what you stated in your post...there is no such thing as a universal "Don’t send a 4 almost 5 year old to kinder."
Just remember this:
Years ago I knew a single parent who sent her DD early. She was bright and the mom needed her to be in school. I saw the mom a few years later, and she said: "Why didn't anyone warn me about high school?" Her DD was struggling and there were problems. Was her youth the problem? I don't know, but the mom thought it was. Her friends were driving and she wasn't, etc. I think she was hanging socially with kids who were out of her league.
I know quite a few parents who were tickled their precocious four year olds did ok in kindergarten (back when it was half days and play-based) who bitterly regretted sending them when their 17 y/o was not ready emotionally for college. Brain development doesn’t care what grade you’re in.
I myself went to K at 4 and everything turned out fine. This whole narrative is overblown.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 15:01
Subject: What are FCPS redshirting polices for a September Birthday?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:You don’t have to do anything. Kindergarten is not mandatory in VA so you are not breaking a law by not sending your kid to school this year. If you decide to do this, next year, just go enroll in K a year late.
I thought that, too. However, I just googled the Virginia law and you are supposed to notify the school of your decision to delay entry.
There is a short form that you fill out and submit to the school. It’s one page.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 14:53
Subject: What are FCPS redshirting polices for a September Birthday?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Gift of time. Don’t send a 4 almost 5 year old to kinder. Nothing wrong with be one of the older fall babies in the class (October, November, December).
I sent my daughter ON TIME as a mid September birthday. She fits right in physically, academically and has a ton of friends socially. I can't even imagine it if she had been redshirted just because of this "gift of time" nonsense. She was ready.
And this is exactly why PARENTS should have the choice to give their kids the gift of time. Your child might be ON TIME (emphasis yours), but what if she was born two weeks later and missed the cut off? Would she be "late" because she was one of the oldest? Kids mature differently and it's the parent's decision.
That's not what you stated in your post...there is no such thing as a universal "Don’t send a 4 almost 5 year old to kinder."
Just remember this:
Years ago I knew a single parent who sent her DD early. She was bright and the mom needed her to be in school. I saw the mom a few years later, and she said: "Why didn't anyone warn me about high school?" Her DD was struggling and there were problems. Was her youth the problem? I don't know, but the mom thought it was. Her friends were driving and she wasn't, etc. I think she was hanging socially with kids who were out of her league.
I know quite a few parents who were tickled their precocious four year olds did ok in kindergarten (back when it was half days and play-based) who bitterly regretted sending them when their 17 y/o was not ready emotionally for college. Brain development doesn’t care what grade you’re in.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 14:35
Subject: What are FCPS redshirting polices for a September Birthday?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Gift of time. Don’t send a 4 almost 5 year old to kinder. Nothing wrong with be one of the older fall babies in the class (October, November, December).
I sent my daughter ON TIME as a mid September birthday. She fits right in physically, academically and has a ton of friends socially. I can't even imagine it if she had been redshirted just because of this "gift of time" nonsense. She was ready.
And this is exactly why PARENTS should have the choice to give their kids the gift of time. Your child might be ON TIME (emphasis yours), but what if she was born two weeks later and missed the cut off? Would she be "late" because she was one of the oldest? Kids mature differently and it's the parent's decision.
That's not what you stated in your post...there is no such thing as a universal "Don’t send a 4 almost 5 year old to kinder."
Just remember this:
Years ago I knew a single parent who sent her DD early. She was bright and the mom needed her to be in school. I saw the mom a few years later, and she said: "Why didn't anyone warn me about high school?" Her DD was struggling and there were problems. Was her youth the problem? I don't know, but the mom thought it was. Her friends were driving and she wasn't, etc. I think she was hanging socially with kids who were out of her league.
Who cares? Kids don't wait in line at the DMV on their 16th birthday anymore.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 14:27
Subject: What are FCPS redshirting polices for a September Birthday?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Gift of time. Don’t send a 4 almost 5 year old to kinder. Nothing wrong with be one of the older fall babies in the class (October, November, December).
I sent my daughter ON TIME as a mid September birthday. She fits right in physically, academically and has a ton of friends socially. I can't even imagine it if she had been redshirted just because of this "gift of time" nonsense. She was ready.
And this is exactly why PARENTS should have the choice to give their kids the gift of time. Your child might be ON TIME (emphasis yours), but what if she was born two weeks later and missed the cut off? Would she be "late" because she was one of the oldest? Kids mature differently and it's the parent's decision.
That's not what you stated in your post...there is no such thing as a universal "Don’t send a 4 almost 5 year old to kinder."
Just remember this:
Years ago I knew a single parent who sent her DD early. She was bright and the mom needed her to be in school. I saw the mom a few years later, and she said: "Why didn't anyone warn me about high school?" Her DD was struggling and there were problems. Was her youth the problem? I don't know, but the mom thought it was. Her friends were driving and she wasn't, etc. I think she was hanging socially with kids who were out of her league.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 14:21
Subject: What are FCPS redshirting polices for a September Birthday?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Gift of time. Don’t send a 4 almost 5 year old to kinder. Nothing wrong with be one of the older fall babies in the class (October, November, December).
I sent my daughter ON TIME as a mid September birthday. She fits right in physically, academically and has a ton of friends socially. I can't even imagine it if she had been redshirted just because of this "gift of time" nonsense. She was ready.
And this is exactly why PARENTS should have the choice to give their kids the gift of time. Your child might be ON TIME (emphasis yours), but what if she was born two weeks later and missed the cut off? Would she be "late" because she was one of the oldest? Kids mature differently and it's the parent's decision.
That's not what you stated in your post...there is no such thing as a universal "Don’t send a 4 almost 5 year old to kinder."
Anonymous
08/26/2025 13:21
Subject: What are FCPS redshirting polices for a September Birthday?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Gift of time. Don’t send a 4 almost 5 year old to kinder. Nothing wrong with be one of the older fall babies in the class (October, November, December).
I sent my daughter ON TIME as a mid September birthday. She fits right in physically, academically and has a ton of friends socially. I can't even imagine it if she had been redshirted just because of this "gift of time" nonsense. She was ready.
And this is exactly why PARENTS should have the choice to give their kids the gift of time. Your child might be ON TIME (emphasis yours), but what if she was born two weeks later and missed the cut off? Would she be "late" because she was one of the oldest? Kids mature differently and it's the parent's decision.
I was a K teacher. I taught some September kids that were ready and some that were not. Let the parent choose. As a parent I have three neighbors that chose to send their September birthdays. All were smart kids. The two girls did just fine. The pre-school teacher recommended to the mom that she hold her son back. She did not. The K teacher suggested that he repeat K, the mom said 'No." Bright kid. Did not finish college. In my profesonal opinion as a former K teacher, the child was just immature. He really would have benefited with a year of "time."
Anonymous
08/26/2025 13:20
Subject: Re:What are FCPS redshirting polices for a September Birthday?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:FWIW, I've definitely seen this more with boys than girls.
If girls had birthdays past April or May, they were sent at the age of 5. If boys had birthdays in April or May, they were held and put into K the following school year. Just my observations.
I've definitely seen kids start school at 6+ and then they are turning 7 in K, 8 in 1st grade, etc etc. You can also add in maturity to your decision - some kids just aren't ready and some are.
What about August/ September? That seems like the most likely to redshirt since they would otherwise be 4 when starting.
DP. It’s becoming more frequent for the summer birthdays. Covid and the closures kind of blew the lid off the redshirting rates and a lot of teachers and principals like it too. It seems like most June-August birthday girls are sent on time but September has higher rates of redshirting. For boys it’s about 50-50 for the June-August but well over 50% redshirted for September. Again this is just my observation and I believe it’s more common now after the closures. So you may not see it as much if you have those middle school+ students who were already in school when Covid hit.
As someone who sent a 4 yo with a September birthday on time, kindergarten wasn't developmentally appropriate for her. There was far too much seat time and too little play. She could do the academics and was reading chapter books--that's why we sent her. But she hated kindergarten, crying multiple times a day, sleepwalking, bed wetting, and lots of other behaviors that showed how much stress she was under. All of those things stopped again when summer came and she went to day camps. It was clearly kindergarten that was her source of major stress.
It is hard being the youngest, smallest and least mature. That's been a repeating theme for her, from kindergarten through middle school. She'll start high school as a 13 yo and college as a 17 yo. That is a lot, even for a very smart kid.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 13:12
Subject: What are FCPS redshirting polices for a September Birthday?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Gift of time. Don’t send a 4 almost 5 year old to kinder. Nothing wrong with be one of the older fall babies in the class (October, November, December).
I sent my daughter ON TIME as a mid September birthday. She fits right in physically, academically and has a ton of friends socially. I can't even imagine it if she had been redshirted just because of this "gift of time" nonsense. She was ready.
And this is exactly why PARENTS should have the choice to give their kids the gift of time. Your child might be ON TIME (emphasis yours), but what if she was born two weeks later and missed the cut off? Would she be "late" because she was one of the oldest? Kids mature differently and it's the parent's decision.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 13:05
Subject: Re:What are FCPS redshirting polices for a September Birthday?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:FWIW, I've definitely seen this more with boys than girls.
If girls had birthdays past April or May, they were sent at the age of 5. If boys had birthdays in April or May, they were held and put into K the following school year. Just my observations.
I've definitely seen kids start school at 6+ and then they are turning 7 in K, 8 in 1st grade, etc etc. You can also add in maturity to your decision - some kids just aren't ready and some are.
What about August/ September? That seems like the most likely to redshirt since they would otherwise be 4 when starting.
DP. It’s becoming more frequent for the summer birthdays. Covid and the closures kind of blew the lid off the redshirting rates and a lot of teachers and principals like it too. It seems like most June-August birthday girls are sent on time but September has higher rates of redshirting. For boys it’s about 50-50 for the June-August but well over 50% redshirted for September. Again this is just my observation and I believe it’s more common now after the closures. So you may not see it as much if you have those middle school+ students who were already in school when Covid hit.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 13:02
Subject: What are FCPS redshirting polices for a September Birthday?
Anonymous wrote:Gift of time. Don’t send a 4 almost 5 year old to kinder. Nothing wrong with be one of the older fall babies in the class (October, November, December).
I sent my daughter ON TIME as a mid September birthday. She fits right in physically, academically and has a ton of friends socially. I can't even imagine it if she had been redshirted just because of this "gift of time" nonsense. She was ready.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 12:54
Subject: Re:What are FCPS redshirting polices for a September Birthday?
PP - I have what I remember from my child's K year - no "data," sorry. I was the Room Parent and I have an annoyingly good memory for this kind of thing. The teacher was really big on birthdays, and this was back when you could bring things in to the classroom.
Anonymous
08/26/2025 12:52
Subject: Re:What are FCPS redshirting polices for a September Birthday?
Anonymous wrote:Are you a teacher? If not, why do you have all this birthday data?
I have "data" from what I remember from my child's K year. I was the Room Parent and I have an annoyingly good memory for this kind of thing. The teacher was really big on birthdays. Sorry?
Anonymous
08/26/2025 12:51
Subject: Re:What are FCPS redshirting polices for a September Birthday?
Are you a teacher? If not, why do you have all this birthday data?
I have "data" from what I remember from my child's K year. I was the Room Parent and I have an annoyingly good memory for this kind of thing. The teacher was really big on birthdays. Sorry??
Anonymous
08/26/2025 12:19
Subject: What are FCPS redshirting polices for a September Birthday?
Anonymous wrote:Policy right now is it's allowed and when the child starts school, they begin at Kindergarten. That being said, DC has also allowed redshirting until now but they reversed course over the summer and are now forcing kids who were redshirted to skip K entirely and start in 1st grade. There was no warning prior to the announcement of such this summer. Obviously FCPS and DCPS are different jurisdictions but its something that's good to be aware of.
There would need to be changes to Virginia state law to make this happen in FCPS, and Youngkin isn’t going to sign a law limiting parental choice. 2026 school year is fine.