Look kids aren’t dumb, they figure it out and often attribute any supposed advantages (height, weight, muscle mass, etc.) that an older peer might have to their older age. Children are very focused on people’s ages in general, haven’t you noticed this? It’s one of the first things they ask.

My kid has a fall birthday. He was 13 throughout 8th grade. He took 3 ninth grade classes (4 if you include FL) and played on the JV tennis team. He’ll start on varsity this year. He’s aware that he’s younger than his peers and I think it adds to his confidence level that he keeps up rather than detracting from it. I remember being in 6th grade and thinking that the few kids who were a whole year older than us were the “dumb” or “slow” ones because they should have been in a higher grade.

Do what you want but, on the whole, I don’t think you are doing your kid any favors by holding them back.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure why this is such a big deal. Most 8th graders will turn 14 at some point during the year, and many will be almost 15 at the end of the school year. So it's not that big a difference. 14.5 is probably the norm.

My child turns 13 during 8th grade so that’s a two year age difference. It’s a big difference.

Your child was 12 in 8th grade? That is not the norm at all! Most are 13 and turn 14 that year. My 14.5 year old just finished 8th and my 12 year old is now going into 7th. And we sent them on time. Your math seems off!

Your math is off, my child was 13 the entire 8th grade year.

All the birthdays my child attended in 8th grade were for kids turning 14. Nobody was 12, turning 13.

Mine was. What about the fall birthdays?? Why do people assume no kids are born in the fall or, if they are, they are held back?

Because in most places the fall birthdays are the oldest kids. Only a small number of districts have such late cutoffs. This just simply isn't a thing anymore in most places.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure why this is such a big deal. Most 8th graders will turn 14 at some point during the year, and many will be almost 15 at the end of the school year. So it's not that big a difference. 14.5 is probably the norm.

My child turns 13 during 8th grade so that’s a two year age difference. It’s a big difference.

Your child was 12 in 8th grade? That is not the norm at all! Most are 13 and turn 14 that year. My 14.5 year old just finished 8th and my 12 year old is now going into 7th. And we sent them on time. Your math seems off!

Your math is off, my child was 13 the entire 8th grade year.

All the birthdays my child attended in 8th grade were for kids turning 14. Nobody was 12, turning 13.

Mine was. What about the fall birthdays?? Why do people assume no kids are born in the fall or, if they are, they are held back?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if a kid has a September birthday - should a parent put them in at 4? Or wait till they are 5?

Does DCUM consider this redshirting? At least the kid won't be 17 and going to college.

I don't understand why so many people make a big deal out of being 17 for the first couple of weeks of college. For the majority of their first SEMESTER, they'll be 18.

Counter argument - what is the rush? Four year olds starting school was not a thing until you had two working parents and had to find childcare.

It used to be December, which meant all kids were five entering kinder. A lot of states use October now (we are military and that was the case for us) and when we came here, people were like you "held" your kid. I didn't even know that was a thing.

Stop trying to make this a working parent " thing". Some kids are legit advanced and it makes sense for them to be with academic peers. The same reason some people red shirt.

I was a very advanced and precocious/gifted child. My parents of course started me in school on time. My birthday is in August a few days before the start of school, so I was a very new 5 year old in K and many of my classmates had been held back and were a whole year older. This was in the 80s. I was more than capable of doing 2nd or 3rd grade work as a new 5 year old - but I can distinctly remember feeling less mature and behind socially compared to my classmates. It evened out by middle school, of course, but by that point the damage was done.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if a kid has a September birthday - should a parent put them in at 4? Or wait till they are 5?

Does DCUM consider this redshirting? At least the kid won't be 17 and going to college.

I don't understand why so many people make a big deal out of being 17 for the first couple of weeks of college. For the majority of their first SEMESTER, they'll be 18.

Counter argument - what is the rush? Four year olds starting school was not a thing until you had two working parents and had to find childcare.

It used to be December, which meant all kids were five entering kinder. A lot of states use October now (we are military and that was the case for us) and when we came here, people were like you "held" your kid. I didn't even know that was a thing.

Its not rushing to send your child to school when they are basically 5. Why hold back? Are you doing it for your needs or theirs?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if a kid has a September birthday - should a parent put them in at 4? Or wait till they are 5?

Does DCUM consider this redshirting? At least the kid won't be 17 and going to college.

I don't understand why so many people make a big deal out of being 17 for the first couple of weeks of college. For the majority of their first SEMESTER, they'll be 18.

Counter argument - what is the rush?

There is no rush. But rushing means trying to push your kid ahead of where they're supposed to be. If the cut-off is October, then parents who send a September child to school just before they turn 5 are not rushing; they're just following the guidelines. If they tried to start their child just before they turned 4, or if they tried to get their child skipped a grade, that would be rushing. You know how sometimes you'll read in the paper about a 12-or-13-year-old going off to college? It's the parents of those kids who are rushing, not the parents of the kids starting college a few weeks shy of their 18th birthdays.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if a kid has a September birthday - should a parent put them in at 4? Or wait till they are 5?

Does DCUM consider this redshirting? At least the kid won't be 17 and going to college.

I don't understand why so many people make a big deal out of being 17 for the first couple of weeks of college. For the majority of their first SEMESTER, they'll be 18.

Counter argument - what is the rush? Four year olds starting school was not a thing until you had two working parents and had to find childcare.

It used to be December, which meant all kids were five entering kinder. A lot of states use October now (we are military and that was the case for us) and when we came here, people were like you "held" your kid. I didn't even know that was a thing.

Stop trying to make this a working parent " thing". Some kids are legit advanced and it makes sense for them to be with academic peers. The same reason some people red shirt.

This made me spit my drink - legit advanced. That is funny.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if a kid has a September birthday - should a parent put them in at 4? Or wait till they are 5?

Does DCUM consider this redshirting? At least the kid won't be 17 and going to college.

I don't understand why so many people make a big deal out of being 17 for the first couple of weeks of college. For the majority of their first SEMESTER, they'll be 18.

Counter argument - what is the rush? Four year olds starting school was not a thing until you had two working parents and had to find childcare.

It used to be December, which meant all kids were five entering kinder. A lot of states use October now (we are military and that was the case for us) and when we came here, people were like you "held" your kid. I didn't even know that was a thing.

Stop trying to make this a working parent " thing". Some kids are legit advanced and it makes sense for them to be with academic peers. The same reason some people red shirt.

According to a DCUM parent that is every.single.child.

When they aren't really. The lowering of the AAP standards is indicative that no, they are not special snowflakes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if a kid has a September birthday - should a parent put them in at 4? Or wait till they are 5?

Does DCUM consider this redshirting? At least the kid won't be 17 and going to college.

I don't understand why so many people make a big deal out of being 17 for the first couple of weeks of college. For the majority of their first SEMESTER, they'll be 18.

Counter argument - what is the rush? Four year olds starting school was not a thing until you had two working parents and had to find childcare.

It used to be December, which meant all kids were five entering kinder. A lot of states use October now (we are military and that was the case for us) and when we came here, people were like you "held" your kid. I didn't even know that was a thing.

Stop trying to make this a working parent " thing". Some kids are legit advanced and it makes sense for them to be with academic peers. The same reason some people red shirt.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if a kid has a September birthday - should a parent put them in at 4? Or wait till they are 5?

Does DCUM consider this redshirting? At least the kid won't be 17 and going to college.

I don't understand why so many people make a big deal out of being 17 for the first couple of weeks of college. For the majority of their first SEMESTER, they'll be 18.

Counter argument - what is the rush? Four year olds starting school was not a thing until you had two working parents and had to find childcare.

It used to be December, which meant all kids were five entering kinder. A lot of states use October now (we are military and that was the case for us) and when we came here, people were like you "held" your kid. I didn't even know that was a thing.

Wrong, I went to school along time ago when I was 4 and so did several of my siblings.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if a kid has a September birthday - should a parent put them in at 4? Or wait till they are 5?

Does DCUM consider this redshirting? At least the kid won't be 17 and going to college.

I don't understand why so many people make a big deal out of being 17 for the first couple of weeks of college. For the majority of their first SEMESTER, they'll be 18.

Counter argument - what is the rush? Four year olds starting school was not a thing until you had two working parents and had to find childcare.

It used to be December, which meant all kids were five entering kinder. A lot of states use October now (we are military and that was the case for us) and when we came here, people were like you "held" your kid. I didn't even know that was a thing.

This is common in Baltimore private schools. It’s called pre-first.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/45/567969.page

Anonymous wrote:So if a kid has a September birthday - should a parent put them in at 4? Or wait till they are 5?

Does DCUM consider this redshirting? At least the kid won't be 17 and going to college.

I don't understand why so many people make a big deal out of being 17 for the first couple of weeks of college. For the majority of their first SEMESTER, they'll be 18.

Anonymous wrote:DD just mentioned a classmate is 15. Is that common around here?

Didn't read all the responses because I know how this goes.

Perhaps the kid was held back. Perhaps there are learning disabilities. Perhaps they moved from another country. Could be a whole lot of things that aren't "common" around here type things.

Anonymous wrote:So if a kid has a September birthday - should a parent put them in at 4? Or wait till they are 5?

Does DCUM consider this redshirting? At least the kid won't be 17 and going to college.

I don't consider this redshirting. Virginia allows this, you have to put them in if they are six. Private schools are mostly like this since parents are not rushing to stop paying preschool costs. You are more likely to have young kids in public schools. There are studies done on this - childcare is expensive.