School deadline is 10/1, DDs bday is 9/24...wwyd? - Page 2

[ChristaN]

Ah, thanks.  I wasn't familiar with the term, but I certainly do know of people doing things of this sort.  Heck, I've known people who've posed as homeschoolers, gotten the CogAT as such before school testing and taught their kids the test answers so they'd test into the GT program.  Isn't competitive parenting a lovely thing, lol?

[dbsam]

Originally Posted by ChristaN 

Ah, thanks. I wasn't familiar with the term, but I certainly do know of people doing things of this sort. Heck, I've known people who've posed as homeschoolers, gotten the CogAT as such before school testing and taught their kids the test answers so they'd test into the GT program. Isn't competitive parenting a lovely thing, lol?

yes...I guess I was naive about how far parents will go.

All the competition stresses me out...It made me doubt my parenting; made me feel like I wasn't properly preparing my children.  I do not want to play those games.  (It's one of the reasons we switched back to Montessori.  Not that there aren't parents who do similar things, but most do not in our class and the teachers recognize when it is done.  Not having all the testing helps keep it at bay too and I do not feel like my child's potential is measured by a test score.)

OP...sorry to take your thread OT.

[dogretro]

I've got two late-April kids and I would never DREAM of keeping them out an extra year, regardless of where I lived. I completely understand it when your child is days away from the cut-off, but MONTHS? Sorry if I offend, but that's insane. Our district's cut-off is Sept 30. My kids would be 5 yrs & 5 months by that time. That is more than ready for kindy. I am currently gestating an October baby. This was one of the many reasons why fall birthdays make me twitchy :)

[nd_deadhead]

My twin sons made the school cutoff by 2 days, and started on time, making them the youngest in their class.

They had a great preschool experience, and were ready for K both socially and academically. They were also big for their age - in fact, B's 2nd grade teacher didn't realize he was the youngest in her class until spring (obviously he didn't stand out). They were not terribly challenged in school, and probably would have been bored silly through elementary school had they been a year older.

The boys just graduated from high school, and will turn 18 a week after starting college. We have never regretted the decision to send them when we did.

OTOH, we have a neighbor whose son was born in June of that year. He was very shy, very small, and in no way ready for K when he was 5. The extra year did him a world of good, and by the time he started, at 6, he hit the ground running. He and his family have no regrets either.

It all depends on the child. No single answer is best for everyone.

[ellairiesmom]

OP here...just caught up on all the posts from more recently.  Figured I would update my own post.  

DD1 finished the 4 year old program & we decided to go with the "year to grow" program instead of K.  Here is what factored in most to our decision:

-feedback from her teacher in our old town as well as the new teacher;

-observations from teachers & DH & I on her petite size & how the other girls always want to pick her up, carry her around & play with her like she is their baby sister instead of a peer;

-really feeling good about this current school & wanting to max her time there-she can do this transition year & then K next year;

-while most schools in our area are becoming "choice schools" over the next 2 years giving us the option of sending her to any district we want taking a little pressure off feeling like we have to move in time for K, they all still only have half day K which would be a huge letdown for her.  She goes 9-2 and LOVES it;  

-father in law saying he will foot the bill taking the pressure off financially to get into public school sooner;

We feel good about the decision & think it will be the best for her too.

Thx for all the very good & personal feedback!

[provocativa]

The book Outliers makes the argument that waiting is better, and I agree.
 

[babymommy2]

I'm sorry for changing the subject, but I was curious about the Kindergarten years where you are. Here there are two years of Kindergarten (junior and senior) and the cut-off is 12/31. Kids start when they're 4 (some are still 3) and then they begin grade 1 when they are 6. Is Pre-K basically like Junior Kindergarten rather than pre-school, and then there is only one year of Kindergarten? I feel like it's different in every country. Thanks for your clarification

 In most of Canada, at least western Canada, there is no such thing as junior and senior kindergarten. There is just kindergarten followed by grade 1 etc. It is up tp school divisions what they can afford to pay for, so usually there is no  preschool or what you would call junior kindergarten. Some school divisions do have it, but usually it will be just in certain schools, typically low income schools. for pretty much everyone else,  you either send your child to  private preschool, or chose to not send them.  Private preschool varies a lot from play school types, to montessori types, to everything in between, some costly, some cooperatives, some 1 or 2 days a week, some full time. most start at age 3,  but not every one sends kids that year or at all. I would say most of the peope I know do 2 years of preschool then kindergarten. I think Kindergarten teachers have it a bit rough, because they will get all kinds of kids with variying amounts of preschool ex[perience from none to lots. 

[LitMom]

I was one of the youngest in my grade. My DH was as well, even more so. His birthday is mid-September, and he started school at K in New York when he was 4. The cutoff there was 10/1. Then by 2nd grade, he moved to Texas, where the cutoff was 9/1. They didn't want to have him repeat 1st grade, so he was very literally the youngest child in second grade at that school. Anyone else with the exact same birthday, exact same year, was a grade behind him. There were redshirted kids who were a year and a half older than him.

We both did fine academically but were behind socially. DH in particular felt that he was behind physically and lived in a sports-crazed area. 

So when we talked about what we would do with our kids, he felt strongly that it was better to be the oldest versus the youngest in the grade. We homeschool, so it's mostly irrelevant, but we are considering DS, with a mid-October birthday, to be entering pre-K in the fall. 

It makes a difference from child to child of course. It also makes a difference from school to school; and sometimes with gender. It seems that girls often do better as the youngest in the class than boys do. I think my DD would have handled K at just shy of 5 significantly better than my DS would. He's bright, but he doesn't have the attention span. 

Edited by LitMom - 8/14/12 at 8:56pm

[theatermom]

We've homeschooled, but when my oldest was Kindergarten age, we would have (and looked at briefly) sending him to K at age 4 (a Sept. 9th bday with a Aug. 23rd cutoff) because:

1) He was already reading, and was otherwise academically ahead of the curve

2) He was mature enough socially and emotionally

3) He was in the 95th percentile for height, and so looked like a first grader

My 2nd son has a Aug. 23rd bday, and so we wouldn't have faced this issue. My 3rd son, however, has an October birthday. If he had been my older son, I would have seriously considered sending him at 4. As it is, he is a totally different bird from either of his older brothers (tiny, relatively immature, very shy).

So, all that to say, I don't think gender matters nearly as much as individual personalities and the nature of the school/classroom. 

[Skippy918]

My son has a late August birthday and the cutoff is sept 1. I plan to start him on time since he's been in a daycare/ preschool environment since he was little. He's very outgoing, social and has a long attention span.


I meant to also add that I get looks of surprises from people because I am sending him on time instead of holding him back a year. I think if I did hold him back he would end up bored.
Edited by Skippy918 - 8/16/12 at 5:00pm