Did your summer birthday child go to school "on time" or did you wait a year?

[sunnyside]

I know this has been discussed before, but I'm looking for a current discussion. I'm assuming a September 1 cutoff, but know that some areas have different cutoffs, so also interested in those experiences.

I have a child with a summer birthday (July) and haven't decided what to do. I'm leaning towards home schooling anyway, but in case that doesn't work out, I'd like to have some sort of plan.

I'm wondering what choices you've made and reasons driving your decisions, and also how you think it's working out.

Thanks!

[smilequeen]

August 1 is our cutoff. I have a mid July boy. He went on time. He's very bright. He has treated Inattentive ADHD. He's normally mature, was maybe slightly immature at 4.5 when we were making the decision. DH and I were also both youngest in our classes growing up with zero issues. We didn't see any reason to hold him, but we kept an open mind in K about repeating if needed. He's doing very very well and is in 2nd grade right now.

I wouldn't sweat it too much. Kids with involved parents tend to do well either way that their parents decide is best

[ncat]

We had a Dec 31 cutoff at the time DD started school. She is really tall and intellectually mature for her age. So far, it has worked out mostly well. She is more appropriately challenged and engaged in school than she would be if we'd help her back. We have had minor issues with sports - the cutoffs have not always matched well with the school cutoffs and she has been frustrated being on teams with mostly kids in lower grades (she is not great at sports, so can't justify playing up). I do worry about physical and emotional maturity as she gets closer to middle and high school, but I know we'd have been dealing with other problems for the last 5 years had we held her back!

[PZMommy]

We have a Sept 1st cut off. My July bday DS went on time, and my other DS has an Aug 25th birthday (he wasn't due until Sept 25th), and some delays, but he will also start on time. Red shirting is pretty much non existent in the area where I teach. I teach Kindergarten, and to be honest, I think the older kids struggle more, because they are too bored.

[lmr1101]

I would look at you school district and see what the trend is there. In dd1 class all kids who have Sept and August birthdays have been sent on time. This will largely play into my decision for dd2, who misses the cutoff by two weeks. If this trend continues I'm likely to push dd2, making her the youngest instead of oldest in her class.

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[bisous]

I did end up sending my summer b-day boy to school on time. It is weird because all my kids are born on odd years. All the rest are patently "fall" birthdays. So all of them will be on the older side in their classes EXCEPT DS2 and the spacing is off if that makes sense. But he is doing really well in almost all aspects despite being one of the youngest kids. I sensed this about him and it figured into my reasons for sending him on time. On the other hand, I do wonder sometimes if he'd be doing EVEN BETTER had he waited. But the truth was, I couldn't see him wasting another year to learn some of the academic skills. He really enjoyed every aspect K. It seemed to be just right.

[goldenpig]

My DD turned 5 in August one month before K started. We sent her on time. Around here the overwhelming trend is to hold back both boys and girls. Most summer birthdays and even some spring birthdays get held back. One mom was telling me she sent her daughter to public K for a year before starting at the private K. And several of DD's classmates (even girls) were turning 7 during K (April/May), while she was still 5. Crazy! That just seems like such a wide gap to me. But it didn't make sense to hold her back since she was already reading chapter books by K, she would have been really bored. Academically she is doing fine, but I do sometimes worry about her always being the youngest and smallest though. She's told me some of the boys tease her and call her "Shorty". Would I hold her back just for that though? No. (I was also the youngest in my class b/c I have a summer birthday and skipped K so I started 1st grade at newly 5). But I am glad that my boys were born in March and I won't have to worry about that issue with them.

My friend has two girls born in September (on the same day!) and she is having to hold the younger one back and send her to transitional K because the cutoff changed to November (it's transitioning later and later each year, to December I think). This is the public school. She is annoyed because her daughter is clearly ready for K and now her kids will be 4 years apart in school even though they're only 3 years apart in age. I told her she should petition, but it seems like schools are much more lenient about holding kids back than letting them come early.

[klwa]

DD1 was born ~ 1 week before the school cut off. DS is ~ 3 weeks after the cut off. When DD hit the right age to go to school, I compared her to where DS was at the same age, and realized she was ready. So, I sent her. Yes, she's one of the youngest in her class, but handling it fine. DS would not have. DD2 is about a month after the cutoff, so I feel bad if she's ready for school at the same age as DD1, but I figure it'll all work out.

[emily_gracesmama]

I have a mid August child and a Sept 1 cutoff. She went on time and while the schoolwork is fine for her I see her age show in her maturity in being able to settle down in class. She is in class with quite a few kids that are turning 8 now so there is almost a full year between them.

[lele]

My August boy and June girl have both started on time. They are among the youngest in their classes. My son has kids more than a year older than him in his class!! I have a November girl that I am still unsure of how it will work out.