Originally Posted by
dogmom
The thing that gets me about red shirting is that so many parents who decide it do so based on things they read, their personal experience, and talking to other parents they know with kids near their age, but not talking to parents of high school kids. They are so focused on academics that they miss some big picture things. Once your kid turns 18 you have ZERO control over them. So if they decide to go into rebellion and quit school in 11th grade you can do nothing. Your 9th grade girl who is 16 dating a 50 yo man, also not much. All legal. It's a lot easier to intervene on drug or alcohol use for your 17 yo than an adult. Your 18 year old Junior caught at a party with a bunch of his classmates with beer? His classmates will have his parents called, he will get a trip to the police station. I know decent parents who had all this happen with their kids. They weren't negligent, they didn't come from "bad" families or "at risk" communities. So don't go thinking "this will never happen to MY kid." Your kid is 4 or 5! You have very little idea what will happen. I think there are some very valid reasons to keep your kids minor for most of their high school education in this country. Mistakes that get made after the age of 18 can stay with your for the rest of your life. I'm not saying this happens to all or even most kids. But when I suggest this as something to think about whether to hold a kid back people look at me like I'm a monster. I think I'm being realistic.