This is a great article from the NY Times. I’m actually only on the second page but I wanted to give the link out. It talks about when to start your child in Kindergarden. It goes over the very question I’ve had in my mind.
I remember my Dad talking about this for ages about 12 years ago when my brother was about to start kindergarden. I got to hear about the age limit for sports, how ready my bro would be, how much better it would be if he was older than the other kids making him much better at sports then the rest of his class. My Dad’s theories pretty much ran into the sports side of things. I would really like Sam to be older and wiser though. With peer pressure and crazy things happening more and more I’d like my child to have more confidence walking through the school system. Although confidence is something that can be taught and not really an age thing… but still, I think she would be better prepared as a little bit older.
Since Sam is a December birthday she would be really young if I put her in (at whatever time I’m supposed to put her in – I still can’t figure that out) but would be a good age if I held her back a year. I think it’s a lot easier with a December birthday. If her birthday was in April or June then it might be a little different as the age difference would be more remarkable.
It’s an interesting article though! I encourage everyone with kiddos to read it! When do you think you will be putting your children in kindergarden? Do you think you may ‘hold’ them back for a year?
** Edit: Keep reading about some really interesting studies on grades for ones ‘held’ back!
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That’s funny. My parents and I were just talking about this. Because I’m a November birthday and was pretty much one of the youngest in our class. They said they wish they would have started me a year later, but I’m glad that I was younger. It sucks when you’re 16 and everyone is driving way before you, but I actually felt like I was more mature because of it. I don’t know. I think it depends on your kid though. But I can’t imagine having graduated a year later. My life would be SO different!
Yea, I think it can definitely go both ways. It really helps to have a good family environment, supportive parents, and all that jazz too 🙂 I don’t think starting school one year later is the end all, be all… But since Sam was a Dec bday girl I’m definitely going to keep it in the back of my mind.
Aarons mom told me something interesting this weekend that I thought you might like.
She said that she always taught her children that if they ever got lost, say in a store or something like that, to find a woman who has children with her and ask them for help. She said that if her kids were ever in a situation where they would need the help of a stranger, she wanted it to be a mom. Anyway, I just thought that was a clever idea and that I would pass it along. 🙂
Being a december birthday girl myself, and also having worked in a preschool I would agree that holding her back would be a good idea. I remember growing up that intellectually I was there, but emotionally, maturity wise I had a difficult time. My parents wish they would have held me back, and I don’t just because I have the friends I do 😉 BUT I believe I may have had an easier time. Another thing is that California has the LATEST birthday cutoff line. Most states have a cutoff somewhere between July and September/October. In fact I BELIEVE they are trying to get it changed in CA, but I am not sure. In the preschool I taught at, they tested all of the kids to see if they were both intellectually AND social/emotionally ready for kindergarten. And they were proponents of holding kids (it is usually boys) back because they felt it was better for them in the long run. I think there was something else I had to say but I don’t remember and I’ve written a novel anyway, haha. Hope some of this helps some!
Love
Brooke
I meant CA has ONE of the latest, hehe.
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