Just curious what CF parents have decided. Thinking about it a bit early but will have this decision.
When should boys start school?
- Thread starter simply1
- Start date
I had two boys who were summer birthdays so we could kind of pick which year to start them. We held them both and it was the right choice. Statistically it's just always better to start your kids later than sooner and I play the best odds when it comes to them.
Our daughters birthday is tomorrow so she misses the cutoff by a week. As irritating as it may be that she is ready for more it will be good in the long run.
Of all the parents we talked to: none had regrets for redshirting; however some who went earlier did have reservations.
My children were all ready for school, so we sent them.
Daughter: Late June birthday--started on time but was 17 at graduation.
Daughter: Late August birthday--started on time and did not turn 18 until her first week at ISU
Daughter: January birthday--right in the middle of school year birth and was 18 at graduation (even though it was that Covid year and graduation was held in June or July)
Son: Mid May birthday. started on time. Still in school, and he was ready to start and is currently 6'1" and just 13.
The reality is that parents should send their children to school when their children are capable of succeeding in the educational environment. Some are ready early; some need a year.
Daughter: Late June birthday--started on time but was 17 at graduation.
Daughter: Late August birthday--started on time and did not turn 18 until her first week at ISU
Daughter: January birthday--right in the middle of school year birth and was 18 at graduation (even though it was that Covid year and graduation was held in June or July)
Son: Mid May birthday. started on time. Still in school, and he was ready to start and is currently 6'1" and just 13.
The reality is that parents should send their children to school when their children are capable of succeeding in the educational environment. Some are ready early; some need a year.
Honestly, a parent will know if their kid is ready when the time comes.
I was the youngest in my grade (July birthday) and it was fine. Sophomore year was probably the worst because my friends had licenses and I had a restricted one. From an educational standpoint, no issues whatsoever.
I was the youngest in my grade (July birthday) and it was fine. Sophomore year was probably the worst because my friends had licenses and I had a restricted one. From an educational standpoint, no issues whatsoever.
Son has an Oct birthday, so could have gone in early. He was not ready, so he will graduate turning 18 in the fall of his senior year. He is right on track now.
I'm the same age as a friend of mine but he was a year ahead of me in school. He was punishing kids in wrestling as a senior and ended up 5th in state. That probably should have been his junior year and he could have been a state champion if he was in the same grade as me and maybe received a scholarship to school. I know that's a lot of should've, could've, would've but he wishes he had one more year. That was 25 years ago so now we're overweight middle aged guys that tell stupid high school stories while having 17 Busch Lights.
We got screwed when Nebraska decided to change the dates. They wouldn't take our almost 5 year old who already had two years of preschool. We had to spend money on a better preschool to keep him interested and he still got bored once he got to K. Not sure how it would have played out otherwise but my thought generally would be if they are ready, get em in (if they will let you!)
Wife and have been struggling with this question. Held our son back, he just turned 4 and started 3 year old preschool. He is bored at school already with learning colors, knows his numbers and most of his letters. Unsure whether to go ahead with kindergarten next year or 4 year old preschool. The school district has a transitional kindergarten program we will look at as well.
I like the idea of our son being one of the older kids in the class. Hopefully less prone to peer pressure and able to make good choices. I’m an older parent of 2 young kids so I think that has some influence on his maturity. I’m looking at early retirement about the time our kids graduate high school.
I was held back at a young age having moved around during the farm crisis. Started a new school so it was easier. Starting later would have helped since I was shy and pretty small for my age. My son will be the extrovert that will be the end of me.
I like the idea of our son being one of the older kids in the class. Hopefully less prone to peer pressure and able to make good choices. I’m an older parent of 2 young kids so I think that has some influence on his maturity. I’m looking at early retirement about the time our kids graduate high school.
I was held back at a young age having moved around during the farm crisis. Started a new school so it was easier. Starting later would have helped since I was shy and pretty small for my age. My son will be the extrovert that will be the end of me.
Jan 21 here.
plan is start K at 5 1/2 and he'll be 6 midway through.
I don't want a 19 year old senior if I held him one more year..lol
- Mar 27, 2006
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Both of our kids were summer birthdays. Our daughter, we sent as soon as she was able. Our son, we redshirted. Both were the correct decision.
There are a ton of factors involved in making the choice, and no hard and fast rules
There are a ton of factors involved in making the choice, and no hard and fast rules
I guess he'd be a little over 5 1/2 but still.
Yeah would be a little strange. lol
i think having a jan bday makes it somewhat easy.
those june/july/august birthdays get tricky i think
I benefitted from having 5 older siblings as well as a mom and dad who always were teaching me things so despite only just barely being 5 (July birthday) after kindergarten round-up they encouraged my parents to start me in first grade rather than kindergarten because I was way ahead of the other kindergartners. Mom forbade it. It would have been nice to be done with school early but I can't imagine me going off to college at barely 17. As far as athletics go I was enthusiastic but didn't really get any coordination until the summer before my senior year and I was rail thin. I ended up in track and cross country because it was pretty much all guts and no skill. I could gut it out without having to worry about fine motor skills.
I could have started later but I really think I would have been bored. As it was in 6th and 7th grade my math grades really started to suffer because it was so easy I saw no point in doing 20 or 30 problems when I had it down after 4 or 5. I ended up with **** study habits because high school was too damned easy. I paid the price for that in college.
Each kid is different. If both parent's gut is telling them the time is right or the time is wrong they should probably listen to their gut.
At my high school there was also a girl who was my age but was in the grade ahead of me. She did fine academically but she was socially challenged. Personally, I think she would have been better off if she had started with her peers.
I could have started later but I really think I would have been bored. As it was in 6th and 7th grade my math grades really started to suffer because it was so easy I saw no point in doing 20 or 30 problems when I had it down after 4 or 5. I ended up with **** study habits because high school was too damned easy. I paid the price for that in college.
Each kid is different. If both parent's gut is telling them the time is right or the time is wrong they should probably listen to their gut.
At my high school there was also a girl who was my age but was in the grade ahead of me. She did fine academically but she was socially challenged. Personally, I think she would have been better off if she had started with her peers.
Here's my take and experience. Son is early May, he was ready and was recommended we send him so we did. He's one of the youngest in his class, which early on was a challenge. Now he's in high school 6'6" and doing OK but still has struggles like all kids. Would he have been better off holding him back, maybe/yes/no, depends upon the metric. We discussed what if we had done that so he couldn've been one of the oldest and he's glad we didn't, but that was mainly due who would've been his classmates.
The one thing I see that is interesting are the ones that were "held back" were absolute beasts in youth sports just due to being 9-16 months older than some of their classmates. Fast forward to high school and I've seen both those kids and parents struggle with the reality that their youth sport all star never sniffs any playing time because everyone has caught up.
The one thing I see that is interesting are the ones that were "held back" were absolute beasts in youth sports just due to being 9-16 months older than some of their classmates. Fast forward to high school and I've seen both those kids and parents struggle with the reality that their youth sport all star never sniffs any playing time because everyone has caught up.
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
Ours is in early, early September. We did preschool at 4 because she was pumped for it.
We thought to slow down a year and did E-K, and it wasn't our best call. Great program, but it wasn't for ours. Then she was totally bored (among other things) in Kindergarten.
But then COVID came during Kindergarten, and she totally flourished at home. Since she tore through 2nd, we let her do 3rd last year as well and ended up back where we started, and in mock danger of starting college at 12.
Well, no danger. She's done some college teaching already. It would work out.
We thought to slow down a year and did E-K, and it wasn't our best call. Great program, but it wasn't for ours. Then she was totally bored (among other things) in Kindergarten.
But then COVID came during Kindergarten, and she totally flourished at home. Since she tore through 2nd, we let her do 3rd last year as well and ended up back where we started, and in mock danger of starting college at 12.
Well, no danger. She's done some college teaching already. It would work out.
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