To "Redshirt" or to Not "Redshirt"

Redshirt! Especially a boy. Being the youngest is hard. Read the book Outliers. Very interesting perspective on the attitudes and success rates of younger vs. older boys in school as early as kindergarten. It's not just about intelligence or perceived readiness.

And, why grow up too soon?!

Older children hold no advantage if they're not at a certain maturity level. If you are 25 and are applying for the same job as a 35 year old, they're not automatically going to hire the 35 year old if you are more experienced.

I would absolutely start him now. The more experience he has in a school setting, the more comfortable he'll be later on since he's already been exposed to how things work. If he starts now, he would be in preK for 2 years then, right? Not sure how it works where you live. My girls each had 3 years of preK before they started kindergarten (private preschool) and they were some of the only kids without behavioral problems in kindergarten because they'd already been through 3 years of 'school'.

I'm an October birthday and never had an issue.

Now, these days, since a lot of kids are held up, sport could be an issue later on. However, in terms of learning, the few months will not make a difference by the end of the year. Studies have proven that.

I personally wouldn't redshirt. I wouldn't want to delay my child's learning experience.

Well my niece started kindgarten while she was still 4yrs old. She did great in kindergarten. My kids is was not an issue. My oldest has a Jan birthday. My middle also has a birthday that is close to Jan.
You know your child. You know what he is capable of. Good luck.

If you think he's ready, send him. He may be up for the challenge and they are such little sponges, get him in there and learning.

My son is the youngest in his grade and I wish I would have waited. He did fine and often better than the others up until 2nd grade, but it has been a struggle ever since. 6th grade has to be the hardest so far...I suspect in a couple of years every thing will even out, but it has been tough on him. The maturity isn't there for him yet. He will make it ok, but I think his self esteem would not have suffered as much.

BUT..we all make decisions based on the information we have at the moment. There will always be issues and what ifs. Make the best decision you can now with what you know, no situation is ever perfect.

If you think he's ready, I'd send him. Redshirting is great for immature kids or those who aren't quite at the same stage as their peers. I think it's unnecessary for others... and can actually put the redshirted child at a developmental stage that's not in sync with kindergarten (like they'd be a bit too advanced and thus, bored) but that's just my opinion.

Being the youngest in a class is rarely fun. I would think about keeping him out and letting him be a little older. I was older and I loved it.

We have children in both circumstances, youngest in class and oldest in class. For our experience, you can not believe the difference being the oldest makes vs. youngest. I'm sure this can vary but I've heard the same from many of our friends. The oldest just always seemed to understand easier and wasn't smaller than everyone. That nearly one year of difference in age (and both of ours were just as mature as the other when starting to school so it wasn't a social maturity thing) to me makes a huge difference and I think often that I terribly wish I had held our 2nd child back one year in kindergarten. Too late now, but it seems harder academically for them and the size issue is one they notice.

My oldest turned 5 in June and went to Kindergarten that fall. He's now in 3rd grade and doing wonderful. There are tons of kids who have May/June/July birthdays in his grade so he's not the youngest.

My middle turned 5 on Sept 24th, and our cutoff for Kindergarten is Sept 1st, so he went to school readiness this year. He's bored stiff and ready for K. I do'nt know how Kindergarten will go for him, he will be one of the oldest and he's already reading, writing, doing things easily that are taught in K. Plus he's the most social child Iv'e ever met. He was ready last year.

My daughter has an April b-day, and she just turned 4. She has cerebral palsy adn was just adopted from Ukraine last fall. She qualified for a few service so next year she will go to a four afternoon a week school readiness program and then onto Kindergarten the next year.

So from my experience, if your kid is the right age, send him! I wouldn't red shirt for age alone. And 'boys especially' is one of my pet peeves. Boys are no dumber, slower, or more behind than girls. It is, however, a good excuse for people sometimes. :)

Well I don't know what redshirt is, but both my boys started preschool in a 3yo class when they were 2. They both have fall birthday. They both started kindergarten at 4.

My oldest who turned 18 Sept 30th, is a freshman at an engineering school this year, on merit scholarships.

Next son is a junior in high school, will be graduating next year with an Advanced Regents Diploma.

If they were 'socially behind' when they started K, than they're STILL socially behind, it's made no difference to either one of them to be the youngest in their classes. They have not been unusually challenged by school, and furthermore may have been quite bored if I HAD waited a year.

That said, now in hindsight, I wonder, what's the big rush? Now that one is gone and the other gone next year, I almost wish I'd waited too, like seems to be the popular thing to do. Least I'd've had them home for one more year, sigh.

You do what feels right in your heart as their Mom. If YOU say it's right, than, of COURSE it's right. That strategy seems to have worked for me in all things motherhood.

Enjoy him!

:)

Pre K is optional so do what ever you think is best for your son. Don't consider redshirting for kindergarten, there are concequences beyond his elementary school expereince that you do not want to deal with. It is not a good educational strategy. As for pre K, if he did not go at all, it would not matter in the long run.

M.

Kids should be fully 4 turning 5 in Pre-k and fully 5 turning 6 in Kindergarten. If you start him early then ever move somewhere else he may be put back a grade to be on the right age scale. The way is works out is that kids grow up then as the become seniors they are 17 and turn 18 during their senior year.

I can't imagine having a Jr in high school who, at 18 years old, decides he is an adult and is moving out and getting a life...LOL.

My oldest has an October birthday. We held him back. He is one of the oldest in his classes and has done extremely well.
Academically, my oldest could have handled school a year early, but socially not so much.
My son is now a high school senior. He has done very well academically and socially. He is off to college in the fall and he is ready.
My mother pushed my sister -- she could read in kindergarten, and found that she did well both academically and socially. BUT she would have been far better to be held back. Her best friends were from the year behind...
Don't rush... hold him back.
They get too big too fast.
LBC