Irish Twins. Will They Go to School Together? (Be in Same Grade)

Updated on July 21, 2018
C.W. asks from Lady Lake, FL
16 answers

One was born in Feb of 2017, the other was born Jan 2018.

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M.P.

answers from Portland on

I wonder why you use the term Irish twins. Technically they are because they're 11 months apart. The usual definition says born in the same year. I suggest that it's not helpful because there is nearly a year's difference because the age difference puts them in different developmental stages as they grow and start school.

Why do you want them in the same classroom? Actual twins are usually put in different classrooms so they can develop their separate personalities and learn without the expectation of being the same.They are less likely to be compared with each other. Even tho they were born on the same day, they are individuals.

The term Irish twins was started many years ago and was a derogatory term for Irish Catholics because Irish mothers were seen as The term has become common and used in a more general way. Still it was originally derogatory and seen as derogatory by some people.

Do you see an advantage to calling them Irish twins? The term labels them. I believe the less labels we use the more children can become who they are.

"What it means is easy enough to explain. It refers to siblings born in the same calendar year, or otherwise less than twelve months apart. It's clearly a deeply derogatory comment about the stereotypical fecundity (and lack of contraception) of Irish Catholic families.Feb 14, 2004
World Wide Words: Irish twins"

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N.K.

answers from Miami on

I don't understand. Twins are born at the same time, within minutes apart of each other, so no, they are not twins. Neither of them will be held back since they were born before the end of the school year so unless the one born in 2017 fails, they WILL be placed in different grade levels.

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B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

They are different people, different ages, different personalities and possibly very different development / maturing rates.
Why ever would you think they would or even should be in the same grade?

Try to think of each as an only child and do right by each of them.
It may be that they have very different needs.
Please stop grouping them together.
It might be convenient for you - but it's a disservice to them.

Additional:
Where I am the term Irish twins is common and no one is offended by it.

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M.G.

answers from Portland on

Not the way I'm familiar with it. The cutoff dates are in the fall.

So both kids would be among the older kids in their classes - the way I'm thinking of how it works here, turning 6 (if they are starting kindergarten at 5, with a fall cutoff) in Feb and Jan respectively.

I might be interpreting that incorrectly but I can't see how they would be.

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P.K.

answers from New York on

They won’t be in same grade.

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T.F.

answers from Dallas on

They are not twins. Why are you calling them twins? They are a year apart.

Please see them as individuals and allow them to grow as individuals.

Most real twins are separated during grade levels.

Your children are a year apart so they are not twins and will not be in the same grades.

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G.♣.

answers from Springfield on

In Florida, children must be 5 by September 1 in order to go to kindergarten. So if your older child is ready for kindergarten in 2022. Your younger child will not be 5 before September 1, and therefore will not be eligible for kindergarten.

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A.S.

answers from unknown city on

Grade is usually determined by physical age around the beginning of September. Unless you are somewhere rural with a one room school they should be in separate grades. They are not twins and will be separated as each is a different person.

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T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

Call your school district and ask.

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M.6.

answers from New York on

Only if:

You hold the older one back a year, or

Your children go to a "gradeless" school. My kids went to a school where kids of 3 yr age groups were taught in the same class room, so I had 3 kids in the same class at one time.

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D.B.

answers from Boston on

They aren't twins. They are close in age, period. Please try to see them as individuals. And you might want to stop using the term "Irish twins" because it's really insulting. In general, avoid labels that relate to race, gender, religion, national origin, etc.)

They are a year apart. The school district sets the date at which a child is eligible to start kindergarten, and will probably do a kindergarten readiness assessment. Our school district does them in April and May before the start of the school year at which the child is first eligible to attend. The assessor (usually a kindergarten teacher) will make a recommendation about whether the child is ready (in every way) to start. However, you do not have to abide by that. You can hold your child out for another year if you want to. I did. My child was born in June and there is a Sept. 1 cut-off. He could have started at age 5 but my husband and I decided to wait another year (for a variety of reasons). He started kindergarten at age 6, and he was far from the only 6 year old in there.

You certainly don't need to worry about this now. You can start thinking about it in February of 2022 when the first child turns 5. Just enjoy your children as individuals and see where their lives take them.

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B.A.

answers from Minneapolis on

No, they will be in different grades. Most schools now require children to be turning 5 in September to start kindergarten that year. Your children’s birthdays are not even close to those cutoff dates.

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S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

well, they're a year apart. so probably not.
khairete
S.

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C.T.

answers from Santa Fe on

No, they will be in different grades. Where we live you have to be 5 by September 5th in order to start Kindergarten. So your Feb 2017 child will start Kindergarten first and your Jan 2018 child will start Kindergarten the next year. You can check what rule your local schools have where you live, but it is probably similar.

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M.J.

answers from Sacramento on

Probably not in the same grade. Will depend on the district's cutoff date, though. Ours is sometime in the fall.

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E.T.

answers from Rochester on

For those who don’t know, Irish Twins is a common term for babies that are less than a year apart.

Most schools have a kindergarten cut off date of September 1st or a date close to that. Your child born in 2017 will go to school the year before your child born in 2018.

Updated

For those who don’t know, Irish Twins is a common term for babies that are less than a year apart.

Most schools have a kindergarten cut off date of September 1st or a date close to that. Your child born in 2017 will go to school the year before your child born in 2018.

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