Should I Wait 'Til My Son Is 6 to Start Kindergarten?

Hi!
My son's birthday is June 25, so he is one of the youngest in his class and he has done fine.

He went to Pre-K and was already reading and doing kg math and he seemed emotionally ready for K. He just finished 1st grade and is doing fine. Last year he had some issues because he was younger-- kids made fun of him for still liking Diego. (Why are kids so mean?)I felt that if I waited he would be bored academically.

Good luck! You really cannot predict the future -- go with your gut on this.

Have you asked him? Does he have friends who will be going to KG? Does he usually play with older or younger kids?

It is difficult to put any kid in KG, I cried with both of my boys... it is a hard transition for parents to make, but the kids are fine. Just something to consider.

Shame on the pre-school teachers for keeping your son inside to finish work. People need to realize that play is the most important work a child can do???

If you do send him, you might consider calling the principal of the school and explaining your concerns. He/She might be able to place your son in a class with a teacher who is good at this kind of situation-- some principals do not want to hear it, but many do. My son needs structure-- a lot of it! and we made that request-- not for a specific teacher, just for one that is a good match. Worth a try!
good luck!

J.

Hi M.,
My boy had an Aug 29 birthday and we too will be faced with this decision. I have been a middle school counselor for 10 years and currently I am a behavior specialist..... Boys who are more physically and mentally mature in middle school not only do better in grade school but in life in general. Girls, however, do better if they are more physically immature in middle school. Statistically, those middle grades are the ones that send most people into therapy. If you can do one thing for your boy - let him be more physically advanced, more mature and more ready to handle lifes decisions.
Good luck. This is such a personal decision. Look into your heart and do what it tells you.
T. S.

M.,

Unfortunately I have two experiences but neither are very positive for starting early.

My daughter's birthday is August 24th. When kindergarten rolled around she was more than academically ready for kindergarten, so I enrolled her. What I hadn't considered was her maturity level. She's always been the youngest child every year. Kindergarten was NOT a good experience because of her lack of maturity. She cried everyday when she was re-directed or if she felt that she wasn't quite finished with whatever she was playing with or working on. Everyday until Christmas Break, her teacher would call to give me an update that she's still crying or today was better but... By the end of Kindergarten there seemed to be less of a issue as she was finally okay with the expectations placed on her. If I knew then what I know now, I would have waited an extra year.

I, myself, should have been made to wait an extra year as my b-day is early Sept. Anyhow, I struggled and struggled with school until I a teacher finally told my mother that I really just needed to be held back. I was devastated! By that time I was already in the 4th grade! My friends definitely knew that I had to repeat the grade but didn't know or understand why. I was teasedhorribly well through middle school because of it. A lot of the kids thought I was too stupid to finish 4th grade.

Is it possible to put your son in a different pre-school program? If not, are you open to joining a local homeschooling co-op if you decide to wait a year before putting your son in kindergarten? It would give your son socialization skills and would also help prepare him for kindergarten without some of the pressure. Just food for thought.

My son's birthday is June 28th also. I am unsure whether I should send him to kindergarten in the fall since it is all day kindergarten and it seems a lot for a child who just turned 5. I have talked to a few kindergarten teachers; all tell me I should hold him back as you can do more harm sending him forward if it doesn't work out but no harm in holding him back. I've also talked to a few parents who said they have had regret in sending forward but others who've had no regret in holding their child back. It seems the girls do fine when you send them forward but boys are sometimes delayed in maturity and academically. My son is the youngest of 3 children so he tends to hang out with his older brother and his friends, rather than the younger kids in the neighborhood. He thinks the boys his age (who like things like Thomas the Tank, Diego, etc.) are babies. So this also confuses me as to whether to send him forward or hold him back. The preschool teachers this year said that he did average, that he had some problems learning how to write the alphabet, but they feel if I send him to kindergarten he has no developmental delays and should do just fine. I'm so confused and unsure what to do! If the writer of this originating email can share her story now or anyone else, I would be most appreciative. Thanks bunches! L.