When should boys start school?

Stormin

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I couldn't wait to get out of my parents house and I graduated high school at 17. The idea of doing anything I wanted, anytime I wanted was always appealing to me and my folks were pretty mellow people who gave me a pretty long leash.

So paying for your own living costs immediately after graduation, instead of living off of your parents and accumulating some money, led to an early retirement?
 

Mr.G.Spot

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I read a lot of these very quickly. I commend all of you for being engaged in your children's lives to hopefully make the correct decisions.

My oldest, a late spring birthday, was clearly one of the youngest in his class and he matured later. He had braces on as a junior in HS. Academically, he was where he needed to be, but he was "young." We chose academics over athletic prospects and it worked out. He played college sports at a very high-end academic school.....all American there. If we held him back, he probably would have been at a Stanford or Harvard with an additional be year, but it all worked out.

No clear playbook. A lot of plusses and minuses. I am glad to see the engagement of parents here versus school boards or k-third grade teachers telling u what is best for your children. Get their feedback, but u decide.
 

Macloney

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So paying for your own living costs immediately after graduation, instead of living off of your parents and accumulating some money, led to an early retirement?

I'll let you know in 20 years.

I was just saying that there were and are still some young adults that don't want to live with their parents. They are usually called people who want to get laid.
 
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ajspatio19

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I was a summer birthday, so my parents had the choice to put me ahead or hold me back. They ended up choosing to send me to a year of alternative kindergarten before starting kindergarten. I think this was the best choice they could have made. The AK route let me have a year of socialization and adjustment to the class room and it allowed me to be one of the older, more developed kids in my grade going forward, which was great for maturity and competitiveness in sports.
 

CloneJD

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Another factor is the kids day care environment. My kids’ day care is mostly like school anyway so moving to K wasn’t a big culture shock. Other kids might need to ease in a bit.
 
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Elk4CY

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I have spent countless hours on this topic. I have a late August birthday and went to school early. My middle boy is a late June birthday and I sent him early. I think it was the right decision for me, and has been the right decision for him. He was mentally and physically ready. If your child needs more time, wait, if they are ready, send them. I would prefer him to have to make a little more effort, than to sit there and be bored....
 

BCClone

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Not exactly sure.
I have spent countless hours on this topic. I have a late August birthday and went to school early. My middle boy is a late June birthday and I sent him early. I think it was the right decision for me, and has been the right decision for him. He was mentally and physically ready. If your child needs more time, wait, if they are ready, send them. I would prefer him to have to make a little more effort, than to sit there and be bored....
If he’s bored, have they talked about advancing him or jumping a grade.

The local school wanted me to skip second and go to third, I didn’t want to because of my friends. Would I have been fine academically, probably but would I have been at the top of my class still, good question. Some it works, others it doesn’t.
 

Stormin

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I'll let you know in 20 years.

I was just saying that there were and are still some young adults that don't want to live with their parents. They are usually called people who want to get laid.

So you never got laid until you moved out of your parent’s house?
 
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cowgirl836

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Another factor is the kids day care environment. My kids’ day care is mostly like school anyway so moving to K wasn’t a big culture shock. Other kids might need to ease in a bit.

I agree if your kid is already in a center, that's a different adjustment than if at home all their life with a sibling and parent.
 

cyfan92

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2 mid summer boys.. They are both under 3 but we are definitely talking about holding them both back. I really appreciate the insight in this thread.

Our oldest is quite bright, coordinated, and also a 90th percentile kid. I don't want to project athletics onto him. But he is bigger or as big as every kid in his daycare class. Being bigger, faster, stronger and smart will only benefit them both. Especially in DSM suburban schools that are MASSIVE and competitive.

Curious what parents have done with 4/5 year old's who are redshirting before kindergarten. Daycare is great but is there a better challenge before kindergarten?
 

Gunnerclone

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Well now I know why there like 4 kids turning 7 before the end of last school year in my kids kindergarten class. Weird.
 

BCClone

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Not exactly sure.
2 mid summer boys.. They are both under 3 but we are definitely talking about holding them both back. I really appreciate the insight in this thread.

Our oldest is quite bright, coordinated, and also a 90th percentile kid. I don't want to project athletics onto him. But he is bigger or as big as every kid in his daycare class. Being bigger, faster, stronger and smart will only benefit them both. Especially in DSM suburban schools that are MASSIVE and competitive.

Curious what parents have done with 4/5 year old's who are redshirting before kindergarten. Daycare is great but is there a better challenge before kindergarten?
Our two boys did K prep. It’s like a tweener between preschool and kindergarten.
 

BoxsterCy

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Biggest parenting mistake my parents made was not starting me a year later. I turned 18 on campus and was not even a remotely mature 18. Was in a era that "holding back" had a stigma, "Oh, such and such was too stupid to be 1st grade".
 

Macloney

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So paying for your own living costs immediately after graduation, instead of living off of your parents and accumulating some money, led to an early retirement?

I'll let you know in 20 years.

I was just saying that there were and are still some young adults that don't want to live with their parents
So you never got laid until you moved out of your parent’s house?

Of course I did, but even my crappiest college apartment was better than a 2 door, 88 Chevy Cavalier on a freezing cold gravel road.
 
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AllInForISU

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Sort of related to this is there an upper maximum on when you can start a kid in kindergarten? Like does it become truancy at some point if someone wants until 7 or 8? I know on the lower end for preschool the informal bar is being potty trained.

Well, you can homeschool and not even involve the state or anything. Truancy may still be a thing, but with the rise of alternative schooling options, it’s almost impossible to enforce.

So to answer your question, no you could wait until 7 or 8 but that will probably lead to other issues down the road.