Academic Redshirting: one of the first major challenging decisions parents of summer babies realize
I’ve been struggling with the decision of academic redshirting my daughter since the preschool year started.
I’m not exactly sure what I expected to hear, but the first thing she said was, “I have good news and bad news.” My daughter’s teacher had a worried look on her face. “Which would you like to hear first?”
Her concern was how I would react to the “bad” news.
Don’t we always choose to hear bad news before good when we have the option? That’s what I decided anyway.
“It is my professional opinion your daughter should wait another year before going to kindergarten.”
I cried. Shockingly, I was not crying because what my daughter’s preschool told me was bad news. This was good news to me.
You see, my 4-year-old was the only child in her preschool class of 12 who would be recommended to be held back. But. This is exactly what I needed to hear. Mini Me was struggling had been struggling with separation anxiety for four months and there seemed to be no end in sight. I needed help making the decision us parents with children born in the summer dread making ourselves. I cried because this “bad news” was good news for me. It lifted a weight off my shoulders, and I felt an immediate sense of relief I didn’t see coming.
At that moment, the dark skies opened up, and I didn’t have to worry or think about this difficult decision anymore.
Kindergarten is the new first grade
Undoubtedly the specifics of kindergarten vary depending on where you live so I will speak to my experience and where I live. Revealing my age, I entered kindergarten in 1984. It was a half day. Perfect for a five-year-old.
It was different. I played with my friends. We learned letters and numbers. We sang ABC’s. Kindergarteners created beautiful 5-year-old appropriate artwork. It was fun. We learned social skills like how to play nicely with others. I don’t remember worksheets. There was no pressure.
Now, in 2018, kindergarten is so different than it was even a decade ago.
Five-and-six-year-olds are now expected to:
- Attend a full day of school like their older peers
- Complete loads of worksheets
- Sit still for long periods of time
- Are expected to know how to read by the end of the year
Expectations are at an all-time high for these young children and studies show, it’s not all good. In other words, the bar is being set too high. Little bodies still need time to play.
Pros of Academic Redshirting
- An extra year to develop. When you wait an extra year to send your child to kindergarten, you’re giving him the gift of time. As a result, he gets another year to learn by playing, develop better social and emotional skills and will have better impulse control as compared to starting kindergarten earlier.
- Better impulse control. As your child gets older, she becomes more mature which will more likely result in better behavior in the classroom.
- A higher level of confidence. Waiting until your child is a year older may also allow him to enter school with a higher level of confidence.
- Kindergarten is a long day. You might choose to wait an extra year because the hours in their school day have doubled over the last decade.
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Cons of Academic Redshirting
- Childcare cost of waiting an extra year. Waiting an extra year can add a financial burden to families who then have to pay more for childcare or delay a spouse from returning to work.
- A child may be bored at home if they’re academically, socially and emotionally ready to start on time. Not all children need an extra year. We know children develop at different rates and some may very well be ready to start school at the age of four or five.
- The child may feel resentful later in life. It’s not unheard of for a teenager to resent not being at the same education level as their peers who started school on time.
- Entering the workforce later than their peers. This could result in less income over their lifetime.
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The good news about whatever decision you make when it comes to redshirting your young child
There is no “right” or “wrong” answer. Whether you chose to send your baby when they’re age allows or you wait an extra year, your child is going to be just fine!
Make the decision you feel is best for your little individual. Take the opinion of others with a grain of salt because that’s exactly what they all are: opinions!
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