https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 11 Apr 2026 03:50:06 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/3#post-2188038 Sun, 24 May 2015 09:03:22 +0000 ChelseaRose 2188038@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have a boy with a late October birthday and we live in a district with a September cutoff. I don't think there's an option to start earlier and he will be in public school TK for a full year before kindergarten. I would have most likely kept him back even if there was a December cutoff. Our second LO is also a boy and due late September, so it will be the same situation. I actually have a close friend and my SIL who both have boys who are about 49-50 weeks younger than my LO (born in October a year later) and I'm curious as to whether they will end up being the same grade in school. At only 2.5 and 1.5 years old now it's hard to imagine them in the same grade, but I know the difference will decrease somewhat as they get older. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/3#post-2187951 Sun, 24 May 2015 02:25:15 +0000 Torchwood 2187951@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>LO is going to be homeschooled, so it's not really an issue here, but I wanted to throw in my experience. I was born 9/2 in a district with a 9/1 cutoff, but they let me start. I actually liked being the youngest (possibly related to my preference for hanging out with people older than me? Or possibly the cause of it?), but my mom has always said that I lagged behind my classmates in maturity. Looking back, I definitely agree. So in a lot of ways, I would clearly have benefited from starting later. The problem is that I was always way aged throughout elementary school and even gifted classes didn't keep me from getting bored. So clearly holding me back would have only exacerbated that. I don't know what the solution would have been (other than possibly homeschooling, but for a very broke single mom that was not at all an option), but it's something I've thought about quite a bit. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/3#post-2187925 Sat, 23 May 2015 23:24:41 +0000 BoogieBea 2187925@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We faced this problem too when my son started school. The cutoff here is september and he has a mid august birthday. He'll most likely always be one of the youngest in class. He started preschool at 3 years old and adjusted much better than I anticipated. This topic came up again when he entered kindergarten during this school year. If we were to hold him back, this would be the year. We also found that two of his classmates were planning on repeating prek. We consulted with his teacher at the time and she said she didn't see any issues with him advancing. He's been doing really well academically, physically and mentally. He's pretty open with us about the fact that some of his classmates are more mature or complete their work faster. It doesn't seem to bother him though - it just pushes him to work that much harder. I don't regret not holding him back. But each kid is different. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/3#post-2187921 Sat, 23 May 2015 22:57:51 +0000 farawayyama 2187921@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're in an odd situation. Our state offers districts 2 choices of cutoff, and DD's birthday is in the middle. The local districts are split evenly and we will be moving when she is about 3. This will be a factor in our decision as to where to move but we want to wait until she is older to make the choice. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/3#post-2187852 Sat, 23 May 2015 20:16:43 +0000 Pirouette 2187852@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sarac: haha me too, I always have been and always will be on the short side, and I think it's very overstated as a reason. That said, I do think people take it into account more for boys than girls.</p> <p>@Foodnerd81: interesting, I like seeing something from the other perspective. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/3#post-2187817 Sat, 23 May 2015 19:09:17 +0000 Foodnerd81 2187817@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Another perspective- <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/youngest-kid-smartest-kid" rel="nofollow">http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/youngest-kid-smartest-kid</a> </p> <p>Basically, when you get to middle school and beyond, younger kids tend to do better because they are more used to working hard. Of course generalizations don't apply to every kid but it's nice to see that not everything says older is better. </p> <p>LO is an end of July bday, we have 9/1 cut offs here, so she will have just turned five when she starts kindergarten and will be one of the youngest. I'm not worried (now, at not even two). DH and I were both the oldest in our classes and did well, but I definitely coasted by until college and never had to work too hard. Probably being more challenged would have been good for me- but having it be easy to get good grades also helped me get into a good college. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/3#post-2187787 Sat, 23 May 2015 16:39:02 +0000 jetsa 2187787@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@marionberry: no problem. I was like whoa did I miscalculate?!? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/3#post-2187779 Sat, 23 May 2015 16:01:11 +0000 marionberry 2187779@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jetsa: Now that you say that, I think you're right. They would be one year apart in school if I follow the rules. Thank you for making me sit down and calculate that. I blame "mom brain". I still am contemplating sending him in early though if he appears up for it; 13 days seems a ridiculous reason to make him wait a year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/3#post-2187738 Sat, 23 May 2015 11:52:53 +0000 sarac 2187738@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I find it interesting how much focus has been put on size. I started first grade at 5 years old, and also, I was the smallest person in the mixed age classroom. Next year, I was still the smallest. 25 years later I'm still the smallest person in just about any situation, and I can assure everyone that it did not greatly bother me. In high school I did swimming, so my size didn't make me any more or less competitive. I was never teased or bullied an unusual amount due to my size - just the normal amount that any kid experiences. I really think it's a weird, overblown thing to stress out about.</p> <p>There also seems to be a lot of focus on reading ability, which makes a lot more sense to me. I was a really great reader from a young age, so my early entry into first grade made sense in that regard. I'll think pretty strongly about that when it comes time to decide about my daughter. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/3#post-2187688 Sat, 23 May 2015 09:08:53 +0000 oliviaoblivia 2187688@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My girls are on opposite sides of the Dec. 31 cutoff. They're ten days less than two years apart but will be one year apart if we send them on schedule. I'm inclined to send the older one early if she tests in. She's the kind of kid that bores easily and so far is advanced in language and rather tall. All of her friends are older so she'll be left behind once they all go to school. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/3#post-2187679 Sat, 23 May 2015 08:33:06 +0000 jetsa 2187679@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@marionberry: okay I'm confused because our kids are the close to the same ages and I think they'll be a year apart in school with the 9/1 cutoff. We intend to have DS go to kindergarten in 2019, so he'll turn 6 a month into the school year and be the oldest in his class. DD will start in 2020 so she'll be 5 by only a couple months and the youngest in her class. what am I missing? :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/2#post-2187322 Fri, 22 May 2015 15:30:51 +0000 ShootingStar 2187322@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS has a November birthday and the cutoff in our town is 9/1. I'm not really thrilled about it. I grew up in a school system where the cutoff was 12/31, so it's really bizarre to me that he would be 6 practically right after he starts kindergarten.</p> <p>Our other option is to send him to private kindergarten and then he can join the public school in 1st grade. He'll be going to daycare anyways, so we will decide later down the line if we think that's a good option. I too worry about boredom in school and not challenging and engaging him enough. </p> <p>But it'll be really dependent on what kind of kid he is. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/2#post-2187310 Fri, 22 May 2015 15:12:45 +0000 Greentea 2187310@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Pirouette: all kids here start kindergarten at age 4, so I would start at 4... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/2#post-2187119 Fri, 22 May 2015 12:53:31 +0000 marionberry 2187119@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@matador84: the twins' bday is 3/24. I agree that I would want them in different classes if they do end up in the same grade.<br /> @Mamaof2: We don't have private kindergarten in my town...but we may move to a bigger city before they are that age, so that would be a great option! Thanks for the idea! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/2#post-2187072 Fri, 22 May 2015 12:02:20 +0000 Pirouette 2187072@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ree723: wow, that's intense! i guess if there's one silver lining, at least everyone in the class is the same age, and you don't have the 2 year age gap problem. but yea, that's pretty nuts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/2#post-2186872 Fri, 22 May 2015 09:11:31 +0000 Ree723 2186872@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'd love to have the option to start later but we don't. Full time school starts at FOUR (which is crazy to me) and whilst it's not compulsory, if you choose not to start them until age five, when it is compulsory, they have to go right into the same grade all of the other five year olds are in, essentially meaning that they will have skipped the entire first year of school (called Reception here). That is ludicrous to me, so whilst I'm not thrilled about my late June baby starting full time school at four years and two months old, I can't have her skipping the entire first year of school and going straight into Year One as it will be a total disservice to her. </p> <p>I don't know for sure that we would have held her back a year, but I do know that I would have liked the option to make that decision myself....you know, being her parent and all I sort of think I know her better than the school.....but alas, not the way it works here. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/2#post-2186794 Fri, 22 May 2015 08:02:21 +0000 Mamaof2 2186794@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@marionberry: my neighbor was in this situation - she didn't want them in the same grade so she sent her older child to a private K that had a Dec 31st cut-off date - the following year she entered 1st grade and her younger child started public K </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/2#post-2186600 Thu, 21 May 2015 21:46:04 +0000 Andrea 2186600@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't plan on holding her back. DD2 has a 12/30 bday and we have a 12/31 cut off! She'll just barely squeak in, but I think she'll be ready. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/2#post-2186596 Thu, 21 May 2015 21:43:00 +0000 matador84 2186596@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@marionberry: I would absolutely split them up in classes If you kept them in the same grade. I actually have a case at my school now of a 2nd grader who was retained so he and his sister ended up in 2nd together (diff classes though). My experience with early childhood is to keep boys back for many reasons already mentioned. When I'm testing kids or doing walkthroughs, I can tell almost right off the bat who is a late birthday vs early. </p> <p>When is your twins bday? You could put your oldest in pre-K, see how he does. If he thrives and you feel ready to move him to kinder, continue, but if now, he can always do pre-K again. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/2#post-2186593 Thu, 21 May 2015 21:41:29 +0000 T-Mom 2186593@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our cutoff is 9/1 and my DD makes it by 3 days. She entered first grade as a 5 year old this year. She did wonderfully but was very conscious of being the youngest. Several of her classmates turned 7 within the first few months of school (all boys). She also has a classmate with a similar bday who is a full year older. That student flunked first grade the first time around as the youngest . So it all depends on the child. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/2#post-2186588 Thu, 21 May 2015 21:37:28 +0000 matador84 2186588@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS birthday is ON the cut off. I'm keeping him back a year. Sucks to pay more in child care but glad I'll have him home with me an extra year, one grade level apart from his sister. He'll be more mature even though I am positive academically he'll be ready. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/2#post-2186567 Thu, 21 May 2015 21:21:54 +0000 2littlepumpkins 2186567@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sarac: the academics of first grade when we were little were also not the same as they are now, just something to consider. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/2#post-2186483 Thu, 21 May 2015 20:23:48 +0000 sarac 2186483@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Man, I have so much to say about this. My daughter misses the cut off by 12 days, and I'm so stressed about it. I worry that holding her back would mean boredom academically, which is something that her father and I both really struggled with later in school. So, I'm for sure not going to let that happen. She's in a co op preschool now that has a kindergarten option, so I'm hoping that she can just go right to first grade afterwards. If not, I'll do the early testing process, which I feel confidant that she would pass. </p> <p>It's really stressful, though. I was 5 when I started first grade, so the thought of her being almost 7 when she does is really not fun. I want her to be in an environment where she's challenged, and I worry that with this cut off, she just won't be. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/2#post-2186437 Thu, 21 May 2015 19:34:38 +0000 hilsy85 2186437@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@birdofafeather: I know! it is weird. And these two babes too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/2#post-2186419 Thu, 21 May 2015 19:25:35 +0000 Pirouette 2186419@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@DillonLion: my experience was similar to yours. I guess that's why I'm not tempted to hold back lo.</p> <p>@marionberry: oh wow, that's crazy! I actually think the school might accept that as a reason to let your lo move up the year. But who knows. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/2#post-2186381 Thu, 21 May 2015 18:52:18 +0000 mrsrugbee 2186381@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I would put a girl forward but not a boy.</p> <p>I'm born in November and started kindergarten at 4. I have succeeded very well academically but I recall all the younger kids were crazy hyper by comparison to our classmates. I would fear that a boy would be mis-labeled as having ADHD since they tried to put me on meds at one point. Boys also develop a little slower so I would really be hesitant. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/2#post-2186358 Thu, 21 May 2015 18:18:39 +0000 sorrycharlie 2186358@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our cutoff is September 1 and she was born on the 27th. So she will be almost 6 when she starts kindergarten. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/2#post-2186335 Thu, 21 May 2015 17:46:16 +0000 Mrs. Bee 2186335@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we can't hold back in nyc, but i wouldn't have held charlie back with a december birthday. would he have benefitted from an extra year? i think academically he would have been fine, but it is definitely harder for a 4 year old boy with a december birthday to sit still than a 5 year old girl with a january birthday. they have an advantage in the early years for sure. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/2#post-2186315 Thu, 21 May 2015 17:11:03 +0000 Rainbow Sprinkles 2186315@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our cut-off is Sept 1 (they have to be 5 by Sept 1 to start kinder) and I'm having a late September baby. Unless she's unusually advanced or a crazy genius, I will keep where she is "supposed" to be and she will be almost 6 when she starts kindergarten. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-your-lo-hadhas-a-bday-near-the-cutoff/page/2#post-2186292 Thu, 21 May 2015 16:45:46 +0000 marionberry 2186292@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This will be a big issue for us. Our oldest has a 9/13 bday with a 9/1 cutoff. He's a boy which means it would be a fight to get him in early. I was a 10/25 who started a year early and was at the top of my class so I definitely support it. </p> <p>However, to add to this, my twin boys would be in the next grade year, so all 3 of my kids would end up in the same grade if he didn't start early. Does anyone have any thoughts about pros and cons of holding back/starting early in that situation? </p>