Holding children back = new trend

[Pretty Butterfly]

Regaurdless of age and time of cutoffs, I will be sending my kids so they turn 6 in kinder, and 18 in yr 12.

Here we have a big problem of kids in other years not being able to play with their friends in aged sports, making them go back and play with the next year down. This actually can cause a LOT if distress for littlies, and a bit of teasing, having to go back and play with the "babies"...and this continues all through high school with aged sport teams unfortunatly.

I also want my kids to finish school at a decent age, not 16 or 17. I dread my child going of to uni at only 16, 17, not being very mature, or even able to drive a car on there own!!

So in Kinder, Za will turn 6 in the march, Kane in the July and with Harmony, her b'day is 8th January... so she will turn 5 and then start, and will be six just before going into 1st grade.

Going along with the "trend" is a bigger one up here of repeating all kids before high school who are too young "to cope" with high school, at only 10, 11 instead of 12.

I"d rather they went a year late and had an extra year of prep, then had to repeat without their friends.

Thats just what we've decided to do.... . Every mum has to decide for her own family, and you will make the right one babe!!

[Danni]

jodie raised a good point about age sports! I also missed out on a lot of things.

example,our school held a driving camp. All my friends went except me as I wasn't even 16 yet!

Academically I excelled in primary school and found no real issues fom p-6. The biggest issues started to arise when things got serious in VCE. It made me realise that my closest friend had a whole 12 months more life experience than me and it made her study a lot easier.

BUt yes, as my friends were all driving to school, I wasn't. I also wasn't allowed to go out as I didn't have i.d etc.

Mason was born on the 15th April and I am 99% sure we will keep him home for that extra year.

[Karina]

I was born middle of june, and Mum told me that my primary school didnt want to take me because I was so close to the cut off date. She had to make some special application to the school to get them to take me that year. So, I started when I was 4, and turned 5 in the June of that year. I was ready to start, and mum wasnt keen on having me stay back a whole year as the preschool I was at told her I was ready and it would be best to send me that year. I was able to commnicate well, I could read pretty well for a 4 year old and all that sort of stuff.
In primary school it was not really a bit deal that I was younger. The only annoying thing I remember was that in Kindy, everyone got a Dollarmites account with the Commonwealth bank, but you had to be 5 years old to have one, so I wasnt able to get one till later in the year.
There were plenty of people who were a year (or more) older than me all through school. In high school, some people were 18 months older than me. I have to admit, in year 11 and year 12, I probably was a bit immature... but I think it was also to do with the fact that school was just not a good learning environment for me. I didnt do well at school, but I excelled at TAFE the following year.

Even if the age cut off went by calender year, you'd still have up to a year in age differnce between the kids anyway? Theres really nothing much you can do to remove the age gaps. Also, if you move states, you end up with big age differences too sometimes, depending on where you are going to/from.

If preschool reckons your kids are ready for school, then they probably are. Theyre specialists in that sort of thing so they are able to assess it.

[Astrid]

Even if the age cut off went by calender year, you'd still have up to a year in age differnce between the kids anyway? Theres really nothing much you can do to remove the age gaps. Also, if you move states, you end up with big age differences too sometimes, depending on where you are going to/from.

A year gap is always going to happen, but it is much better than 16 or 18 months, which is what is happening at the moment depending on the state. At least at year 12 all students will turn 18 at some stage during the year, as opposed to some turning 18 and another bunch turning 17.

[Papillon]

But see, she wont. She wont turn 18 until the year after she finish's year 12. She will turn 17 during year 12 (well at the start basically).

So that could work in her favor, or against.

i.e having a car in year 12 would be great, BUT, being able to get into clubs, could distract her away from studies...

hmmmmprh

[Liz]

I was 17 in the January of year 12. I was driving to school, but couldn't drink haha. I didn't feel behind or like I was missing anything.

[Astrid]

But see, she wont. She wont turn 18 until the year after she finish's year 12. She will turn 17 during year 12 (well at the start basically).

So that could work in her favor, or against.

i.e having a car in year 12 would be great, BUT, being able to get into clubs, could distract her away from studies...

hmmmmprh

I found when I was in year 12 those who wanted to go out did, regardless of if they were old enough or not, as that is what their friends were doing. Also not everyone who turned 18 suddenly went out clubbing and neglected their studies, it is really one of those things that depends on personality.

[Trillian]

TBH, not being 18 in year 12 (january baby so I didn't turn 18 till the following year) certainly didn't stop me from drinking and partying...

[Papillon]

Regaurdless of age and time of cutoffs, I will be sending my kids so they turn 6 in kinder, and 18 in yr 12.

Here we have a big problem of kids in other years not being able to play with their friends in aged sports, making them go back and play with the next year down. This actually can cause a LOT if distress for littlies, and a bit of teasing, having to go back and play with the "babies"...and this continues all through high school with aged sport teams unfortunatly.

I also want my kids to finish school at a decent age, not 16 or 17. I dread my child going of to uni at only 16, 17, not being very mature, or even able to drive a car on there own!!

So in Kinder, Za will turn 6 in the march, Kane in the July and with Harmony, her b'day is 8th January... so she will turn 5 and then start, and will be six just before going into 1st grade.

Going along with the "trend" is a bigger one up here of repeating all kids before high school who are too young "to cope" with high school, at only 10, 11 instead of 12.

I"d rather they went a year late and had an extra year of prep, then had to repeat without their friends.

Thats just what we've decided to do.... . Every mum has to decide for her own family, and you will make the right one babe!!

Jodie, you have actually really given me something to think of/about.

I really hadnt broken it down and thought of it that way. I sure dont want her to be at any disadvantage, and the few points you made there are actually very valid!!

/off to ponder