3 yr old kinder- reasons why I would NOT send her?

So I have DD enrolled for 3 year old kinder next year. She is 3 in January. Local community kinder, will be 2x 2hrs a week.

Our situation is that she is home with me as I am pretty much a SAHM, we go to a playgroup once a week and DD does 3hrs a week in an occasional care so I can go to the hairdressers etc. it took her a while to adjust to this but she is settled in now didn't even cry last time I left her there! She's a bit shy initially with people but once she warms up she is social. No concerns about her development etc.

I didn't think sending her to 3yo kinder would be particularly controversial seeing as though she will be 3, but I notice a lot of people mention holding their kids back a year. A primary teacher friend from mothers group seemed surprised that another mum and I were sending our kids to kinder next year and not waiting another year ( she isnt sending her daughter to kinder til 2017, but her daughter has a few delays with speech etc)

Today when I went to the kinder to have a look around, the kinder teacher also mentioned that she would be one of the younger ones there, and talked about how some people wait another year or let them do another year of 3yo kinder.

I feel like I am missing something here- is there a reason I should be holding her back? I don't think people are saying specifically that my daughter should stay back, just that it's what everyone does. Why is this? Why is it called 3yo kinder then if everyone is going to be 4 there?

I personally started school (back in the dark ages) grade prep when I was 4, which is obviously too young, I was intellectually capable but socially I should have started a year later. I don't see a problem with Dd starting school at age 5, as I believe she would manage (as far as I know at this stage) but if all the other kids are going to be 6 turning 7, will this be a problem?

My gut is telling me to send her, she will love it (when we went to see it she wanted to stay and play), but I feel like I don't know what the reasons are to wait another year, so can someone enlighten me?? Thanks!!

not sure, could it have anything to do with funding? I think you get one year of funded kinder, then if you want to send another year, you pay? so I guess some people might opt for just 4 year old kinder. happy to be corrected on this, it was the case a couple of years ago when I worked for council.

What state are you in? Most kids are 5 turning 6 rather than 6 turning 7 when start school. If you are in Vic your DD could go to school when just turned 5 or just turned 6 (second instance she would be one of older in year.) One of the reasons people don't start 3 year old is they line it up with when starting school. E.g. if you are planning on her starting 2018 so when just turned 5 then you do 3 year old 2016 and 4 year old 2017, school 2018. If planning on her starting 2019 then we were told (depending) on location that is often hard to get a second year of either 3 or 4 year old, so if you change your mind about starting year then you might need to "fill" a year with something (childcare based kinder for example) because can't get a second years place at a community kinder. At the school readiness session this is when we were told this, it seems nonsensical to me to have to decide at 3 when your child will be ready for school but that is what they were stating was reality. Personally I would act on the info you have e.g you think she would like it now, if you then decide that you don't want her to start school until 2019, then deal with that as it arises there are always options especially if you are likely to be at home.

We are in Vic.
I am happy for her to start when she is 5, it just seemed to me there is a lot of talk about kids starting when they are 6 and I don't know what the advantages are or why you would do this.
Thanks for answering, yeah I will definitely send her next year x

I know a few who have waited, but both made the decision in the year prior to starting school (which I think is when you can makeby the decision based on something other than just older is better), they both did an extra year of childcare based kinder. One was a march birthday and very small, he would have been fine but she didn't have to send him, and she wasn't working full time so why not get another year of two extra days a week with him The other was a Jan birthday and he had had some speech issues, so just thought another year would be good. My personal view is far too much is made of age, and it is a complete nonsense to talk about school readiness (emotional maturity etc) and then say you have to make up mind prior to 3 year old kinder (as at the presentation I went to) - you can't assess readiness two years ahead, therefore lots of people are really just deciding by age, so their basis is just older is better. (There are 88 in my DD year, I think maybe 4 were already 6 when started (Jan birthdays) and then a fair few turning 6 in Feb, Mar, Apr as well as some turning 5 in Feb & Mar and then the rest turning 6 in May onwards - so although there was always a lot of talk about everyone Jan - Apr waiting a year - plenty of people didn't wait. )

Thank you, this is exactly what I was trying to ask but didn't know how. I should have asked- why do people hold back from school a year?

Makes sense now, and yes, difficult to assess so far ahead. I am confident that we are doing the right thing now and if there is a problem flagged in kinder will deal with it at the time.

Thanks again for answering :)

Both my DDs are Jan and Feb babies. DD1 started school this year after turning 6 in Jan. Our decision was based after her first year of 4yr old kinder and not being ready maturity wise (this was done in consultation with her kinder teacher and a field officer assessment). DD2, Feb baby, will start prep in 2017, even though she could start next year. For her, it's the social readiness, she is a very introverted child who doesn't do well with big changes and lots of kids. She will be doing another 4yr old kinder year next year. Again, this conclusion was reached with her teacher and a field officer assessment.

Only you know your child and what they can and can't cope with and age is literally, just a number. You need to look at the child as a whole. At the end of the day it's personal choice.

All 3 of my kids started Preschool (9-3) preschool program within a month of turning 3.
DD1 started NSW Kindergarten at 5yrs 1month.
DD2 started at 5Yrs9months but could have gone a year earlier. She did almost 3years at preschool (1yr 3yr old room and 2 years 4yr old room)
DD3 is in her 2nd year at preschool but still in the 3yr old room and so far is enrolled to start Kindergarten as a 4yr10month old. There is only a very slim chance she will be held back another year.
DS will start preschool at 3yrs too.
I personally find it so much better then a childcare centre that runs a preschool program. Even if it means doing 3years there I would pick it over childcare 100% (except if your needing long day care).