HELP pleaaseeeeeeeeee!!!!

Hi guys
im sitting here about to pull my hair out (and not a good thing considering i have PCOS and my hair is thinning as it is!)
ds #2 will be 5 in late March, we have booked him in to kinder (vic) and we were all set to go did the whole excited thing with him etc. Well the kinder called us on Friday and said that they thought we should put Perry in to grade prep as they felt he would be bored in kinder. And now im sittin here pulling my hair out! Socially i think he will be ok, academically i know hes ok although he cant spell his name or read the alphabet or anything like he is very cluey. My question is the ripe old one of is he too young to start school would i be better off to hold him back? I have heard and it has somewhat happend to him at daycare where he gets bored really easily and then will just get up and walk out of the room and go outside and play and the daycarer has mistaken that for Perry being naughty etc but if you ask him why he does it he will straight out tell you he is bored. So what are your thoughts?? im so sorry i know you have prob heard this type of story a million times but i really am in a state about it, i dont want to mess it up for him.
thanks you lovely wise people :)
hugs shayla xx

Has he done a year of 4yr old kinder? As I thought they had to do atleast 1 year of 4 yr old kinder...? Can you ask the kinder if he can do 4yr old kinder, if they dont have a spot or something then maybe go for Prep, but if they have a position I'd probably push for Kinder (if he hasnt done a year of it yet) as it was initially what you wnated... stick to it if you can!!!

I'd be trying to get him into kinder rather than prep, because he'll always be the youngest in his class otherwise.

There are a couple of other threads here which discuss the pros and cons of sending kids to school early.

Best wishes making your decision.

Hi Shayla,
My kids aren't school age yet but I'm almost (SO close) an Early Childhood teacher myself. I'm not sure how different your system is to ours but if it's possible I would see if you can do a trial type thing. I'd try to send him to Kinder to begin with and see how he goes. If he does the whole 'I'm bored' thing then maybe he can move to Prep then? I''m not sure of his abilities, but he must be pretty cluey for it to be suggested. My only concern would be that Kinder really is an important year, not just academically but also for physical and social development. Also at Kinder if he is at the top end of the spectrum his teacher should still be trying to support and extend him so he never gets bored (....ideal I know!). Having said all that when I was at school it happened all the time and they all seemed to cope really well, most of my friends in the same grade were in fact a year younger than me! This is all totally my opinion so don't feel like you need to do as I say. In the end he is your son and you know better than anyone how he will react and respond to something like this. You should be proud to have such a clever little cookie to worry about! :) Hope this helps.

I was 4 when I started school too and my suggestion is to keep him back unless he is well and truly ready. As you said, he cant spell his name, or the alphabet yet, so I think another year of kinder would be highly beneficial for him.

Also gives him another year to mature, and be at the same age of the other kids in his class.

good luck!

I was four when I started school, my mum was hesitant to send me, and thought I could do with another year of kinder, but the teachers said I would be bored! I was always in accelerated programs at primary school, and had a great social life all through school. I do think it may have affected me academically throughout my high school years though.

At the end of the day, he is your son, nad if you feel it's best for him to stay at kinder this year, it's your decision. Like someone else said, it's up to the kinder teacher to make sure he is involved. I personally will not be sending my kids to school at four.

Good luck :)

wow sez you sound like me!! I was clearly outstanding academically in primary school and CHOKED in secondary....it was awful. And I think it was then, that it was obvious I was a whole year younger than my peers

Wasn't it horrible Danni? And I didn't choke until year 9! (discovered boys and became a slack-arse!). No one knew what to do with me, except for one teacher. Even she couldn't make me do it though, I left just after I started year 12. Still don't regret it, I love my job, and I wouldn't be doing it if I hadn't left school! I feel sorry for my parents though, they went through hell!