What is better, being the oldest or youngest kid in class?

[PocketThunder]

Got the official word yesterday that #3 is due next July '08.*  Thinking forward to school and timing we are wondering what is the better age to send your kid to school at?  According to MN Statutes below, a child need to be at least 5 years old to start kindergarten.  So, since #3 will be 5 in July, would you send your kid to school that year and then they don't turn 6 till the next summer, thus being the youngest kid in class?  Or do you wait another year and then be the oldest kid in class?  I know its all up to what we want to do because its our kid, but if it were you, what would you do? 
I was born late in the school year and I thought it sucked being one of the last kids to get my license, last one to turn 18, etc...  #1 was born in December '04, #2 October '06, so we could either space them out each 2 years apart, or #2 and #3 only one year apart. 

Paul
In St. Paul


Minnesota Statutes 2005, 120A.20

120A.20 Admission to public school.
No person shall be admitted to any public school (1) as a kindergarten pupil, unless the pupil is at least five years of age on September 1 of the calendar year in which the school year for which the pupil seeks admission commences;




* Anyone got a good lead on a Vasectomy Operation?, I'm in dire need of one before my spouse decides she wants 4!

[ChgrSteve67]

I think it will depend on your child's status and abilities when it comes around.

I was the youngest in all of my grade levels. Made it in by 3 days. Graduated HS just after turning 17.
It worked for me.
Others in my grade level that were older probably should have been held back a year.

Don't rush it.
Cross that bridge when you come to it.

Spend time with your child and help them as much as you can.

And let me add.......   

CONGRADULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!     
Steve 

[Charger-Bodie]

Got the official word yesterday that #3 is due next July '08.*  Thinking forward to school and timing we are wondering what is the better age to send your kid to school at?  According to MN Statutes below, a child need to be at least 5 years old to start kindergarten.  So, since #3 will be 5 in July, would you send your kid to school that year and then they don't turn 6 till the next summer, thus being the youngest kid in class?  Or do you wait another year and then be the oldest kid in class?  I know its all up to what we want to do because its our kid, but if it were you, what would you do? 
I was born late in the school year and I thought it sucked being one of the last kids to get my license, last one to turn 18, etc...  #1 was born in December '04, #2 October '06, so we could either space them out each 2 years apart, or #2 and #3 only one year apart. 

Paul
In St. Paul


Minnesota Statutes 2005, 120A.20

120A.20 Admission to public school.
No person shall be admitted to any public school (1) as a kindergarten pupil, unless the pupil is at least five years of age on September 1 of the calendar year in which the school year for which the pupil seeks admission commences;




* Anyone got a good lead on a Vasectomy Operation?, I'm in dire need of one before my spouse decides she wants 4!

Hey Paul have you considered abstinence instead of a vasectomy?

[HITMAN 149]

the biggest!!!!!!!!!!!! hehehehe
no one will pick on him!!!!!

[Harlow]

older. He will be bigger/more mature than the other kids. better at sports. thats my  but it will probably come down to if hes ready or not.

[HITMAN 149]

but on the other hand if he's older... they may make fun of him also?!?!?!? 

[PocketThunder]

Hey Paul have you considered abstinence instead of a vasectomy?

No way hose A. 

abstinence, Isnt that a bottle of alcohol that is illegal in the US?  ?? 

[Todd Wilson]

If you think your kid is ready I'd put them into school as soon as you can.


Todd

[68chrgrwife]

My youngest will be starting school a few days after she turns five (actually she will be starting pre-school next September; at age 3)  I don't think you have the choice to start them later..at least not from what I know here in San Diego.  Check with the school board......

[Old Moparz]

I was usually the youngest in all my classes & graduated high school when I was 17. (My birthday is in December.) I don't recall being teased about it much, but it meant I was sometimes too young to be included in certain things that other kids took part in. Something like little league baseball, where a minimum age requirement was necessary to advance to the next level, or age group. Some kids who were classmates that were older were in the next level, but not being old enough myself, made it awkward. Not a big deal, but at the time it was.

I also didn't get my driver's license until I was almost finished with high school. That was the worst feeling I can remember associated with being the youngest. Some classmates were driving in the junior year, so it made it seem like it would take forever to get behind the wheel. One big advantage though, is that you actually get a head start on things in general, but that might not be such a good thing if you aren't up to speed. Some kids just haven't had the chance to learn basics from their parents for a combination of reasons.

This article is interesting, but kind of long. One thing it points out, is that older kids in kindergarten have an advantage because of size & coordination. That might be important for a kid who may not be as advanced in learning as other kids. Of course the disadvantage to starting a younger kid that may not be as advanced, would be the ridicule they might feel being the smallest, or being the worst at whatever they do in class. It really comes down to where your own kid is by the time they are old enough to start school.

New York Times Article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/magazine/03kindergarten-t.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&hp&oref=slogin

My daughter couldn't wait to go to school, but her birthday is in May & she's older than other kids in class. She'll be 18 when she gets out of high school. She had learned more than most kids in her pre-k before she was in it. We read to her & taught her to write, & she actually pushed herself to do it, not my wife & I. She seems bored at times & loses interest because of it. It was kind of sad to have gone to her school a few times & see other kids who couldn't write their own names when my daughter was writing whole sentences. I suppose there could also be the stigma of being the "smartest kid" or the "know it all" but that seems better than being the "dunce" or the "village idiot" with the other kids.

[hemigeno]

And let me add.......   

CONGRADULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!     

I've got experience on both sides of this.  Personally, I was the youngest guy in my class.  It didn't bother me too much physically/socially or academically, but I HATED being the last one that got to every age-related milestone.

Jonathan (my son) was born on July 29th, and the cutoff for Missouri schools is July 31st.  So, we could have "legally" sent him to Kindergarten a year before we actually did.  My wife and I debated a good deal about which would be best, and we eventually decided he'd do better in school being on the older side rather than the younger side.  Jonathan's not large for his age or anything, so he honestly fits right in with the class he's with.  Academically it would not have mattered which class we put him in, but that extra year of development sure didn't hurt anything.  It all evens out after the first 5 years or so anyway, so you'll worry more about this decision now than you'll ever do in the future.

IMO the biggest downside to waiting a year is the fact that your child will be a little older when they graduate high school (and college if they choose to go).  As long as you don't lock them in the closet for that last year before kindergarten, I don't think your child will hold it against you...   

Congrats again!

Geno

[41husk]

Congratulations!  My vote would be make him the oldest in his class, if his teacher is hot, he will have the best chance hitting on her

[PocketThunder]

New York Times Article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/magazine/03kindergarten-t.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&hp&oref=slogin

Thanks for that Bob, it was a good read.  on my lunch hour ofcourse 

I guess we will wait and see how she develops and determine if she is ready for Kindergarten just after turning 5 or if we should "red-shirt" her for the year.  We sit down and read with our kids every night.  In fact we are running out of books, time to get back to the library for some new ones.

[Charger_Fan]

It didn't bother me too much physically/socially or academically, but I HATED being the last one that got to every age-related milestone.

My daughter was the youngest in her class & that was her biggest gripe through the final 6 years or so. All her friends got to do older kid stuff before she did. She was always mature for her age & that probably made it worse.
The upside of that was that by senior year, she had finished her requirements by the first quarter. She ended up taking college courses in high school that got her early credit for college, in an effort to get away from absolute boredom.

School was always easy for her, she's just a smart cookie.

[RT DAVE]

Oldest.  Hands down.  Psych major here practicing pop psychology.  Being bigger and more developed always helps with sports too.   

[69_500]

Congrats on the #3 child that is one the way.

Me and the wife have been trying for #2 for 4 years now.


Hmmm, I'm not the best person to ask about starting school early, or being the youngest or oldest in a class. My sister was always one of the oldest in her classes due to when her birthday falls. Mine being in May, always made me one of the younger kids in the class that I was in. Then factor in skipping grades, and man was I the youngest in a class. There is always a positive side though to being the youngest. Even though I left college after 3 years, and yes I wish I had graduated now that I look back. But hey I was entering the working world after 3 years of college at the age of 19. So it wasn't all too bad. I can say though that there is a definate upside to not being the youngest in your class as well. Kind of sucks to not get into drivers education until your senior year of high school. That is a definate drag.

[dkn1997]

I was always the youngest (november 22), started kindergarten at 4 yrs old.  I struggled till about midway through 1st grade. got kind of ugly when the principal told my mom that she should stay home with the kids and do housework instead of working....(it was 1975)  my daughter is late too, (october 25) and she never struggled even a little, now in 2nd grade, one of the tallest in class, very smart too, really good in math and reading.  so my point is that it can go either way.  just do wha feels right.  preschool may be a good idea when the kid is 3-4.  very much like a school setting, but you can pull them out if they shit the bed...

[General_01]

My birthday is September 14th. My mom started me in school when I was 5. I turned 6 two weeks later. I was one of the oldest kids in my grade all through school. Nobody teased me about it.

My mom actually tried to get me started the year before. At the time, if your child was going to be five within a certain time frame after September first, the school could let you start if you passed some sort of pretest. My mom always said she was mad at me because I would print my name at home and recite the alphabet and stuff, but when she took me down to the school I wouldn't do any of it.

We started both our daughters at age 5. Cathy's birthday is in March, so she was about 5 1/2 when she started. She will turn 18 during her senior year. Cindy's birthday is in August, so she was only one month over 5 when she started. She will graduate at 17 and turn 18 during the summer after high school. They both do well in school. Guess I will have to wait and see how it works out in the end.

Congrats on baby #3. Selling the '68 makes even more sense now.