Originally Posted by HighlandsRanchDad:
Our daughter was born 8/8/17 and we were told that the state requires a cutoff date of August 1st for enrollment in day care, preschool, kindergarten, elementary school etc. So our daughter according to this will always be in classes in which she is the oldest child in the class and in which many children may be as much as a year younger than her. We are concerned that this will hold back her development since 12 months or even 6 months different at this young age is a huge difference in development. Does anyone know a way we can get her into classes in which she will be among the youngest rather than oldest child in the class? We're in Highlands Ranch, CO and new to this or any other such forum.
I was born five days before the cut off so I was pretty much the youngest kid all through school. It was hard in some respects because I lacked maturity. It helped in some ways because my brother was 21 months older than me and he was in the older kids age. This meant I was two years behind him in school. That was good for me because he was highly intelligent and a very good student. Being compared to him with two grades between us was hard enough. If he would have been born three months early I would have been one grade behind him. That wouldn't have gone so well.
Google "red shirting". It will tell you why SO many parents choose to purposely make their kid be the oldest in the class. You may find there are a number of age mates to your child because other parents have red shirted their kids.
I wouldn't worry a stitch about your child development being held back because she's the oldest. I would worry more about the make up of the class as far as how many of the children have behavioral issues NOT due to age. That's way more likely to cause your daughter to be put on the back burner than an age difference.
Even with her being the oldest, you may find there are a number of kids who may be a year younger but are really ahead of the curve that far exceed your daughter at her current development. I've had kids who were two years older than other children in my care and the younger children far exceeded the older child intellectually and behaviorally.
There's always going to be SOMETHING that stacks the odds against your child. I wouldn't borrow this one as an issue. You can always supplement her education at home and pursue her passions.
From where I sit, I would MUCH rather be in your daughters shoes as a student. BUT.... I wouldn't want to be your daughters parent on the flip side of this. I would not want an 18 year old for the
entire senior year. 13 years from now you will know what I mean.
