[newphase]

So, today on my way to get my yr 8 daughter some new school pants I all of the sudden thought...I should have enrolled DS in Prep (VIC FYOS) to start why didn't I??

Has anyone changed their mind and enrolled their child last minute like I am SERIOUSLY considering??

DS did go to one transition to primary school last year, then I decided to send him to a 2nd yr of kinder instead. A few kids from his kinder have gone, and we know 2 other kids starting also thru friends, not that that is a reason at all.

I just think I freaked so much last year, agonized actually re deciding to send him or not (almost cut off April boy...cut off being end April in VIC) re the trend to hold Feb/Mar.April kids, especially boys...more so Mar/April kids, and just the though of him pretty much being one of the youngest scared me...and he is my last to go to school also (of 3 kids).

My DS1 goes to the school I intend to send DS2 to, he is in grade 6.

My DS1 a May baby, so started the year he turned 6 as he had to, and DS2 is at the same, if not higher level, emotionally, socially and academically than he was a whole yr older starting, still struggles with maths big time..3 different tutors on .

Point is fretting aside I think I made a mistake and he should go but feel stupid re going to school and saying I have changed my mind. I have been seriously thinking re this all arvo.

This was fueeld by a discussion with one of his kinder friends Mums who had her eldest son complete
Prep last yr and talking re what they did etc...seems so right up his alley and his ability level for sure!!

My older two started qat a private school so the standard was a lot higher, a lot more expected and in that environment I'd wonder, but that said my eldest started their a yr older than DS2 and they wanted to repeat him in grade 1 even though he was amongst the eldest in his class already.

Rambling now.....anyone??

[bjk76]

DS's birthday is end of March and although he's only 22mo, I've been thinking about whether or not to keep him back a year. I was 4.5 when I started school (May birthday) and although I was fine academically, I was also quite shy and anxious, but then again, I think that was my nature and this improved over time.

Initially I thought I'd definitely keep him back, but recently I've been thinking it's better to enrol him on time for 3 and 4yo kinder and listen to his kinder teacher's recommendations. I think it is up to the individual child as to whether they're ready or not and you shouldn't do one thing or the other just because everyone else is doing it with their kids. I wouldn't want DS being bored at kinder because he's ready to move up to school.

They had a discussion of keeping kids back on Radio National this week, which might be useful for you to listen to:

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/progra...-back-2/4492550

I wouldn't worry too much about starting your DS late to the school year. - It's only a few days and it's not going to have much of an effect in the long run.

Good luck with your decision!

[frozie]

A friend was going to send her DS for another year of 4yo kinder (in Vic) as she was unsure about whether to send him to school or not. As her other kids were getting excited about school going back, he started getting all excited about starting school so 2 days before term started, she went up to the school to see if she could still get him in. She had filled out enrolment forms last year and even though her DS hadn't been to any of the transition groups and she hadn't had any further contact about his enrolment with the school, luckily he still had a spot there.. and he is absolutely loving it so far and she feels really relieved that the right decision has been made.

If you feel strongly enough about it, definitely approach the school and see if you can get him in.

[newphase]

Thanks for the replies! Listening to that ABC radio discussion now, and have been reading an attached paper re the topic too lol

I think I am DEFINATELY leaning towards going to the school on Monday !

And yes they kids have only had 2 half days at the school thus far so no big stuff missed yet I'd say!

[unicycle]

I wish I had thought part way through the year to do that with my daughter! Never occurred to me. Go for it. They change so much from when you have to make a decision.

[yabbadabbadoo]

I say go for it, a year is a long time! You know your child and wouldn't be thinking like this if you didn't think he was ready.

[elizabethany]

After a week no one will remember that he was a few days late. Go for it OP.

[lsolaBella]

Go for it.

I had to take DS1 out of school for a week in prep for a family wedding interstate (where he would be seeing cousins visiting from EU for the week too). We did that after two weeks of Prep. That had me more worried then missing first days.

Our school has basically sent home in the newsletter that the first 1.5wks of school are more just 'fun' as the teachers get to know their class and the class gets to know their classmates, plus some standard gathering.

[CocobeanLillylov...]

I can't understand why people don't just send their kids to school when it is the right time for their age? (unless of course serious learning difficulties and recommended not to by a specialist) Someone has to be the youngest in the class and youngest doesn't necessarily mean anything anyway. If there are any problems surely the teacher would talk to the parents about repeating a grade and so unless a teacher recommends a repeat I would send them on to the following year level.

[JRA]

Go for it.

Kids seem to mature so much over the summer, especially in your case with siblings around.

Good luck