Back to school is bittersweet this year. Our child is starting Kindergarten, and as if that doesn’t come with a wide enough range of emotions, we have also spent the past nine months debating “redshirting.”
Redshirting is the term used for purposely delaying Kindergarten, even when your child is age-eligible.
Connecticut’s Kindergarten cut-off date is December 31st. Our child’s birthday falls late in the year, so she is entering Kindergarten just shy of 4 3/4 years of age. Redshirting seems to be so common here in Fairfield County that we know she will (almost definitely) be the youngest in her class and that some of her classmates are likely to be more than a year older than she is.
Our child’s well-being and success are obviously our top priority. We’ve read countless articles and checklists and obsessively discussed the pros and cons (from elementary school through college, there are so many!).
We’ve decided to send her because I truly believe Kindergarten is the best place for her to be right now.
I’m excited for the learning opportunities that await her and the new friends that she’ll make. I’m also nervous about sending my “baby” to school for 6 1/2 hours a day. But I think that has less to do with her current age and more to do with me being an anxious first-time mom.
Unfortunately, there’s been another stressful problem with this ongoing debate. For the first time, my husband and I aren’t agreeing on a major parenting decision. Instead, we currently agree to disagree. He’s willing to let her try Kindergarten this year, and I’m open to re-evaluating this decision at any point in her academic career.
If you’re considering redshirting your child, here are a few articles and checklists you may find helpful:
Getting Your a Child Ready for Kindergarten
Kindergarten Redshirting – Is Your Child Ready?
Put Off Kindergarten a Year? Officials Want to End Redshirting
Sitting on the Sidelines? Redshirting in Fairfield County
Too Young for Kindergarten? Tide Turning Against 4-Year-Olds
But, I also feel strongly that every child is different. You know your child best, and you should trust your parental instincts. Good luck!
