Looking for stories from your pasts

[Alexra 0]

Alex,

Before you go ut of your mind trying to make whatever decision you feel will be best for your daughter. Remember the town you live in has some stubborn people in it ( I should know I lived there for 23 years and will be moving back in 1 year) Yes our kids will be in school together anyway check with the Board of Education and see if it would be ok for her to skip and go right to first grade.

When I was in that school district in first grade I was Forced to take speach classes my parents fought and fought because I couldn't say T S or D words without a lisp. My parents knew as well as my orthodontist that my speach was lispy because I had a full mouth of braces at a Very Young age. The day they came off I could speak and still do speak fine. Anyway to make a long story short the town wouldn't budge because they needed a certain amount of kids in the class to have it covered by a state funded grant. they were not helpful or sympathatic at all to my needs as a child only their own.

[Marimaru 7]

I was put into kindergarten a year early. I sucked up all of the lessons and got in trouble for goofing off because all of my work was done. My 2nd grade teacher called a parent teacher conference and my mom brought in some of my school papers. Apparently I was finished so early and so bored I'd gone over the 0's in my papers so much that I'd worn them through. My mom told the teacher to challenge me and the teacher told my mom that I had to be at the same level as the rest of the kids in the class. She pulled me out of school and home schooled me the 2nd semester of 2nd grade, and all of third grade in time to be put into 4th grade in public school the next year. (Previous school was private.)

I never had any issues being younger, and graduated at 17.

[chellseabelle 0]

I just wrote out this huge email on why not to start her early, and when I went to post, I wasn't signed on and poof it was gone.

I went to school early, it wasn't a big deal til high school. Thats when the trouble started.

Trouble should be age not size level and all kids get into troble. Think about when you had your first drink with your friends, now think about being two years younger then your friends having that drink.

I'll write more later

[Iluvharleys 15]

My son was very small for his age, runs in the family, but then they all end up tall. In fact today he is 6 foot tall and I look up to him. He used to get really upset that he was the smallest kid on his sports teams. He also had many friends older than him in the neighborhood, which allowed him to play sports with them.

My son taught himself how to read at age 4. He started kindergarten and his teacher was amazed at how he could spell large words. He also excelled at Math. At the conferences she told me that he would be hard to raise if I didn't stay one step ahead of him all the time. Boy was she right!

This was a very wise teacher, she actually sent him up to first and second grades to read to the classes. Once he got into second and third grades they sent him back down to first etc. to read to those classes and help some of the kids that was having trouble with their work. He did plays for these kids and even the teachers loved it. My son loved doing this, and it took all the boredom out of his daily routine. I must say that before they started doing this he was bored to death.

A couple of teachers wanted to move him up a grade or two, and I refused to let them do it. I had to think ahead to the times that these older kids would be driving cars, dating, drinking, etc. Just a year at that age makes a huge difference. It would have made a big difference in sports too, as they kids that were a year or two older would be much larger and he was already so small. Sports was a big part of his life, he played basketball, baseball, hockey, and football.

I can honestly say that it was the best thing for us to keep him with the kids his age. I don't regret for one minute doing that. When he was in 7th grade, he actually had high school girls calling him! I can't imagine how it would have been if he had been moved up to a higher grade.

I think each parent has to make the decision what is best for their child. There is no set of rules that can apply to all the children. I do think it is an important decision to make and should be thought through carefully.

Good luck Alex!

[Alexandra 55]

Since I posted this question we've been watching Catie closely to get a better handle on where she is developmentally. We've pretty much come to the conclusion that she is better off in her own age group, even if she towers over them physically. If, in a couple of years, she proves academically advanced we can address that when we come to it. But right now she's having too much fun still being a preschooler--and though she says she wants to start kindergarten that's probably more about wanting to be like big sister than anything else.

Thanks so much for your input, everyone; it really helps to hear other POVs!!

[chellseabelle 0]

My high school went for grades 7 - 12

I was 13 when I started my freshman year, soon to be 14, I was very popular. Most of my friends were sophmores, who were 15. They all had their driving permits during my freshamn year and were driving my sophmore year and I was driving with them at age 14. I wasn't worried about the fact that I would be the last to drive, I didn't need to, all my friends drove.

Freshman year, age 14, I attended my first senior party and was caught drinking with my friends more than once. I also was dating a very popular senior. All of my friend were smoking pot and having sex. I was the last one to have sex at age 161/2, end of Junior year and I never smoked pot.

I know what you are thinking "WHERE WERE THEIR PARENTS"

All of our parents were very involved in our lives, they were at every game, planned events in the school, some of them were our teachers and coaches.

I wasn't allowed to be at house were parents were not home. That didn't mean we were not in a bedroom upstairs smoking and drinking.

We were also very involved in the school, we all played several sports (field hockey, softball, gymnastics, cheerleading, tennis) key club, student council, nat honor society, spanish club, french club, year book editors, band members, acted in plays and designed the set. You name it, we were a part of it. We were the "good" girls, the trusted girls, the "popular" girls but that didn't stop us from being the party girls.

My friend were always older by 2 or 3 years. Don't get me wrong I would have gotten into trouble sooner or later, but It probably would have been easier on my parents if I was a bit older.

Trouble should be age appropirate (sp).

If your daughter starts to hang with the older kids now, you won't be able to stop it later. When they are driving, going to the prom, are allowed to stay out later, wearing make-up, dating, going to the mall alone - those are just some of the issues you will have to deal with.

My daughter also started kindergarden at 4 but soon to be 5. At the end of kindergarden, I was asked if I wanted her tested to skip 1st grade. Then she would be 12, freshman year and some of the sophmores would be 15. No way, I couldn't do that to her or myself.

She is now in the 4th grade, she is a social butterfly, gets straight A's, is a bit of a tom-boy, involed in Dance 5 days a week, Softball three out of four seasons, and Brownies.

My daughter high school years are going to be very difficult for me. She is a year younger than the kids in her class. She will find her trouble and I will deal, I just hopes she stays friends with the kids in her class and doesn't find older friends.

One year makes so much difference at a young age. A two year gap would be way too much.

I really do not even leave my daughter alone in a room with her cousins that are two, three or four years older. She doen't need to hear what they are talking about.

There are lot of kids that are more advanced because of what they see at home and lack of parenting in her class. I know I made the right choice.

If your daughter is not challenged enough in school, ask the teacher to give her more challenging work. The books that she reads can always be at a higher level.

I just had to pre-read a book that my daughter wanted to read because it was in the teen section at the library. I read it was fine for her to read. Except one line " if you believe that, then you must think Mrs S Clause is waiting for us with gifts" I whited that line out -- and wrote If you believe that you must believe pigs can fly -- I know, I know it was a library book - but my little girl still believes and someone elses child might too. I'm glad I pre approved the book and will do so in the future if she continues to read books ahead of her level.

Anyway reading the book was great beacuse now we can talk about it. She is also reading a Harry Potter book.

My cousin in 4th grade used to read books by Dean Koontz, she loved them her dad would read them first and then they would stay up nights talking about the books.

Take her on special trips muesums, broadway, nature, civil war stuff. So much of learning takes place outside of the classroom.

The other kids will grow and if not that is okay.

Keep her involved with all different things and different kids, keep her self esteem up and she will be fine.

Your right to be making this descion based on the future.

I know this is a lot and I am new here, but I hope it helps.

[chellseabelle 0]

We must have been typing at the smae time, I'm so gad to hear you will not be sending her early