Kindergarted registration

PrairieMom wrote: Well, Kindergarten registration was today, and We still haven't decided what we are going to do with Ben next year. We have finally narrowed it down to 2 choices. He will either go to public kindergarten, or will go to private Pre-k at his preschool. So I didn't register him today, and they didn't get all my $. (who makes people pay $200 non-refundable for kindergarten 9 months early and at Christmas time?!?! ) anyway, I have until the middle of January to decided what we are going to do. It is such a relief to at least have it narrowed down to 2 choices.

Every one, EVERYONE we talk to about it say to hold him back, but I really feel that he is ready so DH and I are really on the fence about it.

lisar replied: I say do what you think is right for Ben. If he is ready then go for it.

lovemy2 replied: If you think BEN is ready - send him - don't worry about what the others are doing - after all if everyone was jumping off the bridge does it mean you would too

MommyToAshley replied: If by everyone, you mean unsolicited advice from other parents and family, then I wouldn't give it much thought. You know him better than anyone. If the preschool teacher and the kindergarten teacher are telling you that you should wait, then I think their recommendations would have more weight when making a decision. But, if I remember correctly from your previous posts, his teachers say he is ready. If the teachers think he is ready, and you think he is ready, then I would send him.

If it is any comfort, I was a little hesitant to send Ashley as she barely made the cut-off. She is the youngest in her class but loves it and is doing well. There is a wide range of kids in her class... when she started, she was 4 but there were also kids that were already 6. I help in her class on a weekly basis and I don't think the older ones seem any more advance or mature than the others. They all seem to adapt their behavior to the classroom.

As for the non-refundable fee... that is a bit steep. We had to pay a $75 registration free that was non-refundable, but that also covered the testing and application fee. We also didn't have to register by December, but we did so because the school usually goes on a waiting list for Kinder by the end of Dec. It's crazy!

I'm glad you have narrowed down the choices. It's a hard choice and I remember agonizing over it. I second guessed myself a couple of times, but just remember that he is going to do well and get a lot out of his educational experience because you are the type of parent that will stay involved.

Boo&BugsMom replied: Ditto to what Deedee said. Tanner was a young 5 when he started (July 27th b-day). I pondered holding him back, but I am so glad I didn't. He is doing great and succeeding well! Some of the oldest ones in the class aren't doing as well as he is, so the age really doesn't have much to do with it, it's each child. I hate it when people put a stigma on kids with later birthdays. If you think he's ready and so does his pre-k teacher, send him. Don't listen to the advice if you weren't asking for it.

As for the registration...I agree...steep, WAY too early, and horrible timing! Egads! I think ours was in March, or Feb of that year before. It was early too, but not this early. Geesh.

Kaitlin'smom replied: well your ahead of me, I still have no clue as to where Kailtin will go next year. I am guessing we will have to do private since we dont live in either of the districs I consider acceptable.

If you and the teachers think he is ready than go for it.

ediep replied: ditto to what DeeDee said too

Jason is the youngest in his kindergarden class also, but he went to preschool and pre k and his teachers said he was ready.

It is such a hard decision, I struggled with it as well as some of m friends with their kids, but I knew Jason was academically ready for kindergarten so I sent him. He loves it and is doing very well

PrairieMom replied: By everyone I mean there are a bunch of ladies that I work with that were all PG the same time as me, and they are all holding thier kids back. Plus DH's mom is a teacher and she said hold him back, and all her teacher friends (when she discussed it with them) agree unanimously to hold him back.
the only people that think we should send him are Me, DH, and his Preschool teacher. I felt really good about just sending him, it just seems like the next natural step, and he is so smart and an handle himself with other children, even big mean ones. (long story ...) I just need to quit asking everyones advice and follow my heart. Every time I get my mind made up I talk to someone else and they make me question it. And really what is the worst that can happen? so he does kindergarten twice. No biggie IMO.


As for the registration fee... the church associated with this preschool has a ton of $, and many of the people that go there have a ton of $ (our state senator for one..)
when we were looking for a church we visited this one for a few weeks and never felt like we were rich enough to attend. For petes sake, instead of coffee and cookies in the fellowship hall they had latte's and biscotti. I really have a feeling that they are registering now to keep those that don't have that kind of $ at Christmas out. That could just be me being paranoid tho.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied:
This is my philosophy exactly.

CantWait replied: Well Anthony is 4 now, in New Brunswick, they don't have Pre-K...I really wish they did. He'll be starting school next year, regular K, at 5.

MyBrownEyedBoy replied: My choice for this was pretty much taken out of my hands, but here's my thought on Logan's situation. His birthday falls after the cut-off, so he'll be nearly six when they allow him to start school. However, he's small for his age and my thoughts are, no matter how bright he is, I'd still rather start him late, have him be one of the oldest kids and still smaller, than start him early and have him be the youngest and the smallest. Besides, if need be, I can push to have him skipped later on.

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Maybe all their kids aren't as bright and unsocialized.

And don't take a teacher's word for it who isn't in a classroom with him or someone who doesn't live with him. I heard from teacher's too that Tanner was young and should consider waiting...people who NEVER MET him. They put a stigma on them, all because of their birthday, nothing else, and it's wrong. Tanner's K teacher says he's doing wonderfully and that I would have been stupid to hold him back. You are his mom, noone else! I would take his pre-k teacher's opinion over someone else's who really shouldn't be telling you their opinion since it's really invalid anyways.

PrairieMom replied:
Thats true. I am still debating on the subject. Now I am considering what the parents of the naughty boy across the street are going to do. (the ones that lift the kid over the fence) It would be nice to separate the boys. Also, Ben and Al are only 3 years apart, so If I hold him back a year, that would put them only 2 grades apart in school. that could be both good and bad... ugh.

Jamison'smama replied: Jamison made the cut off by 3 days. She is the youngest in the school but you can't tell. She was socially ready. Her kindergarten is all day 2 days a week and alternating Wednesdays---my thought was, I could send her to this school and if she doesn't to well enough to move on, I could send her to the all day everyday private kindergarten next year. That way, she is getting a better education than she would be in PreK, it's free and there isn't much stigma in repeating Kindergarten.

MommyToAshley replied:
I can understand you not wanting the boys to be together, I've been there, done that. But I would try not to base your decision on anything but whether or not Ben is ready. I actually caught myself trying to exclude a school just because a particular child was going to go to kinder the same time as Ashley. But, I realized I can't do that. Maybe you can request that they be in a different classroom if they both end up at the same school?

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Also, there are going to be naughty ones in every class no matter how hard you try to keep them away. If you wait, he may not be with the boy on the other side of the fence, but he may end up with another boy in his class the year following that is even worse.

PrairieMom replied:
thats true. I just Can't stand that kid.



We decided last night to just send him. I'm not agonizing over it anymore. He meets the criteria, age wise, and academically. The cut off here is Sept 1t, and he was born in mid may, so we are good there, and his teacher says he is ready, so Kindergarden here we come!

Boo&BugsMom replied:
Good for you!

DansMom replied: Daniel's doing fine in K---we're really late here (December cutoff), and he's a November baby, just turned five. Almost everyone we know held back, as you can imagine, and it caused us many doubts, but our instincts were right. Do what you feel is right.

MommyToAshley replied: Doesn't it feel good to make a decision.. now don't second guess yourself. He's going to do great!

PrairieMom replied:
Its a total relief. I'm gonna hang tight too. I'm done listening to everyone else. I'm excited for it now. We have a long wait ahead of us. September is a long way off.

Calimama replied:
I bet he's going to do great!!