DD will be 4 on Sunday . . .

[Mum2Ela]

. . . and although the children don't go back to school until MOnday / Tuesday, she has to miss a year and go next year.

Now, I have spoken to some of you before about this and was very for her being with me for another year, she will be better developed etc, but I was thinking about it in the car this morning on my way to work, and its hit me that, ok, she may be better developed next year, but this year she will be going back to nursery where she will be in the same class and 2.5 year olds.

She will be 4, and she is quite a developed 4 year old.

I am worried that she isgoing to spend this year playing which I agree with, but not academically learning anything, and she will be sooooo far behind children born just 3 days before her.

[sugarplumfairy]

Surely she will be a year below the children born 3 days before her.

[JanH]

She won't be far behind, M2E - there is very little academic work in Reception, and in many cases the late-summer-borns spend a lot of the year growing up and some of their parents will be wishing they could have stayed in nursery!

Is she in day nursery or nursery school?

[SueW]

My friend despaerately kept her legs crossed so her child wouldn't be born at end of August and be the youngest in the year. She got her wish and gave birth on 1 Sept

She'll be picking up all sorts of things over this year. She won't be behind the children born before her anyway - she won't be in their year so won't be up for comparison with them.

[Mum2Ela]

JanH I have moved her from one nursery school to anyother this year, as the one she attended last year (and would have continued to do so this year) could only offer her 4 afternoon sessions a week and also they don't wear uniform. Her new nursery can offer 5 afternoon sessions and they also wear uniform (it also seems a little more structured too).

I have also decidede that she will stay at a play group she has been attending since the age of 2 as she has some good rfiends there and enjouys it very much. The playgroup will also give her her packed lunch and walk her across to nursery which is (conevniently) across the road. So effectively she will be doing 2 full days and 3 half days.

I just can't figure out in my head whether its a shame she wasn't born a few days earlier, or a blessing.

The ironic (or perhaps not ironic - I never use that word correctly) thing is that she wasn't due until the end of september, but I went into labour on August Bank Holiday that year and they put me on bed rest to stop my contractions, which it did, for another week. She was then born on Sept 3rd.

[JanH]

I would call it a blessing

The adult:child ratio is much better at nursery school so she will get more individual attention. Reception classes and nursery classes both come under "Early Years" (click on the Early Years link in blue) in the education system so she should be doing at least some of the same learning they will be doing in Reception anyway. And when she does start school next year she will be one of most grown-up ones!