Is having an August baby really so terrible?

[SunflowerOwl]

I'm expecting my first DD in late August. I'm so excited and thrilled.

But people keep telling me I should 'keep my legs crossed' until September as summer babies are at a massive disadvantage when they start school, they will be a year younger etc.

Aside from the fact that theres very little I can do about when she decides to arrive, is it really so terrible? People are starting to make me feel like I've set my child up to fail already and it's making me feel pretty crap.

Yes it is (at least in my LA). Summer born children can start in the September with everyone else or can start a term or 2 terms later

I've moved to Scotland and there is effectively a phased cut off. Cut off is end February to start in August and technically if they're not 5 then they can defer but in reality those born in Jan and Feb have an automatic right to funding for an extra year in nursery, December and November tend not to defer but may if they have additional needs and Aug-October is rare.

I think that more affluent parents are more likely to defer.

My August girl was coping in reception in England last year but is really flying as a mid year P1, although part of that is due to a lot of repeated content from last year - she's in the P2 phonics group and getting extension maths but socially fits well into the P1 class.

She's physically very capable, she was winning sports day races in school nursery against children a year older than her, which probably helped fitting in with the older children.

Thank you all for your comments. It's so nice to read about August babies thriving.

I guess it makes sense that an august born would be 'behind' a September born in the early school years as a year is a long time when they are that little. But it's nice to know that it isnt a given. Will just have to see how it goes.

Across a year group, August born babies will be less likely to gain top exam grades - there are plenty of studies that confirm this. That does not mean that your child will necessarily perform less well. That's why we don't rely on anecdotal evidence, but at whole populations.

It is tactless to mention this to you though- it's not as though you can change things!

the way I see it if you monitor 1,000 September born babies and 1,000 August born babies and what they could do at the end of each academic year, I imagine on the whole the september borns will do better than the august borns.
I think the differences once they get to high school age will be much less pronounced and it doesn't necessarily mean that your child will be negatively impacted at all. I certainly don't think that my ds has. In fact he probably benefited from starting school earlier than some of his peers.

All the the current information from DFE is in here:
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/921255/Guidance_for_parents_September_2020.pdf

@Frazzled2207 I agree. My August born DS would have been utterly bored by another year in an early years setting. He was more than ready for school at just turned 4.

My DD was born early (end August). I can't remember the name of the assessment, but she was always third from the top of class in a class of 32. She went onto get herself a scholarship (other than taking her to look at schools, we didn't help her - she had to make the phone calls/fill in application), she's now at university and also managing to work 30 hours a week. She has made lots of (genuine) friends over the years. So being a late August baby hasn't disadvantaged her.

I have an August baby (well she’s 16 now).
Aside from seeming very young when she started (obviously just turned 4), she never struggled in any way.

Does anyone have an idea of what a child needs to know / be able to do before they start school?
I stumbled across this thread because my first baby was born last august and this is all people mentioned to me! My little girl is also on 2nd centile for everything, me and her dad are quite little too so I worry she will also be physically smaller than the rest of the kids in her class.
It doesn’t help that SIL has September baby and thinks he’s going to be baby Einstein compared to my little thicko x

My Gds was a late July baby, and 3 weeks early, so should have been August. He’s coming up to 5, in reception, happy and doing fine.

I had three August babies in my class at school. All went on to university, and two of the three successful careers (no idea about the third, lost contact/knowledge).

@Qpcutie12 with respect ignore your SIL. Your daughter being small is highly likely due to genetics. Mine are tall (I'm 5'9 and DH is 6ft 5). I'm an August baby and so is my 2nd DS4, he is doing well in reception, I'm expecting my 3rd baby 28th July so will likely be August aswell and I'm not worried. Your DD will do great

Ignore the comments. My mid August baby did just fine academically and also achieved a junior title in their sport. He did look tiny in his uniform though and I remember hemming up the smallest school trousers.

@Qpcutie12 Focus on things like being able to use toilet independently, get self dressed and undressed, play lots of games and with toys to practise turn-taking and sharing, practise recognising their name. These are just a few.

Trust me, I know plenty of Autumn-born children who lack the independence they should have by the time they start Reception! A lot of that comes down to low expectation from parents.

Also, I know I've said this once but I'll keep saying it - people always harp on about August-borns being disadvantaged, and yes, the stats do speak for themselves. But I have also taught many an Autumn born child who I would also deem to be at a disadvantage because they are absolutely bored to tears and need more challenge than a teacher pitching at the middle-ability can offer them consistently.

All four of my dc summer babies (2 in late July, 9th Aug and 22nd Aug). Not one of them have been disadvantaged by being summer born. They’ve coped absolutely fine academically, ds (who is now almost 20) was kept in reception for 2 years but did year 1 work in a reception setting as they felt he wasn’t quite mature enough for a more formal classroom setting and this worked brilliantly for him. He moved into year 2 as normal and was absolutely fine.

My other 3 dc are girls and have all coped with no issues at all and apart from the size difference as all my dc were small for their age anyway it’s not been a problem being summer born. I love the fact we have “birthday season” in our house and look forward to it every year - my bank balance doesn’t though with all the birthdays so close together!

My birthday is 31 August so the very youngest!! ...never was a problem for me at all. My parents were never concerned either.

Cut from OP to the end.

I guess you've already read:

'My DD was 11:59 Aug 31st and is now running NASA'

'My DD, now 6, is Aug 31st, and is fine, 'top in her Y1 class'.

Others will have pointed out the academic disadvantage your child will be at, as borne out by the data, not anecdata.

etc.

Many, many late summer born DC will be fine. Of course they will. You have no way of either knowing, or, perhaps rather more import changing what will be.

It is what it is; there is no point tying yourself up in knots about that which you can't change.

Supportive parents are key in either scenario!

And- I can't deny, having read a lot of comments, I am a bit disturbed at how many have chosen to 'rate' their August child, often still in primary, or in early secondary, or with 'the excuse' of Aspergers- primarily academically.

I'm Dec. But was effectively 'forced' into GS a year early, along with 2 other girls. It did us no favours, developmentally or socially, by 17-18.

My advice is to be ready to fight your DC's corner if you strongly feel they should be held back a year.

I think it makes a difference as to whether you have summer born girl or summer born boy. My summer born boy struggled emotionally from the start, and is still struggling now. Not academically, but emotionally.

There have also been articles and research recently about how summer born children are often misdiagnosed with SEN.

Thank you! Im pregnant with my first child due late August and have loved this thread, some great comments. Now feel I can let this go and just be with what is!