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Original poster

Is having an August baby really so terrible?

273 replies

SunflowerOwl · 17/04/2021 21:18

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.

OP posts:
RichTeaCheddars · 18/04/2021 01:43

I think in my council you can delay the start of school by a term, 2 terms or the whole year. But if by the whole year then they go to straight in to year 1 and in to their original cohort, skipping reception.

My baby is summer born, I'm thinking I'll send her for last term of reception.

Freyaismyname · 18/04/2021 02:19

My birthday is aug 31st it's never been an issue in my life.
I enjoyed being the youngest in my year Grin

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occa · 18/04/2021 02:29

I’m an end of August person. Never suffered from it or really noticed, tbh that I was a bit younger. I was in sports teams and did absolutely fine academically. Went to a good uni.

Gooseysgirl · 18/04/2021 03:51

I will be completely honest (former teacher) and say we deliberately timed our DC to avoid them being summer born. Yes there are summer born children who will thrive, but there are also those who don't. My DS's four closest friends are all August born. Two thriving, two are not and an extra year of nursery would have made a huge difference to them (now Year 3). For me the bottom line is that parents should have the right to choose whether or not to send their summer born. There's no way either of my DC would have been ready for school at exactly four years old, but I know plenty of others who would have been fine! Where I come parents can choose when to send their kids, any of my friends with kids born after the end of April waited until the following year to send them.

DelilahTheParrot · 18/04/2021 06:02

*I think in my council you can delay the start of school by a term, 2 terms or the whole year. But if by the whole year then they go to straight in to year 1 and in to their original cohort, skipping reception.

My baby is summer born, I'm thinking I'll send her for last term of reception*

Are you sure? I can’t see how any child in this position wouldn’t start massively behind and at a huge disadvantage. The whole of reception is focused on learning building blocks and foundations for reading, writing and maths (and more). Having had a child just go through reception there’s absolutely no way I would do this. Even if you were to try to replicate the curriculum at home it wouldn’t be the same.

By all means send them later, but nobly in the sense that they delay their early years, not miss them altogether??

Daisychainsandglitter · 18/04/2021 06:08

I have a DD born at the end of August. She's 6. Academically it's not been an issue as she is bright but she is clearly socially and emotionally behind her peers.

sarahc336 · 18/04/2021 06:14

They will always say this but I think it's more the older ones (so the sept-jan) are at an advantage as they're nearly 5?when the go to school. But your little one will be fine, my niece was born 26th aug and is the tallest girl in her class and totally fine, she's defo not been disadvantaged at all. It just means yours will have only turned 4 when they go to school that's all. But to flip it round my dd1 is a feb baby and is already getting bored of nursery, she'll have to wait until sept to go to school but I feel she's almost having to wait too long so you could say the older ones are disadvantaged as they almost have to wait another year before they can start school. I wouldn't worry and enjoy your little one xx

Pixxie7 · 18/04/2021 06:21

I have an August child I don’t think she was disadvantaged when it came to exams particularly as this is taken into consideration. The infant year they missed soon sorts itself out. The only problem I can see is that they are typical Leo’s bossy.

Shelovesamystery · 18/04/2021 06:51

My dd's birthday is 31st August, she's now in y1. She's absolutely fine at school. Where she should be or above in all subjects. She struggled a little with having to be so independent when she started reception but got used to it pretty quickly.

I know of dc's who were born in the Autumn/winter and are in the same year as her who struggle at school. I don't think it's necessarily down to age anywhere near as much as it's down to personality and individual ability.

We were really worried about sending her to school less than two weeks after her 4th birthday and agonised over deferring but we're so glad we did send her now. It seems weird to think that she would only be in reception now and would have barely learned most of the things that she has picked up so easily over the last year and a half. We would definitely have been holding her back if we had have deferred.

Comeinoutoftherain · 18/04/2021 06:59

My DD is end of august (age 9).

She's been very happy and is doing well at school. I didn't see any need to defer her as she was ready for school.

All kids are different, there may well be no problem x

RichTeaCheddars · 18/04/2021 07:06

@delilahtheparrot yes, I'm sure. A child has to be in school by the term starting after their 5th birthday so they can defer entry for 1 or 2 terms. Or apply "in year" to start in year 1. You can also, as a newer admissions process, apply for reception a whole year "late" and be educated with what would be the year group below.

RichTeaCheddars · 18/04/2021 07:08

Also, you can send them part time till their compulsory school age. What part time means I'm not sure as a school day isn't that long anyway.

Cindy87 · 18/04/2021 07:08

I haven't read the thread but...

I have 2 August babies! Just worked out that way. Dd is in Reception - she is a year ahead in Reading, where she should be in Maths and Writing. Her Nursery teacher last year has a dd the same age (July) and said the only difference she notices is they are emotionally younger - so they would still get a bit tantrummy when the Autumn born kids had grown out of it.

My ds starts Nursery this September and I have no concerns about him not being ready. Kids are all so different anyway.

I like that their birthdays always fall in the summer holidays as I am a teacher so can always be with them and also it worked out great with childcare costs tbh - 30 hours as soon as they turn 3 and then school as soon as they turn 4.

Thisistherhythmofthenight · 18/04/2021 07:11

Nah its all a load of shit.
Im August and so is my middle son. I'm expecting boy number 3 at the end of July so he will probably be August aswell.
I never had any problems when transitioning to primary school and neither did my son.
Enjoy your pregnancy its lovely having summer birthdays ( even in our unpredictable UK weather lol). It all depends on the child themselves. It's just that the older half of the year get like an extra year at home or nursery that's all xxxx

Heysiriyouknob · 18/04/2021 07:18

My baby was born at the end of August last year and already people are telling me horror stories about school. We'll see how she is at the time and we'll just home Ed for a while if she isn't ready (we've home Ed before).

On the other hand, I've got an October baby who struggled so massively that we ended up home educating until he was 10.

You can never tell.

DelilahTheParrot · 18/04/2021 07:21

@RichTeaCheddars I know that legally they have to be in school the term they turn 5, that’s the same everywhere, but I have never ever heard of a school allowing children to start whenever they want in the year group. I simply can’t see how that not massively unworkable and would put the child at a huge disadvantage.

jeanne16 · 18/04/2021 07:22

It’s only a potential issue here in the U.K. as they start school too early. In other countries where they start at the more sensible age of 6, it is not an issue at all.

The main problem can arise if the child gets behind in the early years as this can affect confidence and it can be difficult to catch up.

hamandcgeese · 18/04/2021 07:30

I got granted permission from the LA to start my august born DS at 5 in reception instead of just turned 4. BUT I couldn't find a preschool or nursery that would take him for the extra year. His preschool said he was ready for school and said he could not stay on. So I felt a lot of pressure to send him, other parents, his preschool, my parents ( who I think were judging me and my brother both being August babies and we did "ok".) I decided to send him in cohort and I did lots to boost him before, I've also made him do homework every night to keep up. It's been hard and he is doing ok, but he has needed pushing. I do wonder if he went later whether he would of been more ready. One consideration is he very tall, so would look a lot older if held back a year.

Also many LA's want a reason and evidence to decelerate. They say they will speak with preschool too for their opinion. My child had a speech delay and NHS assessments. Personally I would say it's another level of stress, especially if your preschool don't support you and you still need to apply for schools as usual. Many church schools or academies can be tricky about it as not completely controlled by local authority.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 18/04/2021 07:37

My Gds was a late July baby but 3 weeks early so should have been August. At 4 and 3/4 he’s now in reception and doing absolutely fine, despite being a stereotypical, absolutely tear-arse little boy.

Please don’t let a worry like this spoil your excitement about your baby.

hamandcgeese · 18/04/2021 07:38

@DelilahTheParrot if decelerated they start them in September after they turn 5 ( in England) not mid year. You can usually only do it with children born April- August. I would say it's usually the August borns, but I know a child who was born in March that did get it granted. However he then didn't enter at 5, instead needed a special provision. The thing is kids develop massively in short time.

BigButtons · 18/04/2021 07:44

You can often tell the summer borns at school. Someone’s got to be born in the summer though😂

SpiceRat · 18/04/2021 07:45

August 2021 baby due here and both me and dad are August babies so thankfully we’ve not had anyone say this to us yet.

DP struggled but due to undiagnosed dyslexia. I was a right little clever clogs all through primary and most of secondary school until I discovered booze and smoking and boys. But neither thing is anything to do with august birthdays.

It does seem that studies back up the phrase to a degree but is it something to be so upset about The people who seem to have issue with it more aren’t the summer born children / adults, and by all accounts look at the successful stories here. The research I read also said that summer born children are less likely to develop behavioural issues but imagine the uproar if we all started saying “ooh a September baby, you’ll be in for a world of trouble with their behaviour, better try and get that baby out in august”

DelilahTheParrot · 18/04/2021 07:45

@hamandcgeese yes that’s why I thought, but pp was saying that she could pick the term that her DC turns 5 to start reception, and that she’d probably pick the summer term. That’s the bit that I was questioning.

De88 · 18/04/2021 07:46

I had an early Sept baby and an August baby, she was only just turned 4 when she started school and there was huge difference in maturity compared to my eldest. But it never affected her ability to be in school and that difference soon disappeared. People are idiots.

On the plus side like others, August baby saved us a small fortune in childcare, and being the smallest and perceived cutest in school worked in her favour as she would get the entire rest of the school to do stuff, like zip her coat cut up her food (she could do that) and entertain her. She LOVED the year 6s crowding around and cooing over her. Sly.