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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be glad I made it to September?

39 replies

yummymumtobe · 01/09/2013 15:34

So the whole of the pregnancy I have been hoping that baby will arrive in September (5 days past due date) as we have made it. 1 sep and no baby yet! However, is it really a disadvantage to be one of the youngest in the school year? It's a boy and i was worried about him being small, the last to be able to drive etc. I was old in my year and as a girl hated it as I always felt big and gangly!

(Please keep lighthearted, obvs the main thing is to be healthy etc but just all things being well is being young/old a disadvantage?)

OP posts:

NickNacks · 01/09/2013 15:39

I was too! Due in the first week of sept but ds2 came early I was relieved when dd came on the 2nd :)

utopian99 · 01/09/2013 15:39

I was the youngest in my year and consistently top 5%, now qualified professional with my own practice.

That being said, it did drive me batty that everyone was allowed to drink/shag before me. (Sorry to lower the tone immediately..)

froken · 01/09/2013 15:41

I was one of the youngest, I saw it as a good thing, it gave you a year extra if you wanted to take a year out or retake exams. I graduated when I was 20 (nearly 21) I felt like being so young gave me a headstart when it came to looking for jobs.

BrainSurgeon · 01/09/2013 15:42

Good for you! My DS is end of Aug, and he went into Reception same year / class with my friend's DS born on 1Sep a year before! Massive difference in social and some physical skills!

MaidOfStars · 01/09/2013 15:46

There is ample evidence that, within the same school year, older children outperform their younger peers (academically, physically, socially). Being 11 months older than some other children will have clear advantages.

So not unreasonable.

Possibly an argument for later school starting ages? Six monthly age/class divisions? The age at which your child starts school to be the parent's choice?

cardibach · 01/09/2013 15:49

Your son will be much better of, statistically speaking, because he will be one of the oldest in his year. There are always exceptions, but it is a good thing for him that he is going to be an early-in-the-academic-year baby.

cardibach · 01/09/2013 15:50

off*

janey68 · 01/09/2013 15:52

Statistically better yes. Thing is, your baby isn't a statistic! Dd is September born and tbh she would have benefited from starting school earlier- not necessarily an entire year earlier but a January intake might have suited her better. She was tall for her age, had excellent language and social skills and I used to feel for her still being in nursery class when she looked and seemed older than many reception children.

OHforDUCKScake · 01/09/2013 15:52

I'm September born too. I was tall anyway, but more so because I was the oldest. More so because my best friend was small and June born. We looked funny together.

Nightfall1983 · 01/09/2013 15:53

I was you last year DS was due on 25th August - we celebrate his 1st birthday next week on 6th September as he was 12 days late.

I spent the whole pregnancy praying that he'd be a September baby (secondary to him being healthy obviously) because even though its only a statistic it is a very well proven and researched statistic. On 31st August (2012) we stayed up till midnight to celebrate out September baby!

janey68 · 01/09/2013 15:56

I worked part time then, and on my days off when I was out and about with dd and her younger brother,strangers used to comment to dd 'having a day off school are we?'
Not a big deal in the big scheme of things, and id rather she was sept born than August born, but I'm just pointing out that it has its pitfalls.dd used to feel quite embarrassed as a mature almost 5 year old getting comments
I reckon ds got it best, being nicely mid school year

Original poster

yummymumtobe · 01/09/2013 16:01

Oh good, glad I am not being too unreasonable. I know there are always exceptions. Do was young for year and went to Oxbridge eventually. Though when he was little his mum said he used to fall asleep at school and couldn't read very well. He was also quite inept at sports. He runs marathons now though so I guess it evens out!

OP posts:

mrspremise · 01/09/2013 18:15

I grew up in Scotland where I was the oldest in my year, then moved down South to become the youngest. Ive actually missed a whole year's schooling bevause of it, but while it didn't hurt me academically (which it could very easily have done, I suspect), I remember being terribly cross that friends could do age-restricted things a whole year before me (films, driving lessons, drinking in pubs, etc.)

SunshineMMum · 01/09/2013 18:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

skittycat · 01/09/2013 18:19

Im an August baby, yet was one of the top performing students in my year group at secondary school. Perhaps this means that i'm an anomaly in the statistics... or perhaps my school year was stupendously thick!

stillbusy84 · 01/09/2013 20:15

I have 2=c born in june and they are both doing ok academically but the boy definately found it more difficult socially.
So glad my 3rd came in September not august.

tiggerishtom · 01/09/2013 23:01

I am with you!!!

My due date was the 26th August, but I was desperate to make it till today for the exact same reason!!!

ElaineVintage · 01/09/2013 23:51

Same here. Was due on the 28th and still waiting for baby to arrive. I had hoped to go a little overdue tho not today at least as its my 1st wedding anniversary, and I ain't sharing the 1st of Sept with anyone, even my baby!

urtwistingmymelonman · 02/09/2013 09:13

my son is august the tenth and I found in reception and year one he struggled slightly but a year at that age is quite a lot.
within a few years he was holding his own academically though.
he is the smallest boy in his year though but I am only average height and his dad isn't massive either so probably more to do with genes rather than age.

cerealqueen · 02/09/2013 09:20

It is an extra year of child care costs though. We have two early in the year DDs so are acutely aware of this!

catinabox · 02/09/2013 10:04

Me too! Very happy to have gone over due because of this. I wasn't too bothered but read a few threads on here where parents were worried about how their tiny 4 year olds were going to cope in school and was worried...

I'm sure though august babies do manage fine. :)

catinabox · 02/09/2013 10:05

It is an extra year of child care costs though

Yes cereal this is the worry for us too...

Crowler · 02/09/2013 10:11

Well, your kid's NFER's will be knocked down a fair bit. This is my primary observation for my oldest kid, who is a Sept baby.

CruCru · 02/09/2013 10:11

I remember going to look at preschools when pregnant with DS and the head said (he was due on 2 September) that it was "very important that I held on until September". Quite how I was to do this, I am still not sure.

Quite nice to be past the baking heat when you give birth though.

CruCru · 02/09/2013 10:11

What's a NFER?

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