August Babies -starting school

[notnow86]

My friend has a DD born in Oct, my DD was born in Aug. They'll both be starting school in September.

Friend keeps making comments about how she's worried that my DD will be behind and how she's so little and she won't be achieving great grades etc...

I've never been worried until now when I'm thinking maybe she's right?! AIBU to think she shouldn't be making these comments ? Her mother used to teach and apparently all august born children are dumb and never catch up

However my DH insists August born children aren't lacking at academics and will catch up eventually.

Any experience? Please tell me my DD will be fine! 🙈 I'm really anxious now

My mum, younger brother and I were both August babies and we both had very similar school experiences, neither of us very academic at all. My older brother and youngest brother were September and November babies and both excelled in school. That’s just our experience though, there’s nothing stopping your little one from being the brightest in her class

They don't have to start in yr 1. You can apply for them to start the following year in Reception at Compulsory School Age (5). Which is what we did with our daughter.

There is a lot of research to suggest that summer born babies do have an educational disadvantage. It is pretty widely known, so I am surprised people are so shocked by it on here. Google ‘summer born inequality’ and you will see lots of articles and research on it. Obviously, it varies from child to child and your friend was rude to bring it up but it is something that people talk about quite a bit. Some other countries have different admissions policies to help solve it.

My youngest is August - older siblings September and October - there were some differences between how they were in reception - he seemed very young to be starting school. In terms of maturity he wasn’t quite ready and just wanted to play (and didn’t like leaving me). He’s finishing primary school tomorrow and is now very mature and self assured - academically he is achieving at the same level as my September born ds at the sane age (not very top of class, but above average in everything). I’d say he’d ‘caught up’ to the point where he no longer seemed too little by year 2. If you lined up his class and asked someone to pick out the youngest kid, I doubt they’d pick ds.

Totally agree with this. She is not being a good friend with these comments.

Please ignore and if she persists, perhaps ask her what she’s trying to achieve.

most importantly, don’t let her speak to/around your DD about this - she doesn’t need the idea put in her head. At this age, the month a classmate is born is purely about who has the next birthday/party coming up. The idea of youngest or oldest in the class doesn’t need to come into it.

@MeridianB

Oh yes thank you. That's exactly what DH said. If she mentions it again, to remind her she was a September baby and came last & also to be careful Our DD doesn't hear any of this. As we're trying to get her excited and assure her she'll be just fine and have lots of fun and make friends

Statistically, your friend is correct. On average August-borns do have lower average exam results and generally struggle more emotionally and socially. It's one of the reasons I'm going to apply to delay both my August-born DSs when the time comes.

But that doesn't mean every August child will struggle or even that 'most' August children will struggle. It also doesn't mean that the Autumn borns (September, October, November) will excel by default. There's also more to school than just exam results.

And whatever the future for your DD, your friend is being massively unreasonable for suggesting or commenting on this in the first place. Please don't worry about your friend's comments, as you've seen in this thread lots of children do absolutely fine.

The most popular and brightest girl in my year at school was born on the 28th of August. Why would your 'friend' be saying these things to you? Do you have any concerns about your daughter's school readiness??

The age gap may be apparent in early years but they will soon even out

She is right though.It is a well documented fact that overall summer borns are still slightly behind autumn borns even at GCSE

Statistically, many summer born children struggle.

In reality, many don't.

My daughter is August born and has always done well, socially and academically.

I have taught many summer-born children who are far more academically able and socially confident than their much older peers.

Birthdays can matter, but how much support a child gets at home matters more.

I would also add that whilst I've taught many able
Autumn-born children, I have also taught many who are too confident and sure of themselves, to the point where they think they already know everything and don't have to bother putting in the effort. They can become disengaged and also be what I would deem 'at a disadvantage' because they would have been more suited to the year above.

@user29 Did you read the full OP?

The OP's friend said, "all August children are dumb" and that her child "won't get good grades."

August baby here. Was always at the top end of grades amongst my friends, did ok at uni in both under and post grad courses, then a PGCE and now a teacher.
Couldn't tell you in my classes who is a September baby and who is an August one. I can tell you, though, who has been raised by loving parents/loving home/nurtured Vs those who have not had this.
Best advice? Ignore friend.

My DD is born end of August. She is excelling academically.

However, where I can see she's lagging behind is in in terms of confidence, social skills and gross motor skills and I see similar in the other summer born kids.

I wish she'd been born a bit later or that we had deferred. All her nursery and pre school teachers strongly advised us not to hold her back by a year as they thought she was too advanced and would get bored but I wish we had.

I don't think it matters when they are older but there's a big difference between a four year old and a five year old developmentally.

"All August born children are dumb" - your friend is the dumb one. That makes no sense. I was born in August and always way ahead academically.

My end of August girl is now 12 and one of the cleverest in her year. She was chomping at the bit to go to school. Her teachers said they would never have guessed she was the youngest. If your child is keen to go then they will probably be fine.

Ah don’t worry. My august baby is miles ahead of children older than her , my October baby is wonderfully average.

This data is a bit old now but I doubt it's changed. There are statistical differences between autumn and summer children's performance but of course this doesn't mean your summer born won't cope / be smart. As you can see, the gap is very small by gcse. I also think it's interesting to note that SEN is more likely to be diagnosed in summer born (like someone else said, proving that it's age appropriate behaviour in wrong class). There is also evidence about performance in sport because you're often playing with physically more developed pupils. The data doesn't tell the story for every child (obviously) and of course there's loads of successful adult summer borns.

Very rude of your friend but just to pick up on others comments there is a considerable amount of evidence which shows that summer born children do worse all the way through there time at school and even into adult life. This is why we've decided to defer our summer born DC

@notnow86
Stop worrying they will all be learning the same things.

Me and my best friend were August and September babies. We were both in top sets, we both went to university and both have good jobs. There was a year between us but we were taught the same.

If this was the case there would be uproar and staggered school starts.

X

I was an August baby… the only disadvantages I had were my friends could excuse themselves from school at 18, but I had to have a parent note. Oh and I was the last to turn 16 so I was the last of my friends to get my drivers license… an drink legally at 21 (US). Other than that zero difference.

Your friend is being unkind and talking about ‘grades’ is a bit bizarre for reception children.
Statistically summer born children do leas well even up to GCSE compared with winter born peers, but that doesn’t mean your child will. Clearly many summer born children (as above!) do very well indeed.

Some parents choose to defer their summer born a year because they aren’t ready and some don’t. You know your child best. I would ignore her.

I’m August born and I am a banking lawyer in the City with the mythical MN 6figure salary.

DS1 is August born 3 very good a levels. Just finished the first year of his science based degree at a Russell Group Uni with a first.

DS2 also August born (I know - planned that well🤣🤣) is finishing year 10 with good predicted GCSE grades.

DN2 August born - just completed 2nd year of a science degree at a RG Uni.

They can start a bit slower but I found mine really started to catch up by Yr3-4. By secondary there was no noticeable difference eg once they can read, they can read.

It can even be advantageous for bright kids so they don't get bored.

Statistically yes summer born children do worse at school.

But there are so many other factors that are more important to a child doing well at school than the age they started.

I'm summer born and I struggled to get to 'average' academically until year 5, was in all the special classes before then. But then I really continued to blossom in all ways and was in top sets etc by year 8 in secondary school.

Please try not to worry. I have an aug born little boy too but I'm not worried xxx