August Baby

[notsoteenagemum]

DS is 4 on Sat 30th Aug and starts reception the following Wed, I'm worried he's going to struggle with the bigger nearly 5year olds. It doesn't help that he's big in 5-6 clothes, I feel he won't get 'credit' for being the youngest. Please help.

Dd is an August baby, and tall for her age. I wrote a long essay for her teacher about the fact that although she is tall, very able (she could read well and write well pre-reception) she was still emotionally only just turned 4. Her teacher was very understanding, and dd has been fine - she has loved the year, done fantastically well academically, made some lovely friends.

The only thing she struggled with to begin with was 'joining in' everything, particularly things like dancing, and her teacher let her choose whether to watch or join in.

Looking at the class you would never know she is the youngest.

Message withdrawn

i had all this with my ds1.

hes now 15 in his last year and fine- its sad tho isnt it?

I too have an august boy who is now going into year 3. I worried when he started but he's been fine. The teacher deals with this most if not every year so will take into account his situation. it may well be if he finds it a struggle that he could do mornings until half term, that sort of thing. But best to see how it goes, it is a worry but loads of similar threads every year but come christmas, most of us have forgotten our worries as our children have been fine

My top tip would be to keep a very close eye on his progress and not be fobbed off with the "youngest in the class" thing if he struggles. DS1's birthday is 1st August and the whole thing was a disaster even though he seemed like a bright little boy who did really well in nursery. His reception teacher was a total cow who should really have been in an all-girls school as she clearly didn't like boys, particularly those of the lively variety! He was finally assessed as dyslexic in YEAR 6. When we moved to Australia last year the cut off is July 31st so he finally went back a year which is what I had been arguing for for years. He's now in year 9 and thriving at school for what feels like the first time ever.

I feel SO strongly that there should be more flexibility in the UK system with regards starting age; some kids do absolutely fine but with three kids I have seen a lot of little boys especially struggle which is so galling as you know they would have been fine with another pre-school year.

I am sure he will be fine and the school will take account of his age.

You ay well find that the hardest area for him is social skills etc, but this will be hard for plenty of others.

FWIW one of the very youngest children in the FS2 class I helped in last year (his b/day was this week) is the best reader of that age I have ever come across.

Also a very chatty and confident little boy.

By all means talk to the school and his tecaher about yr worries - and make sure you keep the dialogue going so any problems get picked up quickly.

And keep the rest of his life low-key, at least for the first few weeks, if poss - ie you or DH/DP pick him up if poss, or anyway a familiar face (tricky if you work I know) and let him have slobby time at home/keep activities to a minimum.

HTH

i had this with ds1
socially he was miles behind some kids..
he too was big - my heart bled for him
academically he was a slow to average starter but caught up by yr 2

gcse results last week 10 A *!

hope all goes well i am sure your ds will be fine

Reassuring to hear that others have managed well. DD is an august baby and was three months prem. Although shes caught up physically and is pretty big shes still a lot younger than others her age and the school issue has been worrying me I have to say.

Thanks for the reassurance, I had a chat at the initial school meeting with one of the reception teachers, she said that some younger ones adapt some don't, but the foundation phase is benificial in sorting out these problems. However the only thing that seemed different to when DD was there was the fact they have a vegetable patch! Thnks NotAnOtter for the 'low-key' home time hadn't thought about that.

ds is August b'day and won prize for most academically able pupil in year (age 9). He started school at 4 and 2 weeks and had no problems at all.

dd (5 on August 30) has struggled in Reception. she is small, shy and stubborn! I wish with all my heart she had been born two days later and feel I have personally ruined her school experience (just call me stupid!).

I think it's important that the teacher knows who is young and is sympathetic. I think the difference between my two is that my son was teacher's pet in Reception and was always on her lap having cuddles, whereas dd is quite prickly and very stand-offish and sadly doesn't immediately appeal to adults.

Dd is a late Aug birthday too and is starting school in a week and a bit and I am worried. What worries me most is that dd likes being babied and will love being the youngest and will play up to the role. She is fairly bright but does sometimes appear deliberately daft as part of the baby act. I have mentioned this to her teacher (who was ds's teacher last year) and think that this is the way forward - talk over your concerns with the teacher.

dd2 is 4 tomorrow and I have all the usual concerns

but dd2 is very confident and socially I think she will fit in but I think she will be very tired - she has only ever done half days at playgroup before, so staying for lunch will be a new thing

luckily however she is getting the same reception teacher that dd1 has last year and she is lovely (really helped dd1 who had a dreadful start to school) so I know she will be in good hands

ds2 has just had his 5th boiirthday last week and is just about to go into year 1. i was worried sick about him starting school so early but -touch wood-he does seem to have coped very well.
i reminded the teachers of his age frequently! and i also made sure he had days off when he was tired/hald days a couple of time s a week so he could relax and chill out.

it's a s tupid system with no flexibility and it makes me very very very angry.

The one reason I'm glad I live in Scotland is DD's birthday (Aug 28th) No way would she have been ready for school by English dates but was fine a year later when she actually started

Sorry if I'm repeating anything already said, but I have two Summer boys - ds 1 aged 6, end of July bday and ds2 aged 2 (nearly 3) end of August bday.
Try not to worry too much, my ds1 has been fine at school and any decent reception teacher makes a distinction between the older and younger children in the year if necessary. If it's any help my son is working well ahead of where he should be and I'm sure if you look at his class as a whole you would find that the level of attainment bears little relation to when in the year the birthdays fall.
As for ds2 who will be the youngest in his year, he has started preschool with no problems and already seems older than some of the older children.
I agree with Sunnydelight, don't let the "youngest in the class" thing be used as an excuse and that goes for you as well. Sorry, that sounded a bit harsh, but the most important thing is to think of your child and not make comparisons with other older children and try to forget about the age thing. I'm sure in a few weeks time he'll be well settled and your worries will be a thing of the past.
Best of luck for next week.

I was born 3 days before the cut-off date for school and had a friend, a boy, who was born on the 31st. In all our years at school, we never came across anyone younger than us in class!

Try not to worry about it too much. Every year there will be some children who are August babies and others who are September babies, and their parents will have worries of their own. In fact, I remember the mother of a child born the week after me always wanted her daughter to be in the same class as me, as she seemed ready for school.

Teachers will be used to August babies but don't forget there are other things that play into a child's performance at school. Parental input, for one! I'm sure once you've had the chat with your son's teacher and reassured yourself that he or she can make the appropriate adjustments if necessary, it'll all be fine.

Gosh it's lingle with her scratched record again....Sorry to those who are getting sick of me. Perhaps it's time to just start a general support thread for this topic?
here goes....

1. Most August borns do great, especially those with mums like the OP who are sensitive to the issue and determined to help their child.
2. There is now proof however that statistically speaking August borns do less well throughout their entire education than children born earlier in the year. Google "Institute of Financial Studies" or ask if you want a link. This does not mean that your particular child will do less well. Indeed, s/he might even do better. Conversely, the fact that many children do great doesn't change the evidence.
3. The Government has asked Sir Jim Rose to report on flexibility options for summer-borns. He is due to report in October.
4. In Bradford LEA, you can hold back your summer children by a year then put them in reception. My friend has just done this. I plan to do this next year. My child will be educated as if he was 12 days younger than he is (unless the LEA changes its policy, which is my greatest fear). In Scotland you basically do the same. I'm not aware of any other LEA in England offering this blindingly obvious solution.
5. If your child is a late talker/late bloomer like mine, your problem is much greater.
6. Sometimes you are made to feel as if you are being over-protective if you say you don't want your child to start school so early (ie 1 year earlier than in the USA). I have seen use of language like "molly-coddle" on some threads. If anyone is feeling this kind of pressure, I can email them a link to the comments that some headteachers in the Bradford area made when Bradford threatened to take away the right to defer.