Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

August v September: does it really matter?

42 replies

Annie456 · 08/08/2011 12:38

I'm sure this has been done to death somewhere on here but am really interested as it completely applies to my situation.

We started TTC at the point where I said to DH "if I become pregnant now, we'll have a September baby..." (I know, I know) so we did...and I became pregnant first cycle. Only I hadn't doe my maths properly and my EDD is Sept 2nd and hospital (scan) EDD is 28th August...only a few days but a whole school year. In my heart I want the baby to arrives soon as poss so I can meet him / her but my head is convinced that sept would be better. I have absolutely no control over it now but would be interested to hear about any experiences people have relating to the academic differences between Aug / sept children (FWIW I am an early sept baby which may be why im so interested..)
Ps please don't flame me, my baby willbe completely loved and adored no matter when he/she is born and all that really matters is whether he/she is healthy!!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

CrazyAlien06 · 09/08/2011 09:20

I agree with Rosehillbaby as a fellow teacher. It's evident of the differences in reception/foundation but they catch up in the following years. I found in foundation they just needed that extra tlc and were more clingy as they were not as independent.

harassedandherbug · 09/08/2011 11:05

I have two July children and 3 of my friends have August children. My youngest and all the Aug ones started school in September, and none of them have struggled in the slightest.

My dd probably got off to a slightly slower start with her reading, but at parents evening at the end of term she was above average on everything. No probs at all socially, she's a happy confident little girl with lots of friends and she loves school.

My ds1 was the first year that they started doing the single intake and I was initially really nervous about this and even put him down for play school again until the school said that was fine but they couldn't guarantee him a place. So I changed my mind, and I'm glad I did as he flourished too.

I don't think it makes a huge difference tbh and I think it's probably harder for us mums! Kids seem to take everything in their stride.

buterflies · 09/08/2011 11:38

My DS was born at end of July and yes at the moment it makes a huge difference. Not so much in the academic side, he is quite clever, more the social side. Some of his school friends are turning 7 in the next couple of months where DS has only just turned 6.

His social skills are not great. He prefers the company of younger children, I guess he feels more comfortable with them. He also hasnt cottoned on that school is important, he just wants to play. He is a happy lil boy and has friends but I do sometimes wish he was a few months older. Esp as he is tall so people who dont know him expect better behaviour from him.

I think once they get to 8 or 9 it doesnt matter as much, it evens out, but I would keep your legs crossed til Sept lol x

Tanif · 09/08/2011 16:22

I was a late August baby and the youngest in my year. The youngest boy was about a week younger than me. We got the best exam results in our year and both went on to fantastically well at university. It really doesn't make any different if you have an August baby.

whizzyrocket · 09/08/2011 16:31

If your baby is born in late August most areas will let you choose which year you want to put them into.

It does make a difference when they're in primary school, and that can takes years to even out so they catch up with the older children who will be their peer group, but long-term it makes no difference. It's the support and encouragement they get from you that will make a difference there. The only chap I know who went to Oxford (has just graduated with a PHD in Chemistry) has an August birthday and was the youngest in his year.

LDNmummy · 09/08/2011 16:34

I am an August born and I was actually much better at sport than almost every girl in my year.

Genetics will play a big part remember. I have always been very tall and quite strong so it all depends. Sports day I would always be on almost all the girls teams.

Academically I did very well in some subjects (top of the class for English all through school for instance) but not others (maths and science sadly) and average or above average for everything else.

DilysPrice · 09/08/2011 17:07

Whizzy that's not even slightly true. State schools in England will almost never let you put a child into the "wrong" year. You can opt out of Reception and not send a child into school until year 1, but they'll still be the youngest, and you risk not getting a place if the year is fully subscribed by existing children.

Magic8ballhastheanswers · 09/08/2011 17:16

DD1 was born on the 31st August. She is one of the tallest in her class and doing well in all her studies. She is reading at a higher level than some Winter born babes. She was more than ready to go to nursery at just 3 and then onto school at 4years and 6 days old. She loves school and is absolutely thriving. My sister and DH are also August babes and did well in school/college/career.

DilysPrice · 09/08/2011 20:20

Why is it that people are so anecdote-crazed on this particular subject? People who say "I never wore a seat belt/ate any vegetables/had a bedtime story and my grandpa smoked sixty a day" get torn to shreds on any other subject.
I guess it's because by the time you ask there's normally not a lot you can do about it so everyone wants to shrug it off.

woowa · 09/08/2011 20:27

Nobody has to send their child to school, you are allowed to home-educate your children, which, for a reception age child isn't a massive amount to do each day, so you could, if you are worried in 4 years' time, do that for a couple of years and send DC when they are six, which is when many other countries start school anyway. It won't hurt the education in the long term, and might be better for them if they dont have to be competing with much older children all the time.

FurryFox · 09/08/2011 20:29

My dd1 is an August baby, she is about to go into year 2 in September. It has never caused her any problems. She is in top set for reading, writing and maths (not blowing my own trumpet, just pointing it out that so far it hasn't caused her any probs). Her best friend is a September born, you would never know there was 11 months between them.

woowa · 09/08/2011 20:32

dilysprice sorry, didn't read your comment before i posted. Yes, it could be difficult to get a place at school aged 6, but it's a shame that we'd be forced to put a young child in before they're ready because of the way the "system" works at the moment.

DilysPrice · 09/08/2011 21:00

It is indeed a shame, but it's the situation we're stuck with at the mo.

Mum2be79 · 11/08/2011 09:56

I think what you need to realise is that nobody can predict how your child is going to achieve or cope with school being a summer born. Certainly research has shown that summer born children do tend to struggle, but as other posters have said, either themselves or someone they know is August born and has coped fine.

My husband is an August born. He's a chemical engineer and very, very intelligent (although I do tell him his handwriting is appallng! lol!). Our baby is due on January 1st (the same month I was born) and even if he/she was due August 31st, I wouldn't allow his/her birth date to affect me or affect him/her.

Original poster

Annie456 · 11/08/2011 11:53

Thanks everyone. I'm sure there are plenty of autumn babies who struggle for whatever reason too. Im an early September birthday and although I found school really easy and thrived when I was young, there did come a point where I got bored waiting for others to catch up and then lost interest in school. (probably more of an indication of a bad school though!)

I'm now willing LO to come asap as carpal tunnel and heartburn are driving me mad!

I'm determined that if DS is a summer baby, I'll educate myself on how best to help him so he has the best start at school, even if it means me giving up work longer term to support him after school etc.

OP posts:

Bumpsadaisie · 11/08/2011 12:04

I was born ar the end of august and, sorry to brag, was always way ahead of my peers all through school and went to uni at Cambridge.

HPonEverything · 11/08/2011 14:01

I'm a July baby and without wanting to sound full-of-myself I did very well academically at school (was in all the top sets), but struggled socially.

This may or may not have been down to 1) academically - the amount of time my mum put into educating me at home before I started Infants - she was determined to teach me to read and write before I started school, and both my parents put a lot of pressure on me to achieve academically 2) socially - the fact that back in the 'old days' the younger end of the year started after everyone else (March I think) at which point social bonding had already happened and little worriers like me felt left behind :( I don't believe this happens any more and a good thing too!

Flip

1 2