And so the 'competitiveness' starts with the allocation of the new classes :-(

[ceebeegeebies]

DS1 is in Reception and we have just been told which class they are moving to next year (the school has a yr 1 and a mixed yr 1/2) and they have done it on ability/sociability rather than on age as in previous years. Out of 40+ children in Reception, I guess the top 15 (ish) will go into the yr 1/2 class.

There is one mum on FB who is gloating (in a faux 'oh I wish he wasn't going into yr 1/2) way) because her DS is in yr 1/2 despite being a June baby - which to be fair, is probably quite an achievement. She is commenting on everyone's status just to make sure everyone knows

If my DS had got into yr 1/2, I think I would be saying how proud I was of him and gloated loud and proud

Why do I feel that this is just the start of competitive parents syndrome??

I completely agree Bright1. Only 15 more days until he gets to finish in this class!

im amazed she put it on facebook knowing other parents with recep children would read it. Really poor judgement. Think of it as a narrow escape that you don't have to cross paths with this person much when your children go into different classes!

a woman i like posted about her child winning a race at sports day - yes we know, we were there. Its just boasting and not very likeable.

newgirl - I'm not surprised she put it on at all, she obviously wanted all the other reception parents to read it and know that her DC was one of the chosen ones.

How can they divide on ability, truly? Some kids will be great at maths but iffy at reading and writing; others will be the converse. Some will be all-rounders some will excel at one subject but be pants at others; most likely in practice the children will be remixed (subject streaming) for specific topics (like literacy), anyway.

I have just found out that the eldest child in the class has been put in yr 1 rather than yr 1/2 which I am really about! Apparently it is not due to her lack of academic ability but due to her maturity (or lack of it).

I don't really care which class DS1 is in as long as he is happy but, as others have said, it is slightly insensitive to put it on her FB status (the mum of the girl above is also one of her friends so will have seen it - and I know she was upset about the class her DD had been placed in last night).

Anyway, all irrelevant really in the long term - had my rant now and feel better

If you're finding out why certain kids are being put in certain classes and writing about it on an on line forum, might I suggest that you're making more of this than needs be?

Just ignore. My DS2 was kept in the lower half of a split class (he's just finished Rec/Yr1) and he definitely needed it on social and maturity grounds even though he is quite able in terms of targets. They do it in our school to even out numbers between the classes. I would have been concerned if he'd been put in the YR1/2 group and meant it. I might have made exactly the same comment as the other Mum. They took maturity, friendship groups and various things into account.

Why don't you save yourself seven years of second guessing whether people are making passive-aggressive comments and as said above, just let it wash over you.

I think competetive parenting is in the eye of the observer. Laugh about it but definitely don't waste a minute's worry unless your DC are suffering.

Having said that if you can't have a rant on MN where else? (well apart from FB!)