Karen Richardson3 said:The one thing I just can't wrap my head around in this whole debate is how kids in basically every other developed nation start school at six, and honestly, more and more are even starting at five—mostly because of those generational shifts we all see happening—yet somehow here in America, we're still dragging things out until they're seven or older.
If she were to go to school in New Zealand—like what Susan James mentioned earlier—I’d honestly be totally fine sending her there with nothing but a 5G connection.
Honestly, I still feel like preschools are a much better option than elementary schools around here. In my experience, the early childhood centers just seem to offer a more nurturing environment before kids get thrown into the deep end of the formal school system.
I'm not entirely sure about my English, but back when I "lived" over there for about a month during the last century, my aunt had three kids. The youngest was always hanging around the house, while the middle one and the oldest were both off at school.
If my memory serves me right, she was only about six years old when she started middle school. Honestly, it felt just like our local preschools back home—they didn't really do anything differently. It was all about drawing, singing, and playing. There weren't any actual grades, just the occasional "good job" or a little sticker to keep them motivated. I'm pretty sure she wasn't even doing any real homework at home during that time. 🤷
Our youngest hasn't started preschool yet because, honestly, the childcare costs around here are just astronomical. We’re actually waiting until they turn five when kindergarten becomes mandatory and free. At that point, the only thing we'll have to worry about is paying for lunch, or we can just pack a bag from home.
I only used to see my older sister on the weekends—back when I was still out wandering around town all day. I have a feeling she might have been staying at some kind of boarding school, or maybe her school schedule just kept her busy from sunrise to sunset. 🤔
I’d love to hear from anyone who has some recent experience to share!
Joseph Stewart7 said:From what I can tell, those older kids are just calmer. I don't know how they act during class because the teacher doesn't make much of a fuss about it, but she seems pretty great. If she weren't so good—say she told me my son was constantly fidgeting while some other kid was perfectly still—it would bother me. My boy is 7, and if that other kid was 8.5, I’d definitely find that comparison unfair. And honestly, there are plenty of teachers out there who would make those kinds of comments.
As for the social side: My son used to bring quite a few classmates over to play, both boys and girls. Listening to them talk, I noticed a clear split; some are still obsessed with Mickey Mouse or Tom & Jerry, while others are already watching things like Victoria's Secret shows or Big Brother. I'm not trying to be a parent police officer or decide what's age-appropriate. I have no clue how much TV they actually watch, but I've observed how some kids get incredibly animated talking about how Jerry escaped, while others are deep in discussions about soap opera drama. Every single time, it turns out the younger kids are the ones watching cartoons, which makes them a bit more high-energy and restless (though still plenty ready for first grade).
Quincy:| I don't get the big deal about puberty either; what's the worst that could happen? |
When I was a kid, I used to hang out with neighbors who were maybe two years older or younger than me. Those playdates started thinning out right around the time we hit puberty. It just felt like the gap between us had suddenly become massive. We actually started hanging out more again toward the end of high school. I can't quite put my finger on why, but at that stage of life, those couple of years really mattered.
Bottom line, nothing catastrophic is going to happen (and I wasn't suggesting it was a disaster when I posted). Likewise, nothing terrible will happen if a child starts school on time, provided no one besides the parents sees a reason to delay it.
It’s not just that older kids seem calmer; it’s more about the fact that they actually get enough chances to burn off energy. They have way more opportunities to move around and really satisfy that physical need to stay active.
As we get older, that constant need to be on the move starts to taper off a bit. I find myself gravitating more toward quieter, more low-key activities lately. But I’ve noticed something interesting: the more freedom they have to run around and burn off all that energy while they're young, the easier it is for them to actually sit still later on—whether they're sitting through a school lesson, watching a play, or catching a movie at the local cinema. It's like if they get it out of their system early, they're much better at finding that calm focus when it actually matters.
When it comes to their interests, my daughter is in a mixed-age group at her preschool, which covers everything from toddlers up to about seven-year-olds. It’s actually pretty interesting to watch—some things they all love doing together, while other activities really highlight how much they differ. Even within the specific age brackets, like the 3-to-4-year-olds versus the older 6-to-7-year-olds, you can see such a wide range in their hobbies and how they process things cognitively. It's a lot of different personalities under one roof! 🤷
Plus, the teachers organize all these group activities where everyone participates together. It honestly looks wonderful, and both groups end up benefiting from it.
I don't actually watch Violeta or Big Brother; we watch those at home, and I think that has much more to do with parenting than whether a child starts school early or not.
The whole debate about delaying school only really matters if you're worried about your kid just staying home and absorbing whatever random stuff they pick up. If you keep them in preschool a bit longer, you actually get more control over what they’re watching on TV.😂
