School closures/delays?

Karen Richardson3 said:Like I mentioned before, you can request an early start, though I should note that when I was looking into enrollment back in Washington, D.C., I saw one form that allowed kids to jump in early if they were turning six by August 31st, even though the broader state guidelines or local district policies seemed to say the cutoff was closer to December 31st.

They also allow for a deferral for kids born before March 31st who don't seem to be quite ready, as long as the parent feels they aren't mature enough yet and can get a formal sign-off from their preschool's specialist team.

In my experience, the school districts here don't really make a fuss about delaying a year; honestly, it feels like they're much more open to letting a kid stay back than they are to letting a little kid skip ahead.

It’s pretty much the same way things worked when we were growing up. I ended up in classes with kids who were a full year older than me, but also mixed in with kids who were maybe six months younger—like a close friend of mine who was a November baby and started school just before she hit six.

The official handbook definitely lists December 31st as the cutoff date.
Even if a kid is totally ready, they usually can't skip ahead if they haven't completed the preschool curriculum. That’s where that August 31st date gets confusing; that's typically when kindergarten groups are finalized, unless they're using mixed-age classrooms where a child might naturally start tackling more advanced work much earlier (if you ask me, that whole system is just a bit nonsensical).

@miss daisy
If they started with less than 6 credits, she definitely should've asked for an early enrollment. I heard it was only for kids born after March 31st, so this must be a total outlier.

Rachel Jones8 said:@miss daisy
If they started with less than 6 credits, she definitely should've asked for an early enrollment. I heard it was only for kids born after March 31st, so this must be a total outlier.

Basically, for any kid born after the March 31st cutoff, you have to submit a special petition for early admission, and they also have to go through an extra evaluation by a school psychologist.

It doesn't really matter if the kid was born in April, July, or even November—the whole process stays exactly the same.

Rachel Jones8 said:@miss daisy
If they started with less than 6 credits, she definitely should've asked for an early enrollment. I heard it was only for kids born after March 31st, so this must be a total outlier.

The application process is exactly the same whether a child’s birthday is in April or October.
Since the pediatric department doesn't have the child on their list yet, parents have to step in and request early enrollment through the full official procedure.

It’s the same deal when you want to defer enrollment. If a kid turns 6 right at the end of March, you still have to submit an official request for a deferral because they’re already entered into the school district's system.
You can't just delete them from the roster; there has to be a documented reason on file. Plus, some parents just prefer to avoid the stigma of having a younger child in class.

Yeah, I get it, I probably shouldn't have even brought up the request. What I was actually trying to say is that I haven't heard anyone mention starting at barely six months. Usually, it’s people who are a little past the deadline—like a month or two out—but those who hit the six-month mark right on the dot? They seem pretty rare.
But hey... everyone's moving faster these days, so I guess it's not that surprising.

Brenda Stewart59 said:True, there is definitely some flexibility there.
For a child who is exceptionally gifted or highly advanced—let's say they were born on August 3rd—you can petition for an early enrollment. Basically, if they haven't hit that official six-year mark by April 1st of the current school year, but they are clearly mentally and emotionally ready, you can make a case for them to start school early.

Honestly, I wouldn't say that. I know a kid born on April 4th—totally mature, physically ready, everything you’d want for school—but his mom basically had to go to war with every single stubborn administrator at the preschool just to explain why she wanted him "enrolled a year early." In the rigid, programmed minds of all those bureaucrats, that kid was just a year younger than everyone else who happened to be born five days earlier, because according to the March 31st cutoff, he's practically ancient history.

Rachel Jones8 said:Yeah, I get it, I probably shouldn't have even brought up the request. What I was actually trying to say is that I haven't heard anyone mention starting at barely six months. Usually, it’s people who are a little past the deadline—like a month or two out—but those who hit the six-month mark right on the dot? They seem pretty rare.
But hey... everyone's moving faster these days, so I guess it's not that surprising.

It feels to me like people are actually waiting longer to start school nowadays, especially since everyone I know seems to be constantly weighing the pros and cons of holding a kid back for an extra year.😁

Like I mentioned before, I was talking about my friend, so we're in the same age bracket—born in the early 80s.
It’s definitely uncommon to see a kid head off to kindergarten before they've even turned six, but back when my generation was growing up, there were plenty of kids in my class who were born between April and August. I have a bunch of friends who were technically younger than me but still went through school at the exact same time, mostly because I was right on the edge of the cutoff and my mom didn't even think twice about delaying anything.

hiddendriver34 said:Honestly, I wouldn't say that. I know a kid born on April 4th—totally mature, physically ready, everything you’d want for school—but his mom basically had to go to war with every single stubborn administrator at the preschool just to explain why she wanted him "enrolled a year early." In the rigid, programmed minds of all those bureaucrats, that kid was just a year younger than everyone else who happened to be born five days earlier, because according to the March 31st cutoff, he's practically ancient history.

I suppose you could look at it this way: there’s this lingering perception that they're being transitioned from a state of pure bliss into a much harsher reality. It feels like we're essentially robbing these poor kids of one more year of living in a carefree bubble.

I honestly feel like most kids actually crave a life filled with responsibilities and the little challenges that come along with school. A lot of this push for delaying things seems entirely unnecessary to me. It feels like parents approach it from the perspective of, "What if I were given a year of total freedom right now?" But you can't just jump into that—you have to go through years of schooling and building a foundation first. In general, I struggle to understand this widespread negative attitude toward education. Even when you account for the inevitable growing pains and the initial adjustment period, I think for most kids in those early elementary years, school is actually a pretty great experience.

Michelle Nelson4 said:I suppose you could look at it this way: there’s this lingering perception that they're being transitioned from a state of pure bliss into a much harsher reality. It feels like we're essentially robbing these poor kids of one more year of living in a carefree bubble.

I honestly feel like most kids actually crave a life filled with responsibilities and the little challenges that come along with school. A lot of this push for delaying things seems entirely unnecessary to me. It feels like parents approach it from the perspective of, "What if I were given a year of total freedom right now?" But you can't just jump into that—you have to go through years of schooling and building a foundation first. In general, I struggle to understand this widespread negative attitude toward education. Even when you account for the inevitable growing pains and the initial adjustment period, I think for most kids in those early elementary years, school is actually a pretty great experience.

Exactly. I also suspect that when parents push to delay school, there's often a subconscious desire to shield their child from the real world—to make life as easy as possible for them.

The mom of this little boy, who was born on April 4th, had a completely different philosophy. She wanted her kid to "get a grip on life" as soon as possible because she believed it would benefit him more in the long run.

I feel like we've actually had this exact same debate somewhere else before. 🤔

hiddendriver34 said:Honestly, I wouldn't say that. I know a kid born on April 4th—totally mature, physically ready, everything you’d want for school—but his mom basically had to go to war with every single stubborn administrator at the preschool just to explain why she wanted him "enrolled a year early." In the rigid, programmed minds of all those bureaucrats, that kid was just a year younger than everyone else who happened to be born five days earlier, because according to the March 31st cutoff, he's practically ancient history.

Honestly, the real headache is trying to reason with daycare workers. 🙄

At the end of the day, if the school district runs their assessments and clears him, that’s what matters. Who cares what some lady at the preschool thinks about his enrollment status?

I don't see much of an issue here, aside from a little unnecessary drama caused by someone stepping outside the standard cutoff dates.

Michelle Nelson4 said:I suppose you could look at it this way: there’s this lingering perception that they're being transitioned from a state of pure bliss into a much harsher reality. It feels like we're essentially robbing these poor kids of one more year of living in a carefree bubble.

I honestly feel like most kids actually crave a life filled with responsibilities and the little challenges that come along with school. A lot of this push for delaying things seems entirely unnecessary to me. It feels like parents approach it from the perspective of, "What if I were given a year of total freedom right now?" But you can't just jump into that—you have to go through years of schooling and building a foundation first. In general, I struggle to understand this widespread negative attitude toward education. Even when you account for the inevitable growing pains and the initial adjustment period, I think for most kids in those early elementary years, school is actually a pretty great experience.

I get the impression that for some kids, a gap year is actually necessary, whereas for others, it’s completely unneeded, but parents insist on it because they want to protect them or just make things easier for themselves.
(In reality, you have to drop your kid off at school every single morning by 8:00 AM; daycare is much more flexible, but for school, you need official doctor's notes for absences—you can't just decide to fly out to Thailand on a whim or head off on a summer vacation in June or September...)
I don't view school as something difficult (not at all; honestly, my own kid might find it a bit boring), but the fact remains that you're sending your child to an institution where you have very little choice, being taught by people you can't really pick, and those people have such a massive influence on your children... especially when you're already happy with their current daycare; it's hard to pull them away from that comfort zone.

I’ve had two different experiences here-
My oldest was born on April 7th. He practically begged to start school early because he was already bored out of his mind in preschool; he could already read and write, though he absolutely hated coloring. He breezed through all the assessments, but the teachers advised against it, suggesting he should just keep playing for a bit..
That ended up causing issues once he actually started school, mainly because he would get frustrated having to write lists of five animals or repetitive vocabulary over and over again (since he’d basically spent two years doing "school" work in preschool). Either he knew everything instantly and finished his work way too fast because it was mindless, or he’d just end up distracting the rest of the class. 😁
Now, toward the end of second grade, things have finally leveled out because the curriculum has actually become challenging enough to pique his interest.

My younger one is a completely different kid temperamentally—much more patient and level-headed. We are currently looking into early enrollment for him (born May 6th). He handled the Tetsov assessments brilliantly. His focus is actually better than his older brother's, and so is his persistence.
He has this real sense of responsibility; he remembers and tracks everything that happens to him (something his older brother still occasionally struggles with)..

The oldest is still playing most of the time; the only real obligation he takes seriously is his reading assignments.
Honestly, I don't think he'll lose anything by starting this year. There's zero challenge for him in preschool; they mostly just play board games like Sorry! 😁 and he finds it incredibly boring....

I actually find managing a school-aged child much easier than a preschooler (even though I thought it would be the exact opposite).
We drop him off in the morning since it's on our way to work, and he just comes home on his own to grab a snack. You don't need to write a formal apology for being absent for a couple of days. I just jot a note in the parent communication log explaining why he wasn't there and clarify that we didn't visit a doctor.
In the lower grades, missing a few days for travel isn't even an issue (some friends were just away for 12 days in Thailand, and my boy didn't miss anything significant at all)..

Benjamin Nelson8 said:I’ve had two different experiences here-
My oldest was born on April 7th. He practically begged to start school early because he was already bored out of his mind in preschool; he could already read and write, though he absolutely hated coloring. He breezed through all the assessments, but the teachers advised against it, suggesting he should just keep playing for a bit..
That ended up causing issues once he actually started school, mainly because he would get frustrated having to write lists of five animals or repetitive vocabulary over and over again (since he’d basically spent two years doing "school" work in preschool). Either he knew everything instantly and finished his work way too fast because it was mindless, or he’d just end up distracting the rest of the class. 😁
Now, toward the end of second grade, things have finally leveled out because the curriculum has actually become challenging enough to pique his interest.

My younger one is a completely different kid temperamentally—much more patient and level-headed. We are currently looking into early enrollment for him (born May 6th). He handled the Tetsov assessments brilliantly. His focus is actually better than his older brother's, and so is his persistence.
He has this real sense of responsibility; he remembers and tracks everything that happens to him (something his older brother still occasionally struggles with)..

The oldest is still playing most of the time; the only real obligation he takes seriously is his reading assignments.
Honestly, I don't think he'll lose anything by starting this year. There's zero challenge for him in preschool; they mostly just play board games like Sorry! 😁 and he finds it incredibly boring....

I actually find managing a school-aged child much easier than a preschooler (even though I thought it would be the exact opposite).
We drop him off in the morning since it's on our way to work, and he just comes home on his own to grab a snack. You don't need to write a formal apology for being absent for a couple of days. I just jot a note in the parent communication log explaining why he wasn't there and clarify that we didn't visit a doctor.
In the lower grades, missing a few days for travel isn't even an issue (some friends were just away for 12 days in Thailand, and my boy didn't miss anything significant at all)..

It’s not much better later on, either. Back in high school, I knew plenty of kids who would regularly skip class just to go skiing.

Benjamin Nelson8 said:I’ve had two different experiences here-
My oldest was born on April 7th. He practically begged to start school early because he was already bored out of his mind in preschool; he could already read and write, though he absolutely hated coloring. He breezed through all the assessments, but the teachers advised against it, suggesting he should just keep playing for a bit..
That ended up causing issues once he actually started school, mainly because he would get frustrated having to write lists of five animals or repetitive vocabulary over and over again (since he’d basically spent two years doing "school" work in preschool). Either he knew everything instantly and finished his work way too fast because it was mindless, or he’d just end up distracting the rest of the class. 😁
Now, toward the end of second grade, things have finally leveled out because the curriculum has actually become challenging enough to pique his interest.

My younger one is a completely different kid temperamentally—much more patient and level-headed. We are currently looking into early enrollment for him (born May 6th). He handled the Tetsov assessments brilliantly. His focus is actually better than his older brother's, and so is his persistence.
He has this real sense of responsibility; he remembers and tracks everything that happens to him (something his older brother still occasionally struggles with)..

The oldest is still playing most of the time; the only real obligation he takes seriously is his reading assignments.
Honestly, I don't think he'll lose anything by starting this year. There's zero challenge for him in preschool; they mostly just play board games like Sorry! 😁 and he finds it incredibly boring....

I actually find managing a school-aged child much easier than a preschooler (even though I thought it would be the exact opposite).
We drop him off in the morning since it's on our way to work, and he just comes home on his own to grab a snack. You don't need to write a formal apology for being absent for a couple of days. I just jot a note in the parent communication log explaining why he wasn't there and clarify that we didn't visit a doctor.
In the lower grades, missing a few days for travel isn't even an issue (some friends were just away for 12 days in Thailand, and my boy didn't miss anything significant at all)..

Personally, I would never enroll a child early. There is always time for school, and once they start, they're in—but problems often only surface once they're actually sitting in a first-grade classroom. For me, it's easier dealing with a preschooler; daycare is always open, and there aren't huge breaks or holidays... but maybe it's easier for you because they stay home alone and you don't deal with the logistical headaches I do. I always have to find someone to watch them, and even with after-school care at the school, it was only available during first grade.

Benjamin Nelson8 said:I’ve had two different experiences here-
My oldest was born on April 7th. He practically begged to start school early because he was already bored out of his mind in preschool; he could already read and write, though he absolutely hated coloring. He breezed through all the assessments, but the teachers advised against it, suggesting he should just keep playing for a bit..
That ended up causing issues once he actually started school, mainly because he would get frustrated having to write lists of five animals or repetitive vocabulary over and over again (since he’d basically spent two years doing "school" work in preschool). Either he knew everything instantly and finished his work way too fast because it was mindless, or he’d just end up distracting the rest of the class. 😁
Now, toward the end of second grade, things have finally leveled out because the curriculum has actually become challenging enough to pique his interest.

My younger one is a completely different kid temperamentally—much more patient and level-headed. We are currently looking into early enrollment for him (born May 6th). He handled the Tetsov assessments brilliantly. His focus is actually better than his older brother's, and so is his persistence.
He has this real sense of responsibility; he remembers and tracks everything that happens to him (something his older brother still occasionally struggles with)..

The oldest is still playing most of the time; the only real obligation he takes seriously is his reading assignments.
Honestly, I don't think he'll lose anything by starting this year. There's zero challenge for him in preschool; they mostly just play board games like Sorry! 😁 and he finds it incredibly boring....

I actually find managing a school-aged child much easier than a preschooler (even though I thought it would be the exact opposite).
We drop him off in the morning since it's on our way to work, and he just comes home on his own to grab a snack. You don't need to write a formal apology for being absent for a couple of days. I just jot a note in the parent communication log explaining why he wasn't there and clarify that we didn't visit a doctor.
In the lower grades, missing a few days for travel isn't even an issue (some friends were just away for 12 days in Thailand, and my boy didn't miss anything significant at all)..

From what I understand, the whole excuse note situation varies quite a bit depending on the school district, and even more so depending on the individual teacher.
According to this year's handbook, parents have to sign off on medical excuses, but the actual number of days a parent can justify without a doctor's note is pretty small🤷

What I meant was, school is a commitment—it's not like daycare. It actually just hit me that we won't be back in the States for two months🤷
Even for someone like me, who doesn't hold any strong opinions about schooling, I'm not the type to pull my kid out of class just because I feel like traveling or because I have a gap in my work schedule and want to bring them along...

Yesterday, I was chatting with some people who didn't get early enrollment last year (around the same time of year). What was driving them was actually the finances; they were talking about their bills and how much easier school makes their household budget this year.
It honestly surprised me that people calculate how much cheaper school is compared to other options😕, because I've always felt that the older kids get, the more expensive everything becomes.

I’m feeling the exact same way.
Though, honestly, it feels like things might actually get a little easier here.
Our daycare setup ended up costing us a massive $317 all last year, and then just those few months this year hit us with 800... give me a break, school has to be more affordable than that. 😁

Yeah, sure, you pay for a meal or whatever, but it shouldn't be so much that it absolutely kills you.

Especially for those of us using private preschools in a city like Chicago where we get books delivered 😁
I’m hoping to see monthly savings of about $100, even with tuition and meals included

Man, if I were in a private club right now... :nesvijest:

well yeah 😁
I pay for your annual subscription on a monthly basis 😂
okay, not exactly, but it's not that far off 😁

Nah, nah, nah. You totally misread me because I worded that like an idiot. 😵

I wasn't talking about the yearly total, I meant the monthly total. 😁

So, we're looking at 950 a month, which puts it at 10,800 for the year.