Redshirting one kid but not the other?

GingerSB

Both my DD's have December bdays. (Cut-off here is extremely late, March 1). My older DD went to daycare, and I enrolled her in kindergarten last year with no hesitation. her daycare centre had a preschool program of course, but it was not an actual preschool.  I have been a SAHM since DD1 began kindergarten, and DD2 has been attending preschool. I spoke with her teachers today who stated that they would likely be recommending that DD2 do an extra year of preschool.I worry about holding one back and not the other since their birthdays are so close. Would you have any concerns? I fear that I should have held back my older DD. Had she gone to this preschool they may have recommended the same thing. A little mommy guilt I suppose. DD1 definitely lacks confidence in social situations but her teachers tell me they'd never have guessed she was one of the younger girls. I know this decision is a long way off but I am pretty upset by the conversation with her teachers. (The issues weren't apparent in preschool last year). 

Glendi2.0

I'd have absolutely no reservations about doing this... personally I think this is red-shirting done right... it's not just a matter of looking at the calendar. It's assessing each individual kid's readiness and making decisions based on that.

Jodi&Joe

Glendi:

I'd have absolutely no reservations about doing this... personally I think this is red-shirting done right... it's not just a matter of looking at the calendar. It's assessing each individual kid's readiness and making decisions based on that.

Exactly! Redshirting, when done right, is about the child's readiness.  FWIW, I technically redshirted Joey (his bday is 11/19 and the cutoff is 12/31).  I would not have redshirted Cam (if her bday was later in the year).  She probably (readiness wise, not age wise) could have gone last year! 

jlw2505

I would have no issue holding back one of my kids and not the other.  It has nothing at all to do with anything - your kids are 2 different people who learn differently and are totally different people and you need to look at each ones needs separtely.  I also would not give credit to anyone who is saying to hold back unless you are close to the time that you need to enroll them or start them in kindergarten.  SO much can happen in even 6 months or a year as far as growth and just because one of your kids was in daycare and the other was at home should not play a role in being ready for kindergarten or not.  I held back my older DD and she is repeating her preK program this year.  SHe turned 5 in June with a Sept 1 cut-off.  SHe has ADHD (recently diagnosed) and a severe speech delay.  SHe needs this extra year in her PreK program to try and catch up socially, work on her speech (3x a week speech class) and just in general, give us all time to work with her ADHD now that we know what we are working with.  She would have really struggled in Kindergarten.  My 3 1/2 year old is a March baby and will be starting on time as of right now.  She is set to start kindergarten in Fall 2013, older DD will start in fall 2012.

ridesbuttons

While I don't really get redshirting per se (it just isn't a hot button topic here) I will say I would make any decision of that nature on a case by case basis.  What one child's experience was is not necessarily what their sibling will have.

Having said that, I am now very, very happy to have a January baby who will start JK in September 2013.  If he had been born a couple of weeks earlier he would be expected to start JK next September and considering we are working with a significant speech delay, I am glad he has the extra time to catch up.  If he was a December baby and come summer still noticeably behind his peers in speech, I would very seriously consider holding him back a year.