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To Begin Kindergarten or Not to Begin Kindergarten? That is the question.

In: Kids » To Begin Kindergarten or Not to Begin Kindergarten? That is the question.

7 Minute Read

By Bailey Koch

Asher, who turned six on May 5th, is ready for Kindergarten this year!

“He’s just so smart. He’ll be bored in preschool for another year. Even though he’s only four (or barely five), I know he’s ready. The teacher tells me how smart he is.”

Your child is smart, of that I have no doubt. But knowing the alphabet is not enough. Even beginning to read is not enough. Can your child sit still for the amount of time expected of him in Kindergarten now? Can he really concentrate that long? More importantly, should he be expected to? Does he understand how to relate to other kids or teachers yet? The answer to all of these is likely a big fat “NO”…even if you believe they are yes. You may believe your child can handle school, but Kindergarten requirements are an awful lot different than they used to be. Let your kid be a kid and give him another year to mature.

Six months to a year makes a big difference for kids of this age. Whether or not your child is smart is not a question. Children feeling overwhelmed, over-tired, or completely out of their comfort zones often leads to them shutting down. Then we begin a whole other issue…the rest of the kids are ready to move on to another lesson but the younger ones aren’t. They start to fall behind and the issue continues to escalate. They get more and more behind. Before you know it, your child is in second grade and teachers are unable to get him caught up with limited resources. It’s time to hold him back a grade and the other kids don’t understand. Your child doesn’t understand. This all could have likely been avoided by giving him one more year to mature before throwing him into instruction he wasn’t ready for.

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Bailey Koch

Bailey Koch is an advocate for those who can't easily advocate for themselves in every way. Married to her hottie hubby, whom has survived 5+ suicide attempts, and mom to two teenage boys, the oldest with High Functioning Autism and youngest with Epilepsy, Bailey is passionate about mental health and parenting through the messy realities. Additionally, Bailey is a Doctor of Special Education and works as an instructor at the University of Nebraska at Kearney preparing future special educators to be advocates for the learning of all. Bailey and her husband, Jeremy, have written and published two books. "Never Alone: A Husband and Wife's Journey with Depression and Faith" details their struggles with severe depression and the journey toward understanding their purpose, accepting help, and finding faith. "When the House Feels Sad: Helping You Understand Depression" is written for families, at a child's level, to open up a conversation about the reality of Depression. Follow their journey, the triumphs and the challenges, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/anchoringhopeformentalhealth and Instagram at @anchoringhopeformentalhealth.

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