No one told me this when I was in love and dreaming of marriage and children, but there are a lot more requirements on a woman's time than just keeping house and ensuring that your family has meals at least twice a day. Ok fine, three times a day. Plus snacks. And juice. Gah, such needy people!
Anyways, now that I have had children, I seem to have an ear for news that deals with children. Yep, the 7 year old is no longer allowed to shop for toys at WalMart while I am two aisles away because of that video of a child nearly being kidnapped but wasn't, praise God. I also limit the television shows that my kids watch because of the way the children treat adults, especially those in positions of authority.
But now, I have a new issue to think about regarding my youngest. His birthday is in the middle of June. As he ages, he will always be one of the youngest in his class at school. When he starts school, he will be 5 till the June before he enters first grade. He will continue, one of the babies in his class, through high school, where, as a sophomore, he will not even be able to get his driver's license until the summer before his junior year. He will be catching rides from buddies or Mom and Dad when some of his pals will have been driving their dates to the movies for the last ten months.
The concept known as "redshirting" is becoming a common choice among parents worried about their children being the youngest in their classes. "60 Minutes" on CBS tonight had a great segment about it, and I'll admit it is something I have thought about before tonight. I recorded the episode for DH to watch it, and I'll be reading the book highlighted in the piece. Malcolm Gladwell's book, Outliers, looks like an interesting read anyways, but I think it will especially be meaningful as DH and I make this decision about our boy.
To Redshirt him or not? That is my great question tonight. Not seeing many cons to the concept, other than another year in preschool/daycare! What do you think? Hold him for a year and let him be one of the oldest in his class or let him join the others even though he'll always be one of the youngest? Fortunately, he does come from tall stock! He is above average in his height and weight. He is about the smartest little fella I've ever met. And thankfully, we still have time to make this decision. We'll see how his first year of preschool goes this fall.
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