Waiting to put your kids into kindergarten could really help them later in life. You don’t have to rush them in their preschool education. You are their parent, you know them best. Even if you have to argue with the preschool board, like we did. Or you have reasons because what you had gone through as a child. Here are my top 5 plus an imaginary reason to keep them out of kindergarten until 6 years old.

#5) You have an extra year with them at home. They can still be your baby. Kindergarten can begin to change them. Kids in school will influence them no matter what you do.

#4) You have an extra year (of childhood) to “control” them. They will not graduate until 19 years of age. More time for you to instill your morals. They have only been on this planet for a short time, 1 year (could) make or break their decisions as adults.

#3) Understanding how your child learns and grows outside of sports is just as important as tracking their physical development. New Discoveries Early Learning Center’s early childhood education focuses on creativity and core development. With their bodies being a year older than everyone else’s, they have an advantage in sports. If your kids play sports the other kids in their grade will most likely be slower, smaller, and less developed. All that goes out the window when they’re younger and you’re that parent that always wants their kid to play “up.”

#2) With their brains being a year older than everyone else’s, your kids will have an advantage in school. Older kids are usually more attentive, more mature, and they can keep their concentration longer. Also with that extra year at home, you can take a little bit more time to work on things, like reading. Not that reading wasn’t always a big priority but the things they are doing now, to make sure your kids are reading or getting read to are much different than they used to be. For a child, learning to read can make or break their self-esteem. If there is one thing that you learn in school, that you use every single day of your life no matter what, it is reading. Here is a good article from the Washington Post titled “Why pushing kids to learn to much to soon is counterproductive. “

#1) With them being the oldest of the group they are more likely to learn how to lead. Some people are natural leaders and some are taught. Kids tend to flock to the leaders of the group. These are usually the oldest and the “popular” kids. Everyone wants to be their friend. Think about how young kids are always wanting to be older kid’s friends. A leadership position/role is sometimes made a gift. Kids are put in this position for many reasons. But as the oldest in most situations a child is forced to lead. In school the teachers usually look at them differently, they give them more responsibilities. They use them as examples, and in the younger grades the teachers are able to carry-on more of an adult conversation, they almost become friends.

**1) I am not a father of girls but I do have nieces. Sometimes it’s hard for me to imagine if and how I would do things differently if I did have girls. With this situation I would not want my younger daughter to be going to school with all older guys. There are many reasons for this, I could probably go on forever. So just use your imagination.

In our situation, Charlie turned six in May, the following August he started kindergarten. I was always the youngest and I hated it. I was the last to get my license, junior year. When I graduated I was still a kid, legally. I felt like I had to grow up, be responsible, get a big boy job or college at a younger age then anyone else I knew. So I joined the United States Army. Which I was a war veteran by 20 years old. (Still a kid) I always used to say, “I can die over here for my country, yet if I went home I couldn’t drink a beer.” I understand that not everyone has a situation where they could wait that extra year, single parents or 2 parents that have to work. I was lucky enough to be able to support my family while my wife stayed home. But if I was in any other situation I would try everything in my power to keep them that extra year. In the long run it will also pay off to enroll your kids in a Private Kindergarten. A special thanks to a special friend that was here for me when I needed her! Thanks M.T.