Reply #21: My son was born in March, my nephew in July 1991

[SW FL Dem]

My son started kindergarten at 5 and has struggled in school. He was emotionally ready, but not academically ready. My son is a great kid, very sociable and well behaved but an average student. My nephew was academically ready for kindergarten, but his teachers said he wasn't emotionally ready so his parents held him back. He is a straight A student who is still behind emotionally. He is much older than most kids in his class but he still is shy and awkward. I think the bottom line is that it is a personal decision for each kid. If I held my kid back, he may have done better academically. If my brother didn't hold his kid back, he may not feel so awkward being the oldest in the class. I wish you the best, there is no easy answer.