Education is such a competitive atmosphere now, it is easy to see why parents would want to give their child any advantage they could.

Our oldest is an August birthday and is the youngest in his class. He's a smart, athletic kid (luckily) who doesn't struggle too hard to keep up. We are kicking ourselves at this point for not keeping him back before Kindergarten when we had the option (only for August/September kids). Had we done that, he would easily be in the tops in his class with grades and athletics. Socially, I think these young kids lack some confidence too so that is another way they are hurt by being almost a year younger than some of their peers. While that year doesn't make much of a difference in college, it sure does in middle school!

So my opinion is - if you're that much of a planner, realllly enjoy those cold February and March nights!

Ive always been the youngest in my class {almost a year between me and the eldest] and have always been top of my class, done extension programmes, etc, and the older kids weren't necessarly the ones doing them with me... I don't think age makes a difference at all, its how the kids been bought up.

Or not so much how the kids is brought up, as just native intelligence and pliability, in those early years.

I turned 4 the July before I began school, but I was already reading at a high level. They couldn't really keep me out any longer, even though I was so small! I finished 35th in a class of 500. Reading early and WANTING to learn made the difference!

My hubby also was an intelligent kid, but he was too ill to go to kindergarten, and missed a lot of grade school with all his appointments. But he was top tier in his school as well.

There needs to be ALOT of reform in Education... and Parents having far more participation in their child educations should be a MAJOR part of that.. Parents come up with to many other ways of "improving grades" but not enough about "improving EDUCATION!" lol... sorry thats just my rant on education! haha.