Mom Talk Q&A: Kindergarten Registration

Moms Talk is a feature on Sayville Patch that is part of a new initiative on our Patch sites to reach out to moms and families.

Sayville Patch invites you and your circle of friends to help build a community of support for mothers and their families right here in Sayville.

Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of experts and smart moms take your questions, give advice and share solutions.

Moms, dads, grandparents and the diverse families who make up our community will have a new resource for questions about local neighborhood schools, the best pediatricians, 24-hour pharmacies and the thousands of other issues that arise while raising children.

Moms Talk will also be the place to drop in for a talk about the latest parenting hot topic. Do you know of local moms raising their children in the Tiger Mother's way and is it the best way? Where can we get information on local flu shot clinics for children? How do we talk to our children about the Tucson shootings? How can we help our children's schools weather their budget cutbacks?

So grab a cup of coffee and settle in as we start the conversation.

With set for next week in Sayville, how do you know when your child is ready? The school district sent letters home to parents with children born between Dec. 2, 2005 and Dec. 1, 2006 with registration information. When do you decide to hold your child back a year?

Our Mom Council weighs in:

Sharon Boyle: Making your children’s childhood last another year is never a bad idea. Once they start there is no turning back. Repeating kindergarten or first grade can be damaging, so why not wait another year? Ask their pre-school teacher s what they think. Check tips on line. If you have a gut feeling you should wait a year, you are probably right. I know at least one adult in her 50’s who still talks about how angry she is that all her friends went on to first grade, and she had to repeat kindergarten. 

Kiersten Bartolla: As a mom of a child born in late November, this was an issue that my husband and I had to really think about. It is a stressful time when you are trying to decide what to do. But we found that by paying attention to how our daughter handled her preschool experience and by listening to her preschool teacher's advice, we were able to make the right decision for her and feel confident and comfortable with that decision.

Alycia Broderick - I had this situation a few years back. My son was entering kindergarten as one of the younger one, and being a boy, I felt a little immature. I tossed the idea around of keeping him in pre-K another year but ultimately decided I had to give him the chance to see if he could handle it. The first few months were a struggle both socially and mentally but he really began to excel after the winter break. I think you have to just know the needs of your own child and be in tune with what they can and handle and that will lead you down the right path.