3 ms·

Here's a few random guesses at causation: 1. Kindergarten redshirting 2. Most Kindergartens in the US now are half-day (EDIT: this is false) 3. Helicopter pa

Here's a few random guesses at causation: 1. Kindergarten redshirting 2. Most Kindergartens in the US now are half-day (EDIT: this is false) 3. Helicopter parenting 4. Family & Medical Leave Act ('93) + Longer maternity/paternity leave allowances by employees 5. An increase in single-parent households on some sort of welfare/assistance program (i.e. the single parent is at home and cannot work) 6. Increase in the number of parents allowed to work remotely from home Really wish they'd give more details on how these statistics were gathered, what age range we're talking about, etc.

learc83 9y ago
>Most Kindergartens in the US now are half-day The trend is towards full day Kindergarten not the other direction. More than half of Kindergarten programs are full day now, which is much higher than 50 years ago.
- callmeed 9y ago
  My bad. At least where I live (California central coast), all public school Kindergartens are half-day. The only full-day options are private school.
  - rconti 9y ago
    When I was a kid, in the 80s, our public schools were half-day kindergarten as well (Washington).
    - amyjess 9y ago
      Same for me, in North Texas. Born in the '80s, went to kindergarten in 1990-91.
jaymzcampbell 9y ago
Bit OT, but I was unfamiliar with the term "redshirting" (apart from Star Trek connotations, which I assumed isn't what was meant :) For the non-US people: the practice of postponing entrance into kindergarten of age-eligible children in order to allow extra time for socioemotional, intellectual, or physical growth [1] I remember hearing something about this sort of thing over here in the UK. I was surprised to see this wasn't accepted policy [2] until as late as 2015. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redshirting_(academic) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redshirting_(academic) [2] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/summer-born-children-to-get-the-right-to-start-school-later https://www.gov.uk/government/news/summer-born-children-to-g...
- callmeed 9y ago
  Yeah, I should have clarified. The terms actually originates from college sports in the US. Its a way for academic freshman to practice with a team but maintain 4 years of athletic eligibility. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redshirt_(college_sports) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redshirt_(college_sports)
dragonwriter 9y ago
> Kindergarten redshirting Shifting age eligibility probably had a bigger effect than redshirting.
jotux 9y ago
Another guess: More time with parents might correlate to less time with other family members. Grandparents and other immediate family are working and living longer which means parents don't have free childcare and do it themselves.
cafard 9y ago
How about 1. Increase in private schools: no school bus for kiddo, but a parent as chauffeur. (A woman I knew claimed to have done 200 miles per day for some period. She had four kids.) 2. Increase in organized sports from an early age. Again, a parent as chauffeur, bystander, and sometimes coach or assistant coach.

learc83 9y ago

>Most Kindergartens in the US now are half-day The trend is towards full day Kindergarten not the other direction. More than half of Kindergarten programs are full day now, which is much higher than 50 years ago.

callmeed 9y ago
My bad. At least where I live (California central coast), all public school Kindergartens are half-day. The only full-day options are private school.
- rconti 9y ago
  When I was a kid, in the 80s, our public schools were half-day kindergarten as well (Washington).
  - amyjess 9y ago
    Same for me, in North Texas. Born in the '80s, went to kindergarten in 1990-91.

jaymzcampbell 9y ago

Bit OT, but I was unfamiliar with the term "redshirting" (apart from Star Trek connotations, which I assumed isn't what was meant :) For the non-US people: the practice of postponing entrance into kindergarten of age-eligible children in order to allow extra time for socioemotional, intellectual, or physical growth [1] I remember hearing something about this sort of thing over here in the UK. I was surprised to see this wasn't accepted policy [2] until as late as 2015. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redshirting_(academic) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redshirting_(academic) [2] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/summer-born-children-to-get-the-right-to-start-school-later https://www.gov.uk/government/news/summer-born-children-to-g...

callmeed 9y ago
Yeah, I should have clarified. The terms actually originates from college sports in the US. Its a way for academic freshman to practice with a team but maintain 4 years of athletic eligibility. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redshirt_(college_sports) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redshirt_(college_sports)

dragonwriter 9y ago

> Kindergarten redshirting Shifting age eligibility probably had a bigger effect than redshirting.

jotux 9y ago

Another guess: More time with parents might correlate to less time with other family members. Grandparents and other immediate family are working and living longer which means parents don't have free childcare and do it themselves.

cafard 9y ago

How about 1. Increase in private schools: no school bus for kiddo, but a parent as chauffeur. (A woman I knew claimed to have done 200 miles per day for some period. She had four kids.) 2. Increase in organized sports from an early age. Again, a parent as chauffeur, bystander, and sometimes coach or assistant coach.