What is your view?

[SoWoW]

What is your view on kids born in Jan and Dec (same year). Are kids born in Jan are much better than those born in DEC month? In term of maturity or motor skill and also education. By what age, it should not be a concern anymore?


My nephew is in P5 this year, boy and born in Dec. And somehow my aunty will always comment if only he is born in Jan month, he will be better. He is like one year younger than those born in Jan month. She said those born in Jan month will benefit in term of maturity , learn the things first and etc… What is your view in this area?

[Jennifer]

In our family, there seems to be an indication that the March baby does learn faster than the Sept baby when we do a age to age comparison.

[jtoh]

The difference in maturity is most apparent in younger kids, say those in nursery, kindy or P1. But by the time they’re a little older it really doesn’t matter anymore. In fact some year-end babies are very precocious and are more mature in terms of behavior and thinking than those born earlier in the year.

[peterch]

Maybe that kind of condition really apply to all the kids. I know those who were born in Dec and yet they are as good as the others

[kiddo]

:love: it a Nature vs Nurture Question...


Does not matter which month he is born - it is very much on how we can manage a good fit to educate or nurture the child.

In fact I think the Jan or Dec child will have more advantage to the others;

Jan child will be physically ept cos he is born first , - quicker motor development.
Dec child can learn from older friends....etc in childcare term its \"zone of proximital development\" ... older people scaffold the younger learning

So it is really of how parents fit the learning style to the child tempernament and environment.
What the child came in contact with be it people and
events mould his character with his in born nature.

My 2 cents .......

[sean wife]

I am a 1 Jan baby...so since P1, I have always been the youngest in class....I remember I was a big crybaby when i started school in P1, and my mum has to stand outside the classroom and watch me, else I will cry very badly if I can't see her...Basically the whole school, from the principal to the canteen food vendors know about me...that's how 'notorious' I was...

:oops:
Academic wise, I was average during P1 and P2 but somehow 'blossomed' from P3 onwards and was among the top of the P6 cohort then, even won some outstanding pupil award....I still remember even the canteen aunties and uncles also congratulate my mum that I have finally 'made her proud'... :lol:

[Big fish]

My child is in the top class, surprising many were born in Jan.

[ChiefKiasu]

Big fish:

My child is in the top class, surprising many were born in Jan.

I'm confused, aren't those born earlier in the year older than the rest of the kids born later in the same cohort? Of course they should be more mature than those born in Dec, and therefore learn faster in the lower Primary classes, but any real advantage will disappear after the child turns 10.

[cnimed]

P5 is way too old for this sort of logic.

[qizai]

deminc:

P5 is way too old for this sort of logic.

Agreed with above statement.

It should apply only to toddlers (2 years and below).

In quantitative terms,

if you consider toddlers, 24 months is a big difference of 13 months. A big difference of 11/24=46%.

At P5, the Jan child would be 10x12=120 months old at 1st Jan, while the Dec child is 109 months old.

Developmentally, assuming both children are identical in environmental upbringing, nutrition, and IQ, the Dec child is only 10/120=8% off.