<p>Thanks for posting this. It’s a nice balance to Malcolm Gladwell’s “Outliers.” Our child (N=1) is one of those who had always been the youngest but is also high performing academically and athletically. While we have often wondered if we should have redshirted, simply because of peer pressure, at this point (Junior Year) it seems like a moot point. Perhaps all this article would have done for us years ago is alleviate guilt. Now it just validates what we think we knew intuitively. Ultimately, it’s about doing what your child is developmentally ready for. And if parents can’t be objective about their child (few can), they can seek support from those with experience. It’s also important to consider the impact on the classroom - it’s very hard on teachers to have an age range of 18 months+, particularly in the early grades.</p>