tmrchicago's Profile

Timely topic, indeed. There was an episode of 60 Minutes a few weeks ago that covered this very topic of "red shirting" kindergarteners.

I was so frustrated with that 60 Minutes article - age and size do not necessarily lead to success. Not to mention, the parents' focus on sports versus academics was appauling. There will always be someone who is the youngest or smallest in the class. Does giving your child an advantage negatively impact the other kids? And what does that teach our kids (about themselves)?

Kids tend to rise to the expectations you set for them. My birthday was close to the cutoff date in the state I was raised. My parents opted to have me pushed ahead, skipping kindergarten, sending me straight into the first grade. This was the best decision for me and I don't regret it in the least. It was tough sometimes being so much younger than my classmates - the last to drive, drink, etc. - but as with so many "challenges" we encounter, this made me who I am.

I used to live down the street from this home. In many ways it's quite beautiful, but in my opinion the structure doesn't fit with the surrounding neighborhood and architecture.

I keep a photo album, organized by family, with the photo cards from each year. It sounds a little tedious to put them in an album, but is so much fun to look through and see how the families change and grow.

Boiling the hardware has worked well for me, and it doesn't seem to discolor the metal the same way some chemical paint removers do. Once you remove the large pieces of paint (after they've been boiled and cooled), I use wood skewers to clean out the detail areas. With a little pressure, the pointed wood pushes the paint away and doesn't scratch the metal.
Good luck!