In our area, I see many more boys than girls being held back. While "maturity" is usually cited, it really seems like "larger for sports" is a big concern, with a thought that academics will be better coming second.
With some parents holding their children back, I definitely see other parents with younger-for-grade children feeling pressured to do the same.
I used to be concerned that being younger for grade would place my DC at a disadvantage (although I never seriously considered holding them back), but I have since realized that it is a blessing in disguise for mine - as others on this board have previously pointed out, it is almost like getting a free grade-skip. The problem I see is that if a formal grade-skip is needed in the future for either DC, it is a BIG physical/social jump to the age group ahead (considering the number of "hold-backs" in that grade).
