Hi there. I agree with the "fudging" of ages being wrong, and also the pushing of ages. One thing if the instructor asks the child to bump up (ie "doubtful guest"'s experience, and another poster's experience), but otherwise, I believe it is wrong and you should look elsewhere. I say this as the parent of gifted children, who could EASILY move up to higher groups, but also as the parent of children who has been so incredibly irritated by younger children pushing their way into older groups. They may not belong from an ability-standpoint, even if their parents think they do, but they really don't belong from a peer standpoint. Even being in the shoes of a gifted parent, and knowing my kids can go up, I can swear to you that my older, gifted children really don't want to be surrounded by younger children in these activities. There are age brackets for a reason. Sometimes these activities are also fun social opportunities for kids. Picture yourself, with your 3 year old. Would you want them in class with a 1 year old, regardless of how genius that baby might be? Probably not. Fast forward to when they are 7. Do they want to be in class with a 4 year old? Probably not. It's not just about what your child gets out of it, but think about if your child is hampering the positive experience of others. I've almost never seen the kids who were pushed upwards to be anything but utterly annoying to the older kids. Breaking the rules is not a good idea. And I offer this as someone who is frequently tempted to push my kids up. However, if your child is proactively invited to move up, that's great!! (Although again, I think it's fair to take a few moments to think about whether they will be fully welcomed and appreciated by the other paying families who are within the rules--who wants to be the annoying family that irritates everyone? It's easy enough to provide stimulation for your kids). My two cents, I realize it may be controversial!!!! Good luck.
