Among today’s parents, there seems to be a growing consensus that it’s better to start Kindergarten a little later. The theory is that kids who are older have an advantage in sports and academics, and tend to be more advanced in their emotional development. In The New Yorker’s Maria Konnikova suggests that we may have it all wrong: “As it turns out, the benefits of being older and more mature may not be as important as the benefits of being younger than your classmates.” Whether your kids start school earlier or later, they’re gonna be pissed at you when they’re teenagers.

+ When did competitive sports take over American childhood?