What are the 6 important factors I should consider? The bag is packed, her clothes have also been taken out and I have also prepared some items for her snack box. It’s a very unusual feeling, I’m definitely very excited but at the same time, I’m very anxious and restless. Maybe this separation anxiety is making me overthink it, I’m telling myself “It’s okay, every kid goes through this and he’s not special, don’t worry about that.” It will be fine”. Has all this happened with you too? Oh! By now you must have guessed how much I am still lost in these things, I haven’t even told you, that tomorrow is a big day for him, his first day of school.
I always thought that I don’t know when this day will come, but now that this day has come, I am realizing that my little daughter will now be old enough to go to school. I’m desperate to say goodbye to her as I see her walking through the school gate, and I know I might not be able to hold back my tears at that moment.
I wonder what she must be thinking and how she must be feeling sitting alone on that big seat. She doesn’t know anyone there; But I also know, she will be relaxed and her curiosity to learn new things will help her enjoy these moments and this small step will become the first step towards her bright future.
Being a parent brings a lot of joy and loving moments along with a lot of responsibilities, and we want to do the best for our children, especially when it comes to their education. So we thought a lot about what kind of school to send him to. And here I have listed some of the factors that we kept in mind while selecting a school, hopefully this will help you in making your child’s school decision.
Distance:
The most important factor for me was to choose a school near my home. I think that if the child takes an hour to reach school, he will already get tired. Also, it is very important to be able to reach the school quickly in case of an emergency.
Parent involvement:
I wanted a school that was transparent and worked like an open book, where they believed in working as partners with parents for the holistic development of the child.
Syllabus:
As a person, I had no preference or preference for teaching methods (no strict ideas like the Montessori or Regio approach), I just wanted her to have fun and happiness in learning and to enjoy the environment around her. Explore and learn about it.
Structure of the school:
I always wanted a school that had natural light and enough open space for children to play. A school where there is less furniture and more space to do curious things. Not to mention high-quality educational toys and kid-friendly furniture, as most schools cater to these desires of parents.
Security:
These days the school is well equipped with security devices like fingerprint or retina scan locks and other such things and has a team of well-trained staff. But another important safety issue is how the school handles dropping children off at home and taking care of children during recess.
Duration:
Most preschool programs are only 3 hours, which fit my criteria. As a work-from-home mom, I wasn’t too keen on a school that required long hours. I wanted to engage him in some free play time at home and give him adequate rest. Because now in future, first school and then work, we are ready to cover a long time of our life.
After considering all the above factors, we selected some schools, and finally we chose the school named “Safari Kids”, the environment seemed good and enjoyable, large airy and natural light rooms with adequate furniture. And cleanliness was a sight to behold. I was happy and I had almost made my decision. After talking to the teachers about the teaching methodology and some of the school’s core rules and values, we took the final decision.
Although I am happy with her choice of school, her first day at school is still a big topic for me. She may be my little daughter, but this is the beginning of her life. The first step on the ladder of her growing up, and maybe she is ready for this big life to come, but the mother hidden in my mind…maybe not. I am more excited thinking about that moment when she will walk out of that door with a smile and I will hug her tightly and I hope, at that time, there will be only smiles on our faces and not tears.
Now you, tell me how you felt when your child went to school on the first day, and what factors did you consider as a parent while choosing a play school?