Candid Chat with Kalpana Acharya on Parenting
Kalpana Acharya, a mother from Matunga West, shares her experience with First Crayon (www.firstcrayon.com) of finding her child’s first school.
How did you decide about the age to send your child to their first school?
I believe that 30 months is the ideal age for a child to start preschool. At this age, children are able to mimic what is going on around them and are very open to learning. This is the age that I chose to send my own child to preschool.
What were your information sources during the preschool search process? Which source was the most valuable?
I took suggestions on preschools from my neighbors. I then visited the schools to see for myself. I enrolled my child in the preschool that I liked during my visits.
What were your 3 most important factors while choosing a preschool? Why?
Proximity, hygiene and learning technique are the factors that are important to me. If a preschool is located nearby, it is easy for me to personally drop and pick up my child. I want my child to be in clean premises as I do not want his health to be threatened. Learning techniques are important as preschool is where my child builds his skills.
What is the one thing that you feel you did really well during your preschool search, and other mothers should learn from you?
I chose a preschool that has timings that fit in with my family’s and my routine. The preschool timings are from 10 am to 12 pm which is comfortable for me and my child. This is important as you do not want to introduce too many drastic changes in your child’s life at one go. If your child is used to taking an afternoon nap and you send him to a preschool at the same time, you will have an unhappy child who will take very long to adjust.
What changes do you see in your child after going to preschool?
Before preschool, my child was reserved and reticent and did not talk much. Taking part in preschool activities has helped him to come out of his shell. He is now much more social and likes to recite poems.
What is your most important tip for parents to prepare their child and themselves for the first day of preschool?
Build the preschool into your child’s routine before it even starts — take your child to visit the preschool, familiarize him with the premises and the teachers. Talk to your child and let them know what to expect.
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