Candid Chat with Shelly Dhingra on Parenting
Shelly Dhingra, a mother from Bandra West, shares her experience with First Crayon (www.firstcrayon.com) of finding her children’s first school.
How did you decide at what age to send your child to their first school?
Around the age of one, my children started to recognize objects. They were extremely active and always exploring. I sensed in them a keenness to learn. On seeing these signs, I enrolled my children in their first playschool.
What were your information sources during the preschool search process? Which source was the most valuable?
I started the process by speaking to parents who had gone through this grind. Next, I tried to research the preschools online. However, I wasn’t able to find any reliable information online about the recommended preschools. I decided to personally visit the shortlisted preschools to gather details about them. The experience of my first child’s admission proved to be very useful. In my opinion, first-hand information is a valuable source. I was able to further use this information to help friends in their preschool searches as well.
What were your 3 most important factors while choosing a preschool? Why?
For me, the three most important factors are hygiene, the teacher’s experience and the approach to teaching. The preschool premises should be clean so that my child remains healthy. An experienced teacher will be able to understand my child and customize their learning plan accordingly. And not to forget, the process of teaching is also important in order to keep my child engaged.
What is the one thing that you feel you did really well during your preschool search, and other mothers should learn from you?
Start early. I personally visited each preschool that I considered and asked for feedback from multiple parents. This process takes time. Parents should do their homework at least 9 months before admission. So if the preschool starts in June, parents must start doing their research in September of the previous year.
What changes do you see in your child after going to preschool?
Preschool had a positive effect on both my children. They pick up concepts quickly and share their learnings from school. They are also more active and social.
What is your most important tip for parents to prepare their child and themselves for the first day of preschool?
Don’t push your child to start preschool before they are ready. All children are different, and you shouldn’t judge your child against any universal age benchmarks. When your child starts to talk, explore and express (TEE), then you know that they are ready to step into their second home.
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