Choosing A School: 6 Important Factors You Should Consider

The bag is packed, her clothes are sorted and I have half prepped for her snack box. It’s a very unusual feeling, I am certainly very excited but at the same time I am very anxious and restless. May be the separation anxiety in me is making me overthink, I keep telling myself “it’s okay, Every child goes through this and she is no special, relax she will be fine”. Did this happen to you too? Oh! By now you must have guessed how lost I am right now, I did not mention, it’s her big day tomorrow, her first day to play school on her own.

Even though in the past I felt like its taking forever for this day to get here, but today when it’s finally here, I can’t believe she is big enough to start her school. I cannot wait to wave her goodbye and see her walk through that door, though I’m sure it’ll be through tears…mine not hers. I wonder what she will be thinking and feeling sitting in that big seat all alone. She isn’t going to know anyone; not one person. But I also know, she will be comfortable and her curiosity to learn new things will help her sail through, after all it’s the beginning of the bigger things in her life.

Parenthood with a lot of happiness and special moments brings in the responsibilities, and We want what is best for our children, especially where their education is concerned. So we thought a lot about what kind of school to send her to. And here I have listed a few factors that we considered while making a choice, hope these will help you make a decision for your little one.

Distance:

Choosing a school around my vicinity was one of the most important factor. I feel the child is already tired if they have to travel for an hour before reaching the school. Also, it’s very important, for the school to be quickly accessible in case of any emergencies.

Parent Involvement:

I was always more keen on a school following a open book policy, where they believe in working as partners for the over all development of the child.

Curriculum:

As an individual I had no specific preference for the teaching method (not a fussy parent about following Montessori or Reggio approach), I just believed in letting them learn with fun, and let them explore.

Infrastructure:

I always preferred for a school with a lot of sky light and enough open space for kids. I wanted a school with less furniture and more space for them to explore. Ofcourse, high quality educational toys and child friendly furniture is needless to mention, as most of school adhere to these concerns of parents.

Safety:

School these days are well equipped with safety equipments like fingerprint or retina scan door locks and other such things and also a team of well trained staff. But Another critical safety concern is how the school keeps track of students at drop and dispersal time.

Duration:

Most preschool programs are for 3 hours only, that fits my criteria. Being a work from home mother I was not very keen for a play school that functions for a longer duration. I wanted to engage her in some free play time at home and take enough rest. As there is already a tough life awaiting ahead to spend long hours at school and later at work.

After considering all the above factors we shortlisted a few schools, and in the end once we decided on Safari kids, the atmosphere seemed warm and joyful, the wooden furniture in big spacious room with enough sky light, the hygiene and cleanliness was a treat to eyes. I was happy and I almost made my decision. After speaking to teachers about the teaching methodology and other philosophy of the school we made a final call.

However happy with the school I may be, her first day to school is still a very big deal for me. she is my little girl, but this is the beginning of her big girl life and even though she might be ready, I’m not sure that I am. I am more excited about the moment when she walks out of that door with a smile and I will wait for her with a warm tight hug and hopefully not more tears.

On this note, let me know about how you felt on your child’s first day to school, and what factors did you consider as a Parent  while choosing a play school?

Also read: 6 Factors To Consider While Choosing A Preschool for your Child

#choosingschool #schooleducation #parentinggyaan