The constant battle for choosing what’s best for your child starts from the day he is born. From selecting the best pediatrician for him to dressing him up in best cloths, from starting with the right solids for him to buying the best toys & books for him. But one of the toughest decision that a parent has to make is finalising a pre-school of their kid.

Whether or not both parents are working, the family is nuclear or joint, there are ample of home engagement activities done to keep kids engaged or not, a lot of families prefer sending their kids to pre-schools these days. But which one? What to look for in a play-school? Let’s look at some of the basic things you’ll need to look into

• Look for something that’s not very far away from your house or your office. In case of emergency and during the initial settling period, you might need to keep dropping by to check on your child.
• Different pre-schools have different timings. Look for one that suits your schedule or working hours.
• If your child is not yet potty trained, what arrangements does the school have to handle diapers & help in training the kids?
• Do the school have transport & meal facility in case you need any of those?
• What is their student teacher ratio? Is there adequate trained staff for handling kids?
• Some pre-schools have daycare facilities and accommodate kids in daycare on need basis. For parents who have erratic schedules, this might be a good option.
• For a lot of parents the most confusing part is to choose which “Education philosophy” to go for? It is important for parents to read & research about different philosophies & see which one they think best suits their education vision & goal for their child. There’s the Montessori method, Reggio Emilia approach, the Waldorf approach, the PlayWay method, the Bank Street approach to name the few most common approaches. We will be discussing these approaches – Compare & Contrast – in our following article.
• Talk to people in your vicinity and get feedback on schools other kids in your locality are already going to. This way you’ll get a realistic feedback on teachers, staff and general environment of the school.
• How much a school encourages parent interaction and incorporates feedback is also very important. Talk to other parent and get a feel about this.
• Is the school emphasising on paper pen leaning, rote learning or on reading books, pretend play, free play? How the kids are educated in those early years is of utmost importance.
• Is the staff of school Gentle with kids? Do they scold the kids if they refuse to follow the guidelines?How do they handle tantrums & difficult situations?

Not all schools are perfect and would match your requirements to the fullest. You’ll need to weigh the pros & cons of all options available and make the choice basis which one matches most of your criteria. Apart from talking to other parents & visiting the schools, its also a great idea to talk to professionals in the field of preschool decisions & read neutral unsponsored review reports of the schools you shortlist.

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