The birth of a child brings inexpressible joy to the parents. From that moment itself, they start dreaming and planning the child’s future. They look forward to all the developmental milestones and cherish each moment of their child’s growth and development.
However, sending a child off to a preschool is a bittersweet moment for every parent. They are eager to give them an exposure to the outer world, yet it is hard to let them go. In the midst of these mixed emotions, parents are often plagued with many questions regarding a preschool. The most common question being, “What is the right age to enroll a child in a preschool?” Let us answer this question with a scientific approach.
The age of 2.5 to 3 years is the accepted age for children to start preschool. While most parents are eager for their toddler to begin preschool early, there are a few things to consider. Let’s look at a few things that a parent should add to their checklist that will determine the child’s readiness for preschool.
Routine Preschoolers have different times for various activities like playing, having meals, bed time etc. It is important to start practicing a schedule at home first. Parents can do this easily by making a basic timetable for each activity so that the child knows which time is meant for which activity.
Stamina: Preschool is about exploring, projects, field trips and games. These require both mental and physical stamina. Evaluate if your child is comfortable in undertaking different activities and also consider the time of the day when your child is most active.
Independence: Assess if your child is independent enough to do tasks on their own such as eating, washing their hand, tying their shoe lace, potty training etc. At home give them small tasks that will boost their self-confidence and will make them eager to take control of their life.
Communication skills: Is your child able to express himself or herself effectively? Is your child able to use short words and sentences in English or Hindi? It is necessary that your child should understand basic instructions and also communicate with others. Encourage your child to express himself in simple sentences.
Time away from parents: Spending time away from parents can be stressful for toddlers as they have never been away from them for a long time. To ensure a smooth transition, introduce your child to a new environment and also schedule weekly trips to meet their grandparents or have them spend a few hours with other children or friends. This way it won’t be overwhelming for a child once he goes to a preschool.
Each child is different, and so are their growth parameters. It is strongly recommended that parents thoroughly go through this checklist and gently train their children to be ready for this beautiful transition from home to preschool. So go ahead and nurture your child’s uniqueness and help him/her grow in their own special way.
Mindseed is the best preschool in Mumbai and Pune. At Mindseed the development and growth of each child is taken into consideration and the best learning experiences are given to them. Thereby a strong foundation is built ensuring that your child not only learns new things but also has a lot of joy in the process.
Mindseed offers a wonderful new program ‘Start Early’ which facilitates an easy start to the child’s learning journey. In this programme the new academic year is in the month of January itself. By commencing the term earlier, the child’s period of settlement also begins early thereby facilitating better social skills as well as enhanced academic knowledge. Go ahead and aim to foster holistic development of your child with the best school.
