Happy Weekend Chembur Family.
Choosing a preschool can easily become a checklist exercise.
Location. Fees. Timings. Facilities. Activities. Curriculum. And increasingly, what the school presents on Instagram.
But before comparing all of that, there is another question worth asking:
What does the preschool believe these years are actually for?
For Sana Bhambani of Safari Kid Chembur, preschool is about much more than keeping children engaged for a few hours or preparing them for the next school.
The early years are when children are developing across several dimensions, socially, emotionally, cognitively and physically. The environment they spend those years in can play an important role in that development.
That also changes how we think about school readiness.
With the pressure around admissions, some children move into a big school as early as 2½ or 3. Sana believes children need enough time and space to play, explore, socialise and develop at their own pace, rather than being rushed towards the next academic stage.
There is a similar idea in what she recommends for life at home.
A consistent daily routine may sound ordinary, but predictability can give children a sense of security. At the same time, routines can gradually help children develop independence, responsibility and the ability to adapt when things don't go according to plan.
And perhaps the bigger question is what adults choose to measure.
A child may be able to write their letters or recite something from memory. Those are visible achievements, and they are easy to demonstrate.
But what about curiosity?
Can the child ask questions?
Can they make choices?
Are they comfortable exploring something unfamiliar?
Can they interact with others, try something independently and learn from getting it wrong?
These things are harder to put on a checklist, but they are part of the foundations children carry into later life.
This thinking is reflected in Safari Kid's Eclectic Philosophy, which draws from Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Waldorf and Play-way learning. Rather than expecting every child to learn through a single approach, the philosophy brings together different influences to create opportunities suited to how children learn and develop.
For parents, that brings us back to the question we started with.
When you're choosing a preschool, don't only ask what the school teaches.
Ask what the school believes a child needs at this age.
Because the answer can tell you far more about the experience your child will have than a list of activities ever could.
And perhaps that's the bigger question across these three conversations: not which preschool has the most impressive list, but which approach makes sense for your child and your family.
This is the third and final edition in our conversation with Chembur preschools on what parents should think about before making that choice.