5 Things to Look For While Selecting a Preschool Post-Pandemic
“This looks good but is it the best for my kid?”
This is a common question that pops up in the minds of parents while taking important decisions for their little ones.
And when it comes to picking the first ever school for their child, it is not as easy as searching Preschool and Childcare near me on Google. In this post-pandemic age, many parents are still apprehensive about sending their children anywhere outside the safe confines of their homes, fearing the spread of Covid-19.
To answer the most commonly asked question of how to pick a preschool that is safe for my young one and near me? Here’s a checklist for every parent to follow and choose the right preschool or childcare for their little ones.
✓ Child safe space
The safety of their kid is of paramount importance to every parent and even more so in a post-pandemic era. So while finalising a preschool for the kid, a parent should check out every little detail about the preschool. For that, a parent should know what is important in current times.
Ask the following questions to make sure the campus is safe for your child:
· Are all areas in the school including washrooms, well-kept and sanitised?
· Are all the staff members vaccinated?
· What are the safety measures taken in the school in case of an outbreak?
· Is the school fully equipped with not only age-appropriate toys but also with smoke detectors & first-aid kits?
· How does the staff ensure that the guidelines by the government are being followed? Be it social distancing, wearing masks or sanitising hands?
Does the school have a response mechanism for different pandemic scenarios?
If you as a parent think that the preschool or childcare centre has left no stone unturned to keep the above points checked, you have your answer right in front of you.
✓ Holistic learning environment
According to NIEER director W. Steven Barnett, PhD, children who attend high-quality preschool enter kindergarten with better pre-reading skills & richer vocabularies. Quality education in the formative years is also important because the first five years of kids are the most important years as during this period their brain grows to 90 percent of its final adult size, which means it is nearly full grown. And good quality, early learning can be achieved with holistic play-based learning.
Holistic learning basically implies that the child gets to develop physically, personally, socially, emotionally and spiritually as well. A preschool that prioritises holistic learning and growth provides kids with multiple opportunities to explore how things work & helps them enhance their skills. It has dedicated teachers who teach a well-structured curriculum in a fully equipped space.
When it comes to the current scenario, a preschool should also teach kids about the importance of sanitisation & should promote hygiene. It should help kids build self-confidence after being cooped up in their homes for almost 2 years. A preschool should also make sure to teach the kids to be independent and help them discover that they are capable enough to do things for themselves.
✓ Parent involvement
For almost two years, kids spent ALL their time with their parents. Hence, they somewhat have a habit of seeing their parents around all the time. Parents surely are overwhelmed with sending their kid to preschool but it is equally upsetting for the kid to leave his/her home & go out.
