A Parent’s Priority Before Enrolling a Child Into Playgroup
Today, Monday, January 15, 2018, I have enrolled my daughter into one of the playgroups here in Kuta Blang, Bireuen. I chose the closest playgroup to where I live, so that I am nearby in case of emergencies. A playgroup is a like a school for toddlers, where children mostly learn through play and all activities are kept casual and age appropriate.
My daughter is 2 years and 4 months old and is growing and developing well! I am still a bit reluctant to put her into playgroup, but my wife and I have many chores to get to and having someone to help look after our child for a few hours will make a difference! So, we registered her and soon she will join her new peers in her new environment.
We did not make this decision lightly and took many things into consideration before initiating this new change in our lives. There are 3 things that were a priority before enrolling my daughter into playgroup.
Choosing the correct playgroup.
In Indonesia we have both government run playgroup facilities as well as privately owned playgroups. The level of service provided by each differs considerably. With these differences comes a difference in the costs involved too. For me I was not concerned whether the school belonged to the government or a private individual. I just wanted to make sure that the caregivers and teachers were friendly and cared for the children. It was also important for me that the environment was a happy one and kept safe and clean. Of course, the location played a role in our decision too.
Preparing our child.
A playgroup environment is very different from a child’s home environment and our little ones feel this change. It is necessary to mentally prepare children before they start their new school adventure. Talk to the little ones about school, tell them what to expect and make it all sound fun and exciting.
Preparing ourselves as parents.
Parents also need to prepare themselves mentally before enrolling their child into a playgroup. The family lifestyle and routine is about to change and this difference will be felt by all. Parents will also hit a sense of longing for the child, especially those who have been at home with them up until now. To add to this, parents need to prepare for the new routine, for example meal times might change, parents will need to decide who will fetch the child and when and so forth.
After giving the three points above much consideration, I enrolled my daughter into her new playgroup, very happy with my decision to do so. I do however have a few questions I would like to ask the playgroup organizers, like:
• What is the ideal age for a child to be enrolled into a playgroup?
• What is the ideal constitution of a Playgroup, with the objective being to development the young child’s intellect and creativity.
Perhaps you have the answers for me?
