The hunt begins- a weekend update I

Saturday morning, our friend-couple, whose kid is as old as R, called up to ask if we were interested in joining them to check out a particular pre-school for R.  We left around mid-morning, leaving R who was sleeping then in the company of his grandparents. We were confident that he would not miss us. I left without the preoccupying thought of "what about lunch? when and what to cook" as my mom took the reins of the kitchen that day to give me a break. Lovely mothers!

The school- the play home is affiliated to the main school that runs on the principles of a renowned spiritual guru- was located away from the main road which was a plus. The courtyard, unlike most others that are housed in a house bang on the main road, was fairly big with a small play area for the kids. The lady who attended us briefed us about the activities conducted, fee structure and also addressed our queries. The place in itself was pleasant, although it seemed bereft of the modern amenities that the others boast of. And I am not talking of air-conditioned rooms or fancy equipments. I am against sending my child to any such environment that encourages an attitude of "nose-high-up-in-the-air". Of the total three rooms, one was for the pre-schoolers (PS) and the other two for the pre-primary (PP)(i.e. from nursery to UKG) children. The one room meant for the PS had an old cupboard that stored some craft and sundry items and a few low wooden desks- the ones that are used for written work while sitting on the floor. I do not mind having PS kids sitting on the floor, but in that case I expect the floor to be smooth and the flooring that does not get cold in monsoon and winters. Sadly, that was not the case here. The flooring was like those kadappa stones (again am not sure, am not an expert in this area)  and also slightly unevenly laid out in certain places. Another major drawback, that actually put me off too, was the toilets.  They were Indian toilets located outside of the rooms at the backyard. The first thought was how will they manage the kids in the monsoon when it will be all wet and slippery. Also, it meant that the kids would be expected to be already toilet-trained in the first place. Thirdly, the basins had those brown stains that come with years of usage and did not look new to me. I already have a critical eye and in case of hygiene matters, again especially that which concerns kids, I can turn extra critical. So, this is what I meant when I said the place seemed primitive. I suddenly felt the burden of selecting the correct school, even if it meant "only" a playschool" for R weighing heavily on my shoulders. The multiple factors that play a role in zeroing on "the one", the sheer range of choices available today only makes the task much more difficult than it ever was before. The constant quest to achieve that perfect blend seems like the elusive mirage of water in a desert.

Although the play school was a let down, we decided to check out the main school which was the main reason for our initial inclination towards it in the first place. The school in itself seemed good, in the lap of nature, with plenty of open space and play ground. However the distance was daunting. It felt as though we were going on an excursion trip. What use of a great school if the child has to travel miles to reach it and get tired and cranky at the end of it. Uff! So many factors to consider- the location, the distance from home, the schooling board, the teaching methods, the amenities, the cost. It is just the beginning and am already lost.

This is no easy task and it is going to take us a couple of  more weekends to exhaust the plethora of playschools around our area. We came home with such thoughts playing in my head to find R not in the least bothered by our absence. He had had his bath, breakfast and was busy playing. Wow! the luxury of having grand parents around. This was supposed to be a weekend update, but considering the length of the post already, I have decided to cut it here and continue the remaining in the next part.