As parents, at some point in our lives we will face this question from which there is no escape, unless you decide to educate your child at home, and even then you face a series of challenges. Either because both mom and dad work and must leave their child in a nursery or Daycare at an early age, or because your child is already 4 years old and you think it is time to start preschool, or because it is already is at the age of starting the first grade of primary school in a regular school; or other reasons such as for example that you moved to another city or country, or even that you simply moved to another neighborhood, it is common for the following questions to come to mind:
- Which school will be best for my son?
- How do you know if this is the right school?
- Do I enroll him in the school where I studied as a child?
- Do I want a school where they teach the religion that I practice?
- Do I prefer a school with a sports club or one that focuses more on academics?
- Do I want you to learn another language ?
- Is it better to have a school that is close to home ?
And yes, as simple as it may seem, enrolling your child in his first school carries a great responsibility for you as a father or mother , and there are several aspects that we must consider.
There is no magic formula that tells us exactly what decision we should make or how to do it, since each family is different, and even more so, each child is different, so our decision as parents should be based on what we want as a family, and what that best suits the needs and interests of our little ones. That is why before all the questions that we asked ourselves previously, and instead of asking ourselves, What is the best school in the area? We must consider another, what is the best school for my son? No one knows your child better than you , you know their interests, their ways of relating, their academic needs, etc., so beyond thinking about all the positive qualities that a school can have, think and give more value to what that your child wants or needs, and it will surely be easier for you to find the answer.
Here are some steps to follow to make your decision a much easier choice that everyone in the family can be happy with.
FIRST COUNCIL
Observe what kind of parenting you teach your child , and from there ask yourself what educational or pedagogical style would I like for him or her? Many times, we take this for granted, and we simply go with the most famous option, or the one that appears to have the best results. Now I bring you to reality, not all schools are for all children. Although most schools follow the same pedagogy based on traditional teaching methods, today more and more schools are using alternative pedagogies, which in many cases are extremely beneficial for children.
If your parenting style focuses on meeting the needs of your child, respecting their rhythms, teaching them and being independent and safe people from the security that you can provide at home, and making them understand the natural consequences of their actions, then probably a traditional school is not adequate , and you may want to do a little more research about the other options that the market can offer you. This will lead you to investigate and answer other questions such as how many children are there in each classroom, what is the children’s daily routine, what extracurricular activities they offer in addition to academic ones, etc. The idea is that you find a school that helps your child develop their full potential, whatever it is.
SECOND COUNCIL
You should consider the distance from school , if it is near or far from home or work, the hours, and how long it will take you to go to find your child. Although it may seem like trivialities, distance and schedules are extremely important aspects to consider, not only to adjust everyone’s time at home, but also to know how far or close I am from my child’s school, in case a problem may occur emergency. Remember that children, and especially at an early age, are naturally mobile, so no matter how closely supervised they are at all times, they are highly prone to accidents, so opting for a school that is close to home or work would be advantageous.
In addition to that, let us remember that as human beings we need our rest times , if we choose a school that is very far from our area, we will probably have to wake up earlier and carry out the morning routine more quickly to arrive on time, which would interrupt our rest, affecting the daily performance of both the little ones and ourselves.
THIRD COUNCIL
It is important that before making the decision, you visit several centers and take your child with you to get to know them . Many times we get carried away by feelings of belonging with respect to the school that we attended in our childhood, and we want our children to attend the same school, however, it may happen that when the child attends said school, they do not feel identified or simply does not like. Other times we get carried away by all the activities and benefits that a school apparently offers, but we do not realize the degree of demand that this entails, and children can feel overwhelmed.
That is why it is so important that you involve your child in this decision-making so important for him , that you take him to know different centers with you, that you ask him what he wants, what he would like more, and observe how he develops in each of the centers you visit. Remember that these recommendations are only a guide, but that the real clues to know which school is best for your child will be given to you by your own child, and we must be careful to identify them and know how to appreciate them.
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