Your baby reaches 18 months and suddenly there is a little shift in the things you think about – suddenly you may start to wonder if leaving her at home with the nanny or being at home with you all day or attending a creche is ticking all the boxes ITO her development. It’s a fact that most parents start to wonder about a play group and specifically what criteria they need to look out for.
Here are five tips you should consider as you are faced with the enormous task of finding a school that meets all your little ones needs:
- If your little one is between 1 and 3 years of age, look for a play group that has no more than 4-6 children to the teacher. This ratio will ensure that your child gets the type of focused and nurturing attention she needs at this critical age.
- Home based solutions until 3 years old are much less stressful than large ‘schools’ or institutions. This is a much smoother transition from home to school.
- Grill the teacher on her ethos about play and how play feeds into skill development. She should have a good sense of the role of play and how little ones develop
- Choose a play group that focusses on imaginary play as the catalyst for emotional development, language and executive function
- Make sure the teacher is first-aid trained and the space is safe and secure
These are the boxes than need to be ticked. Thereafter, do a school visit and get a ‘feel’ for it. If it’s a happy place – where the children are engaging in play and the teacher is caring, you can rest assured your child is in good hands.
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