How do you choose the school structure to make you attend your child? A good criterion is that the educational proposal of the service is harmoniously combined with the family lifestyle
In my pedagogical consultancy work, a recurrent question of the parents concerns the choice of the structure for childhood to be attended to their children. «Doctor, where do I register him? Does it give me advice for a “good” kindergarten? ».
Having a little concern about it is completely understandable: it is still a matter of entrusting your son to “strangers”, in an environment that is not “home”. This causes several questions about what the right solution is, in the research, proper to every parent, to want to offer the best to the child.
The first detachment from parents
Enrollment in the nursery or kindergarten is often also the first experience of prolonged detachment of the child by parents and … vice versa! An important and dense growth of emotions for the whole family. The positive setting of the child to the new context is closely linked to the serenity transmitted by parents compared to that experience. Serenity that certainly comes from confidence in the staff and activities of the structure that has chosen for their child.
So how to make a serene and conscious choice? Let’s start by saying that there is not only one answer to this question or a rule valid for everyone. Every child and every family have unique and different characteristics and needsas well as an organization of the newspaper, an environment and a lifestyle that influence this type of decision.
Beware of fashions
A dad says: «I decided to enroll my son at the XY school of my dreams, it is the most popular of the moment in the city and everyone speaks well. I really believe in education in the autonomy of the child and, knowing my son, I think it is the right environment for him. Every morning, however, reaching the school is a titanic undertaking: I have to wake the baby at dawn, wash him and put his clothes with a great race as if he were a mannequin, make him tranging breakfast in the car at the time spent in the middle of the traffic and catapulting him like a missile at the entrance (trying desperately to get to work at work). Result? Screams, quarrels, whims … and my autonomous son did not become at all! But this school works?! ».
Attendance to the nursery or kindergarten should certainly not be a source of family stress, but a great growth opportunity for the child and, consequently, for the whole family. This happens as much as the educational proposal of the service is combined harmoniously with education and family life. Probably, in the case reported, choosing a structure closer to home would have made it possible to respect the needs of the child more, to live the experience with serenity and be able to invest more effectively also on the appearance of the autonomy that the father had so much to heart: to grant the child a “slow” morning, enjoying being together chatting, giving him the opportunity to experience autonomy in the daily gestures of dressing or washing.
Moral of the fairy tale? Attention to fashions: what is good for a child and a family is not said that it is good for everyone.
Orient yourself between various possibilities
We said that there is not only one “right” answer to the initial question; However, there are questions that can be useful to the parent to choose from the various possibilities. The advice is of Try to interpret the point of view of your child And ask yourself: «What does it really need to grow and feel good? What would you need to feel welcomed, serene, at ease? What kind of experience can they do in that service for childhood? ».
In this regard, the story of a couple of parents who, at the beginning of the school year, had “wandered” between various kindergartens in the area to choose where to choose where to enroll his daughter, returns to me. The final choice fell on a structure in which “there were banquets and books and it was studied as in the school of adults. In the others where we had gone, however, the children did nothing, they just played! ».
After a few months of frequency, dad and mom, observing some manifestations of discomfort in the girl, they had thought back to their choice. Together, then, we wondered if and how much that type of educational and didactic proposal was adequate to the child’s development phase and his growth needs. And we reflected on the complexity and value that the game had, at that moment of life.
Get into the shoes of the child and understand what is important for his growth It therefore becomes a lens that helps the parent’s gaze to orient themselves between the different types of structures for childhood in their territory.
The aspects to be evaluated in the choice
Every child and family have the right to be able to take advantage of an educational service for quality childhood. However, we know that, in our country, this is not yet achieved: the offer on Italian territory, in the public and private sector, is very varied, with important differences and, unfortunately, territorial “discrimination”.
In general, alongside the state system, now regulated by Legislative Decree 65/2017 (“Integrated system of education and education from birth to six years”), there are other services, structures and educational, private or different management experiences.
Nests, micronids, home services, kindergartens and schools in the woods, playing spaces and much more … how to orient themselves then?
The first step is definitely inquire about the opportunities present in their territory. Once this is done, keeping in mind the characteristics of our child and the family, it can be evaluated if in the structure taken into consideration:
- There are both internal and external spacesin contact with nature, prepared according to the age and needs of children, with welcoming places
- The furnishings are functionalsafe and favor the movement and autonomy of children
- The materials and games facilitate exploration and creativity
- there is a clear Pedagogical orientation of reference shared by the parents
- the organization of the activities of the day respects The times of the child
- The staff is qualifiedpresent in adequate number (with a good educators/children) and invests in the emotional relationship (often the key to a good school is found in the teacher of the teacher!)
- In educational planning it is respected The personal identity and originality of each child
- Parents are involved in the proposal and in the activities of the service
