Life is full of ironies, but in all probability, the school(s) where we spent a significant part of our growing up years, comes on the top of the list. There is hardly anybody i know who doesn’t want to relive those years, yet, if god came in front of us right now and said he could do it for us, most of us would shy way. Why do i have a feeling that exams and tests have got something significant to do with this sudden change of mind? If the same god gave the option of ‘editing’ out some portion of the school days that one could relive, i am sure more people would be game. Anyways, after more than a dozen years of leaving school, another phase of my life has started where i again have to be associated with them. My son has started going to school. Although it is just play school for now, i don’t see much of a difference except that they don’t have tests and exams. So, in short, that’s the part of schooling that i would like to relive.
I don’t remember most part of my kindergarten days or primary school days; hence, it is a wonderful experience to live it through my son. I was looking forward to a place close by where he could go, have some fun, period. I was dead against sending him to one of those ‘hi-fi’ places where they claim to make the kids smarter than the parents by the year end and have facilities that would put a 5 star hotel to shame. Alas, that was not meant to be. It is simply amazing how play schools these days manage to grab you by the collar and shake you up to make you feel that this decision could make or break my son’s life.
“Sir, we believe that this is the most important stage of your son’s life”. How stupid of me. All this while i was thinking the most important stage of one’s life was marriage; maybe even board exams to a certain extent, but play school? Please give me a break.
“Sir, this is their first exposure to a world outside of family and hence, it is very important that they go to the right place. Here at ‘xyz’ we have a very scientific method of teaching which ensures that they pick up all essential life skills, social skills, communication skills etc. Our curriculum includes Yoga and Taekwondo”. Impressive! That’s exactly what i want for my son. Living in Gurgaon, these are very essential life skills for a 2 year old. Considering all the dust, pollution, road rage deaths, corruption and spiralling crime graph, nothing could be more useful for my son than Yoga and Taekwando. After listening in detail about the scientific teaching methodology and the various skills he will be picking up, i have a faint feeling that he could take up my job next year after the two weeks of domain training in my company.
Nevertheless, in the end, the proud father who had gone with his tail erect that he will not succumb to any kind of emotional blackmail tactics and will put his son only in a small and simple playschool, came back home quietly with his tail between his legs. It was time to prepare for my son’s first day at one of the most prominent play schools in the city.
With advance apologies about the comparison, the first day of his school reminded me of the last time i had gone to a poultry market to buy chicken. Anxious parents were waiting around in the reception area and the designated teachers were coming one by one to pick up one or two of the toddlers at a time and take them to their ‘settling rooms’. The similarity could not have been more apt. Just as the butcher looks into the cage to find the right chicken of the right weight, the teachers were looking around for the kids whose first day it was. As they came nearer, the chickens would start to cry out aloud. Oops, did i say chicken? I meant children. They would then ‘catch hold’ of one of the chickens and lift it and that chicken would cry out for its life. Oops, did i again say chicken? I really meant children. As heart wrenching as it is to see the chicken getting slaughtered and skinned, you just can’t give in to that emotion when you think of how mouth watering it will be once it is cooked. The only solace is that the teacher tells you that your son will be fine in two or three days and you sincerely hope she knows what she is talking about.
In the initial two or three days, the toddlers are kept inside for about an hour and a half and then sent back in the same pattern as they were taken inside. A couple of teachers would bring them two at a time and hand them over to the parents. Just as the kids reached the reception and saw their parents, another round of loud wailing starts of. It is amazing how most of them think alike. In between the loud sobs, one dialogue is common – “I don’t want to come here again waaaaaaaaaaa”
Mission 2 – bring him back to school the next day. This is one of those instances you realise the acute business mentality your 2 year old has. On any other day, my son would happily go anywhere or with anybody if enticed by the promise of a chocolate or ice cream, but on this day, nothing on earth can convince him to go back there. It is as if he is well aware of the trade off and is ready to sacrifice things he loves most. Again, with a heavy heart, it is back to the chicken shop again.
It has been two weeks now, and damn, the teacher sure knew what she was talking about. He has settled now and is happy to go to school. As luck would have it, these days i have the luxury of being able to pick him up from school and drive him back home, and very honestly, this fifteen minutes drive is the best part of my day. It is such an unexplainably pleasurable experience to hear from him what he did at school that day. The conversation is all the more interesting because he is still some way away from being able to make up complex sentences; hence, the conversations are simple, innocent and unadulterated.
We are now gearing up for our first PTM which is to happen in a few days. That will be another story to tell.
I don’t remember most part of my kindergarten days or primary school days; hence, it is a wonderful experience to live it through my son. I was looking forward to a place close by where he could go, have some fun, period. I was dead against sending him to one of those ‘hi-fi’ places where they claim to make the kids smarter than the parents by the year end and have facilities that would put a 5 star hotel to shame. Alas, that was not meant to be. It is simply amazing how play schools these days manage to grab you by the collar and shake you up to make you feel that this decision could make or break my son’s life.
“Sir, we believe that this is the most important stage of your son’s life”. How stupid of me. All this while i was thinking the most important stage of one’s life was marriage; maybe even board exams to a certain extent, but play school? Please give me a break.
“Sir, this is their first exposure to a world outside of family and hence, it is very important that they go to the right place. Here at ‘xyz’ we have a very scientific method of teaching which ensures that they pick up all essential life skills, social skills, communication skills etc. Our curriculum includes Yoga and Taekwondo”. Impressive! That’s exactly what i want for my son. Living in Gurgaon, these are very essential life skills for a 2 year old. Considering all the dust, pollution, road rage deaths, corruption and spiralling crime graph, nothing could be more useful for my son than Yoga and Taekwando. After listening in detail about the scientific teaching methodology and the various skills he will be picking up, i have a faint feeling that he could take up my job next year after the two weeks of domain training in my company.
Nevertheless, in the end, the proud father who had gone with his tail erect that he will not succumb to any kind of emotional blackmail tactics and will put his son only in a small and simple playschool, came back home quietly with his tail between his legs. It was time to prepare for my son’s first day at one of the most prominent play schools in the city.
With advance apologies about the comparison, the first day of his school reminded me of the last time i had gone to a poultry market to buy chicken. Anxious parents were waiting around in the reception area and the designated teachers were coming one by one to pick up one or two of the toddlers at a time and take them to their ‘settling rooms’. The similarity could not have been more apt. Just as the butcher looks into the cage to find the right chicken of the right weight, the teachers were looking around for the kids whose first day it was. As they came nearer, the chickens would start to cry out aloud. Oops, did i say chicken? I meant children. They would then ‘catch hold’ of one of the chickens and lift it and that chicken would cry out for its life. Oops, did i again say chicken? I really meant children. As heart wrenching as it is to see the chicken getting slaughtered and skinned, you just can’t give in to that emotion when you think of how mouth watering it will be once it is cooked. The only solace is that the teacher tells you that your son will be fine in two or three days and you sincerely hope she knows what she is talking about.
In the initial two or three days, the toddlers are kept inside for about an hour and a half and then sent back in the same pattern as they were taken inside. A couple of teachers would bring them two at a time and hand them over to the parents. Just as the kids reached the reception and saw their parents, another round of loud wailing starts of. It is amazing how most of them think alike. In between the loud sobs, one dialogue is common – “I don’t want to come here again waaaaaaaaaaa”
Mission 2 – bring him back to school the next day. This is one of those instances you realise the acute business mentality your 2 year old has. On any other day, my son would happily go anywhere or with anybody if enticed by the promise of a chocolate or ice cream, but on this day, nothing on earth can convince him to go back there. It is as if he is well aware of the trade off and is ready to sacrifice things he loves most. Again, with a heavy heart, it is back to the chicken shop again.
It has been two weeks now, and damn, the teacher sure knew what she was talking about. He has settled now and is happy to go to school. As luck would have it, these days i have the luxury of being able to pick him up from school and drive him back home, and very honestly, this fifteen minutes drive is the best part of my day. It is such an unexplainably pleasurable experience to hear from him what he did at school that day. The conversation is all the more interesting because he is still some way away from being able to make up complex sentences; hence, the conversations are simple, innocent and unadulterated.
We are now gearing up for our first PTM which is to happen in a few days. That will be another story to tell.
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