Notes for parents
The questions we are asked at the gate.
Short, practical pieces written for the parent standing at drop-off wondering whether any of this is normal. It usually is.
Settling in and starting out
The first term.
My child cries at drop-off. How long does it last?
Roughly how long it lasts, what helps, and the one thing that reliably makes it worse.
Is my child ready for pre-school?
Seven signs that genuinely matter — and four that parents worry about far more than they need to.
What to pack — bag list and tiffin ideas
A packing list that assumes things will go wrong, and five tiffins that still taste good at ten.
How to choose a pre-school in Talegaon Dabhade
Ten minutes inside a classroom will tell you more than any brochure. Here is what to look at while you are standing there.
Learning
What to expect, and when.
Playgroup, Nursery, Junior or Senior KG — which one?
Age on 1st June decides it, mostly. Here is the guide — and what to do when your child falls right on the line.
Should a three-year-old be writing?
Pushing a pencil too early is one of the few things in early education that can genuinely set a child back.
Earth Day at Tiny Tots
For Earth Day every child potted a plant of their own. The harder part was the fortnight afterwards.
Celebrations
Festivals, as we mark them.
Costumes and decorations are made in class, not bought. This is deliberate.
Ashadhi Ekadashi and our mini dindi
A procession of three-year-olds with cymbals, tulsi pots and considerable conviction.
Raksha Bandhan at Tiny Tots
Threading a rakhi is fine motor practice wearing a festival costume.
Shri Krishna Janmashtami at Tiny Tots
Small Krishnas, a dahi handi hung deliberately low, and rather a lot of butter.
Ganesh Chaturthi at Tiny Tots
Shadu clay under small fingernails, an aarti sung slightly out of time, and a visarjan in a bucket.
Teacher’s Day at Tiny Tots
On 5 September the children take charge of the classroom, and the teachers — for once — sit down.
Teachers’ Day in a pre-school: 8 activities that actually work
Eight things a three- or four-year-old can genuinely do on 5 September — and one popular idea we would skip.
Gudi Padwa at Tiny Tots
A gudi raised at child height, and the annual negotiation over the bitter neem.
Makar Sankranti at Tiny Tots
Tilgul ghya, god god bola — and a kite that never quite gets off the ground.
Annual Gathering (Snehsammelan) at Tiny Tots
One evening a year, every child stands on a stage in front of their parents. For most of them it is the first time.
Still wondering?
Ask us about your own child.
No article can answer a question about one particular three-year-old. Send us theirs and we will give you a straight answer, including when the answer is “wait a term”.