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.
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.
Celebrations
Festivals, as we mark them.
Costumes and decorations are made in class, not bought. This is deliberate.
Ganesh Chaturthi at Tiny Tots
Shadu clay under small fingernails, an aarti sung slightly out of time, and a visarjan in a bucket.
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.
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”.