For new-age parents, nothing can be too good for their babies. But for many working mothers, the hardest part of juggling careers and motherhood is leaving their little ones in the care of untrained domestic workers or poky day care centres that may or may not be run professionally. It is a risk that they take every day of their working hours till their children grow older.
“We see this all around us. Moreover, many working parents are forced to take leave when the maid does not turn up as they may not have grandparents or relatives to help with the baby,” says Sapnu George, executive director of TRINS group (Trivandrum International School).
Hoping to alleviate the stress of such parents is a sprawling early learning centre at Kazhakuttam, just a stone’s throw away from Technopark.
With seven floors, each catering to a particular age group, the Trivandrum International School Early Learning Centre aims at being the ideal day care and early learning centre that every parent might have wished for.
“I have a one-and-a-half year-old son, Noah John, and although I have been lucky to have my family around, I am aware of how stressful it is for parents of nuclear families. The Centre will function from 8 am to 8 pm and there are packages of different duration and so parents can choose one that suits their needs,” she explains.
A guided tour around the 23,000-sq ft building, spread over seven floors, reveals aesthetically designed, well-lit rooms filled with age-appropriate toys, books, furniture and activity spaces. Infants, six months to one year, will have wooden cribs to sleep in and an airy, sanitised space all to themselves, since they are more susceptible to infections. Toddlers, between 13 and 18 months of age, also have their space with low beds, soft toys, games and activities.
Classes have been divided into pre-KG one for children between the ages of 19 months and 2.5 years; pre-KG two for those between 2.6 and 3.5 years; KG one for students in the age group of 3.6 to 4.5 and KG two for those between 4.6 and 5.5.
“That is not all. We understand that parents may not want their older siblings to go to an empty house and so we have after-school care provisions for children up to the age of 12,” adds Sapnu.
All the rooms for the children have “slip-resistant, anti-fungal rubberised, floors and cushioned walls to prevent injuries and the all-woman staff will include a full-time nurse on the premises,” explains Sharayu Thampi, centre head.
With diaper changing areas, nursing rooms with comfortable chairs for young moms to bond with their babies and specially designed spaces for different activities, the Centre is likely to be a trendsetter in the city. Almost every nook and corner in the building, including the elevator and the reception area, seems to have something to engage a child’s attention or trigger her imagination. A maths corner to build numerical skills, a sunny library with a wide range of well-chosen books meant for today’s children, a writing zone, a kitchen for wannabe chefs, an art room with a view and a pool are some of the special facilities at the Centre.
“In addition, we have a sensory garden, a tactility wall, an indoor soft gym filled with soft blocks, a play area for physical exercise and a performance area and a music room too. But my favourite is the ‘enchanted’ room,” she exclaims.
A post-graduate in education and child psychology, Sharayu, with over 20 years of experience in early education, is never at a loss for words while talking about the centre. “The enchanted room, complete with cosy spaces, cushions and interesting niches is to help children let their imagination fly. Filled with books with thematic and visual appeal, we also want this to be a space to tell stories,” she says.
Instead of a rigid time table or study hours for children in the kindergarten, Sharayu envisages pedagogic content that is play-based. The aim is to arouse the curiosity of child and keep her engaged through holistic activities; a system that will lead to their all-round development.
“While we insist on the parents providing food for the infants, we will be providing meals for the older children. All the assistants here have been trained by our teachers and, if you notice, we have banned all television. This is to ensure that children are not forced to sit before screens and mindlessly watch one programme after the other,” adds Sapnu. With fees beginning from ₹7,000 onwards, the TRINS ELC has various plans to cater to the needs of parents.
It opens on April 11.
Contact: 9847656060
