The maiden interview, a rite of passage

Parents must realise that each child is different and just hope for the best

My husband and I are right now eagerly awaiting the results of the interviews conducted for our little daughter’s admission to kindergarten.

The first interview had ended sooner than expected, and we were informed that the results would be published only next month. So, as it turns out, this wait is going to be much longer than the interview process.

I had not formally trained my daughter for the interview, but had told her we would be visiting a few schools where she would be allowed to play with puzzles, and there they might ask her for her name and that of her present school. During the interview, however, my daughter could not bring herself to talk to the teacher and was not eager to play with the puzzle. She was feeling shy and kept shifting in the chair. While we knew she was just the opposite of this at home, we could do very little to make her talk and perform the required activity.

I was initially a bit disappointed that my daughter did not take up the puzzle, though she was quite good at it. But looking back, it was definitely not in my hands; children tend to behave differently in different environments.

In a subsequent interview, however, she was not expected to do any activity: the teacher simply gave her a hug and asked for her name. My daughter had by then warmed up a bit; she left my side and told the teacher her name. I then realised that for my daughter, the emotional connect with a person was important before sharing in any activity. I was happy she got to mingle with the teacher and moved out of her comfort zone. I am not sure how many parents train their wards to perform well at such interviews, but it is important to realise that little children are highly unpredictable. They are best left in their own worlds, and it would be unreasonable to expect them to do what we want them to — especially in a new environment. There are some children who are bold and independent and do not shy away from talking and doing what they know, but others do take their own time. For parents, it is important to realise this and just hope for the best.

With the admission process getting ever more stringent and competitive by the year, the pressure is mounting on parents to get their children admitted to the school of their choice. While they have their own issues, the schools themselves face many challenges, the latest being the obligations under the Right to Education Act that all schools are required to fulfil.

Given this sort of scenario, it would be hard to determine who is actually facing the real pressures and heat of the system. As parents, we need to believe in our children and that they will get their due in course of time.

aarthi822003@yahoo.co.in