My baby and me have been inseparable since birth and I could not imagine her being taken care of by a stranger. Usually in India from where I come, there are grandparents at home to take care of children so kids have to go to school after 2 years of age or later. But since I started working I had no option but to send her to school.
Also, the disadvantage of leaving away from your family is that you do not have help in order to settle down your kid. Also, I feel kids do not see so many people around. It is just mamma and papa which makes the kids world very small. So, my baby really does not like to be around strangers. Also, I realised I am too attached with her and I need to distance little bit so that she grows as a person and learns new things. Because as all know, too much over protective ness can hinder your child’s growth.
Kids need to be minimum 1 year old here in order to go to school. You need to apply to Goteborg stad as there is a queue to get admitted in school. They give you place usually very close to your home to make commute easy. It is advisable to apply at least 6 months before you want to start school. So, I started forskola for my baby when she turned one and did inskolning for 3 months during winter time but my baby cried a lot and could not settle down. Teachers and me tried a lot but it was just too much. So, I was advised by teachers to take a break and start again the next semester in a different school as she will grow a little and might respond better. So, my tip is to judge the situation and understand the right age to send your child to school as every child is unique. So, I failed in my first attempt and this time when I started in August, I have called my mother to help me out in the in-schooling process as I have to work and also, she responds better when I am not around. Here too teachers are fun and patient and they are helping us with a flexible schedule so one week it will be just 2 hours of my baby being alone in school, then second week it will be her eating food there and then third week will be sleeping. So, teachers are patient enough to take a step by step approach to settle kids.
First day I cried like a baby myself as I could not bear the thought of abandoning her. Leaving your kids to strangers for longer periods of the day is a tough task. But when the Swedish forskola gives you so many good facilities, you get mentally strong enough to go ahead and send your child to the Forskola.
- The “inskolning” is for 15 days which can be shortened or expanded based on the child’s needs. Some kids settle down in just 3 days and for others, it might take 1 month or 2. Kids can start from age 1 and you will find here kids till age 6.
- Teachers are extremely patient and loving towards kids. they give personal attention to each kid especially when they start new.
- Healthy food: Kids are served with healthy meals and every day of the week is a different menu. If Monday it is soup and salad, then Tuesday it is pancakes and salad. Wednesday It is rice, curry and salad. Thursday it is mashed potatoes and falafel. These are vegetarian options and there are non-vegetarian options too. Preferences needs to be filled at the first day of school.
- Timings: Kids usually start at 8.30- 9.00 depending on the work timings of the parents. Then 9.00 to 10.30 is playtime and activities like singing and dancing to nursery rhymes, playing in water and floating boats (during summer), building Lego castles, cycling, playing on swings or colouring and drawing. During this time kids are given fruits like either apple or banana. Then 11.15 to 11.30 is lunch time. 11.30 1.30 is sleep time and 1.30 to 4.00 is play time. Schools close at 5.00 so parents have to pick up kids before that time.
Kids usually love the atmosphere as it is a very positive and child friendly place. There are numerous toys and books and every corner id child friendly so that they do not get hurt while playing.
All in all, it is a wonderful place to leave your kids safely as they learn new skills and develop values like sharing and caring in a fun way.