I thought I knew exactly what I wanted in a kindergarten until I actually visited one with my kid. Let’s rewind… I’ve been writing about international schools and education for years, but when it finally came time to attend my first open house, I was less than prepared.
First of all, it’s a two-parent gig. I love events that are organized and this past weekend, I attended the open day at The Children’s House Montessori and it was so organized that they asked one parent to attend an info session while the other took the baby to one of their classrooms to play. I had decided to leave my husband at home and attend it with my daughter, so within the first 10 minutes, I was already calling him for backup. Thankfully, I had bumped into a friend whose husband offered to take notes while we played with our daughters in the classroom. While the well-prepared pamphlets and brochures are great, I wish I could have listened in on the info session as well.
I realized halfway through playtime that choosing a kindergarten was as important for you as it is for your child. I wanted an international kindergarten for my daughter; that much I already knew. But there are so many of them in Beijing, which one is the right fit for us? The same day that I attended the open house at The Children’s House Montessori, a mommy friend of mine attended another school’s open day and our photos couldn’t have been more different.
We left our shoes at the door and played in a clean, open space with Montessori toys that were minimalistic in color and made of wood. Her photos showed a different picture. They were full of plastic multi-colored toys, parents in plastic shoe covers, face painting, and a mini petting zoo. It’s not to say that one is better than the other, it’s just different and will attract different types of families.
They’re both international kindergartens, but as jingkids has always stressed, the tern international school is so vast in Beijing that you need to learn the subtleties of each program, which can mean a completely different experience for your children. But that’s what open days are for! Both of these kindergartens came highly recommended by our friends, but “just because it’s the right school for your friend’s kid, doesn’t mean it’s the right school for yours,” as jingkids has always said.
My moment of realization came at the perfect time. This weekend’s Jingkids International School Expo (JISE) is a free event where the city’s top international schools all gather in one convenient location where I can browse and get better acquainted with all of them in one day. Then, based on my needs, I’ll set up school visits to find the one that’s right for my family.
So this weekend, armed with my list of questions to ask the schools and a newfound curiosity for kindergartens (must-haves include: in Beijing, uses the Montessori curriculum, close to Chaoyang Park, will take kids under 1 yr old, will have classes on weekdays as well as weekends, attended by like-minded no-fuss parents), I’ll be making my way down the aisles at JISE, scheduling appointments for school visits. See you there my fellow newbie parents!
KEEP READING: Looking for a School? Make Sure You’re Asking the Right Questions
Images: Mina Yan, Courtesy of The Children’s House Montessori
