It was about 7 p.m. last evening. LG and I were returning home from a birthday party in the apartment complex; it had rained heavily just a few hours before so there were poodles of water along the pathway. The walking path was poorly lit so I could barely see. However, a few feet ahead in the darkness I imagined seeing something jumping sideways. A little closer and it was unmistakeably a frog. A few steps forward and to my shock it is not one or two but atleast two dozen of them. I was scared of stepping on one of them so quickly moved ahead without looking back. LG who was holding my hand suddenly shook his hands off me. What do I see? The kid is bending down to pick up a frog showing absolutely no signs of fear while I am dumbstruck. My instant reaction was only to shove him aside and take him back home.
The amazing part is as kids we are so fearless and then later grow up to be the ones with a hundred phobias like my fear of cockroaches.
Fearless little kids..
LG : A charmer in public, a task master in private
Let me start by narrating an incident that happened this morning. I had to visit a bank next door to make an FD. This much-delayed task had to be attended to soon and I was just putting it off for some reason or the other every day. Yea, I know - FD of all investment avenues. Hey, but atleast it's better than seeing your stock/MF portfolio lose over 75% in value in a span of 9 months, isn't it?
It was about 10 in the morning and I decided I would take a shower and run down to the bank and get this over with. It had been a long day already - considering it was just 3 hours since we had been up. But it can be equivalent to staying up 20 hours with someone like LG. I had done two trips to the park, run around the slides with him, spent over 45 minutes trying to feed 6 spoons of porridge for breakfast and when that didn't work tried giving banana and cheeku which eventually ended in the dust bin. Now this whole exercise can be very draining. Throw in a few more activities in between like dragging him away from the bathroom, washing his mud-filled fingers, picking up a box full of cornflakes strewn on the floor, keeping a close watch as he reaches out for the extension cord and plugs it in, places 2 DVDs in the player, scrubs the floor like his mom - oh God! there's not a moment to relax while he is awake. Today was the peak of everything and I said to myself, "enough is enough. I'm taking him out with me to get the job done." My FIL warned he might not let me sign the documents and it would be a trouble lugging him around and suggested I leave him behind.
But my adorable son keeps a close watch on who enters and who leaves the house. The clicking sound of the front door is enough to make him dash across the hallway just to check if mama hasn't left. I tiptoed but he figur
ed I had left and started screaming. So I came back and took him along. And was back in 30 minutes finishing a few other things on the way. To my surprise (which btw is not the first time and I had expected it), he was so well-behaved that the ladies at the bank couldn't stop praising him as to how well-behave and obedient a child he was. He let me sign the papers while sitting quietly on my lap, smiling charmingly at the ladies, occasionally waving at the others, and pointing to things familiar while they enjoyed his company. They couldn't stop raving how cute a kid LG was for 1 year 9 months. I almost felt like saying, "Please come home and see for yourself." but just sat there and felt like a proud mom for once.
And then this evening at the park there were a dozen kids as usual. LG played on the swing for a long time and I had to run errands so I left him in the company of my FIL. My FIL was all excited on my return to narrate what happened. There is this girl who is about 2 months older to LG and another one about three months younger to him. Both of them are the dominant sorts who hate sharing their toys - which is alright because it comes naturally to many kids. While the first one took her turn on the slide, LG went behind her when the other girl came as well. The perfect gentleman he is, got down two steps to let the younger go ahead of him, he went behind the two of them. A few minutes later, the girls parked themselves on top of the slide refusing to go down. LG who was behind them waited a few minutes. Seeing they weren't going down, he yelled in his own language which is "aay,ooy". He can be the perfect charmer and also knows to see his way through.
He is 2.5 months away from turning two. I don't know if it's the terrible two phase or whatever. But the past 4-5 days have been extremely draining managing the hyper-active toddler. Throwing a tantrum for everything from eating to wearing clothes has become second nature. Every day gets very challenging as he hurts himself a few times in the process of protesting. Yet there are moments when he exerts his independence and behaves like an adult talking to his dad laid back on the sofa or drinking a bowl of soup with a spoon. At such times, his mom is not allowed to be even within a hand's reach for fear she might 'help' him in his activity.
VIBGYOR High School / pre-nursery in Bangalore :A Review
VIBGYOR High is one of the schools I'm considering for LG for pre-nursery/nursery; it is not far off from where we live. Most forums online about schools in Bangalore mention this one, so I decided to visit personally. I was pleased with the school. Here's a detailed review based on my two visits:
Facilities:
Honestly, it was intimidating taking a tour of the school on my first visit. BIG and sophisticated is what I thought. Now having seen a few more, I think parents feel it is a given that schools should have facilities such as splash pool, swimming pool, skating rink, basketball courts, aerobics classes and the like. I liked the school but thought it was too big for LG to start his academic career from. I mean I wanted something small and homely for him initially that would make him comfortable. But I guess it's more in my head. What does a 2 year old know what's a school and a play home is?
So, coming back to the facilities, the schools boasts of all that I've just mentioned. Currently, they start from the toddler (pre-nursery) program and have classes until 7th Std. They follow the ICSE curriculum. A few parents I spoke to had the concern that since this school does not have until 10th Std. they are not considering. That's the last on my list to begin with. I'm here for pre-nursery who knows if we continue to stay in Bangalore or not and moreover, maybe a few years down the line the school might introduce more classes too, who knows? I think it's too far-sighted to base a decision for securing admission in pre-nursery by considering 10th Std. which is still years away.
The nursery and pre-nursery sessions were over when I visited so there were no children around. Since the school also runs a day care center some kids move over to the day care center after completing the nursery classes.
The pre-nursery section of the school on the ground floor was segregated from the classes of older children in the other wing or the upper floors. All the classes seemed colorful, bright and equipped with single chair and table - a far cry from the wooden benches we had at our schools.
Admission process:
The application forms for next year were distributed this August so they reached the 100% by the time I went in which was late September. They did take in the application form but refused to commit. One has to visit personally to collect and submit the application which costs Rs.650 in all. I know, pretty weird! Come to think of it, it's the cost of entertaining parents and showing them around. The personnel at the reception are friendly and answer all your queries patiently which is one thing I liked about the school.
Branches:
They have two more branches coming up - one off Sarjapur Road and one in Whitefield.
Location:
The location can be a put off as it is about 800 meters in the interior from the main road. There is no proper road leading to the school - just a muddy one. Roller coaster ride free of cost guaranteed.
How to get there:
If you are coming from the old airport or outer ring road or KR puram, join the old airport road and proceed towards Varthur.
Cross the flyover (the one with Purva Riviera and the concrete jungle on the left).
Keep going straight and you will come to the signal.
Turning left will take you to ITPL. Instead continue straight, you will see Brand Zone to your left and KC Das to your right. Keep going.
About 700 meters from the signal, take a U turn and come towards Shriram Samrudhi Apartments. Next to the apartment is a muddy road.
Take this road; it will lead you to the school which is at about 800 meters from the main road.
I wrote in a post recently on my other blog that it's probably to get an admission into the IIM's but was fairly tough to get a pre-nursery seat in Bangalore. When the NYT ran a piece early this year about the parental stress due to pre-KG admission for their kids, I dismissed it as hype. I mean how tough can that be was all that I thought. From my own experience with the admission process for LG, I hang on to every word written in the article and swear it's all true. TOI ran an article last Sunday as to how some private schools have already started the admission process for pre-nursery and nursery.
It's early October and some schools I've approached are already not accepting any more application forms. They started as early as August and are done informally with the acceptance process; the interviews are scheduled for late October or early November. Had it not been for a casual remark from a friend as soon as we moved to Bangalore about the admissions starting in September, I would have been totally in the dark and would have had to home school him!
Here's a list of the schools I've come to know in and around the areas - Marathahalli, Outer Ring Road, Jeevan Bhima Nagar, Kundalahalli and Whitefield. Please feel free to let me know if you have more information. I have personally visited many of them reviews of each will follow in separate posts. Some schools have not made it to this list because I'm not considering them for teh feedback received such as Ryan International and Gopalan International.
- VIBGYOR - Varthur Road (Marathalli)
Phone: 4205 3101-03/ - GEAR International School - Off Sarjapur Road & Outer Ring Road, Phone: 9740777799,9741777799, 28440917
- Shishu Griha - Near BEML Gate, Off Tippasandra - 25213940/941
- Geethanjali Educational Society - 25272357 /9845349176
- Casa Maria Montessori House of Children - Airport Road
Ph: 25266116 / 9845104830 - Prerana - Indira Nagar
Ph: 25295116, 9341405116 - Neev Schools
Neev - Indiranagar
2989/C, 12th Main, HAL 2nd Stage
Indiranagar, Bangalore 560 008
Tel: 080 25263935, 080 41300836 / 37
Neev - Whitefield
123/64, Main Road Whitefield
Bangalore 560 066
Tel: 080 32973720 / 21 - National Public School (NPS) - HSR Layout
Ph: 25705171, 25705172
Shishu Griha is very strict about the age of kids they entertain for application process, let alone admission. I was told the kid has to be between 2 years 9 months and 3 years as of June 1st.
As for other schools, to be admitted in the nursery program the kid should have completed 2 years and 9 months as of June 1st.
The status quo on LG's admission process is that I have an appointment scheduled for one and given the application form for another. It will be late November before we get to know anything positive. Most schools other than VIBGYOR and GEAR do not disclose the fees unless you discuss in person.
It must be a lucky day thought LG, for he stepped out the apartment complex on Sunday evening. It had been almost a month since we went on an outing. Since The Seniol left, the number of times we step out are far and few. Mostly, my FIL and I take turns to stock groceries while LG is asleep so as not to cart him along. And, what did his dear mom choose as a hangout place - the neighborhood mall. Couldn't she come up with something better? No, seriously! Anyways, there's a dearth of places in this concrete jungle where I can take LG for a peaceful walk in the evening or just stroll around the locality gazing at children play, cows grazing while breathing in fresh air. A dream we left behind but it's not so bad here either within the apartment complex. He has a company of dozen other children his age to play with which makes every evening fun.
Malls are not totally new to LG though he detests them a lot or atleast used to. Because it meant no visit to the park that evening for one. Secondly he was not allowed to run around freely. On more than one occasion he has disturbed stuff in display on the shelves. It puts him off to be lugged around in the cart or on my shoulder. I was expecting a revolting behavior in tune with his terribl-two phase lately. But to my surprise he was well-behaved. The sight of a toy shop caught his attention as soon as we entered and he longed for every stuffed toy to the motorized car and cycle. I had to literally drag him out of the store as he parked himself comfortably on the floor refusing to budge. Other than this, I think he enjoyed the trip. We got a large portrait done of him. I became a monkey, a donkey, an elephant, a clown but nothing brought a smile to the poker-faced LG. Once the shot was taken, he was grinning cheek- to-cheek like a Cheshire Cat .
