Wednesday, October 29, 2014

The Great Day Care Hunt: Velachery Day Care a Review

It’s time I get my son used to a little bit of socializing and activity.  Also trying to explore to find a way back to my college, so on the run looking out for a Pay School with extended day cares in Velachery. Decision was a though one, but more than an emotional acceptance to let go of my little one to step into another world of schooling, it was actually maddening!! There seem to be a Day Care or Play School around every corner of my neighborhood, but none seem to be an ideal second home as they claim to be. My Visits included 10 Schools in Vijay Nagar neighborhood and it was more like deciding which could be better if not ideal. Here is my review, of all the play schools/ day care in Velachery.

Tatva Velachery: Day Care (only)
Pro’s:
·          Kids were not constrained. Happy Kids, indeed! BEST PLAY SCHOOL IN VELACHERY (heard it from almost every parent here in our neighborhood)
·          Teacher was quite knowledgeable on Child/Toddler Behaviors
·          Well-Ventilated Day Care. Windows were open and there was ample natural light and fresh air. (Something I really loved about Tatva)
·          Food is prepared by the caregivers (Lunch and Snacks)
·          Two Ayyah’s and one Day Care Head. Good Child to Caregiver ratio.
·          Children are clearly let to play by themselves and definitely chided or physically disciplined.  
·          Cost 4,500. Something good for a place which provides food and care without time curfew.
·          Looks like the TATVA Play School is a Good Place for kids to kick start their Schooling.  They had a combination of Structured and un-structured curriculum to aid learning
·          Option to continue in TATVA’s upcoming Grade School
Cons:
·          Low subscription to Day Care Children and kids were just allowed to do just free-play.
·          Bed’s of Day Care were old and not clean.
·          Two Ayyah’s oversee the Children Play. There is Zero Activity for Kids during their day care time
·          Tamil is the mode of conversation in both play school and day care.  Kids I saw, twice, did not speak anything in English.
·          Bus Transit, between the Toddler play group and Day Care. Too Much of Logistics that I did not want my almost 2 year old to risk.

Final Thought: I don’t wish my kid to be idle during day care hours. Also, there is a lifetime to speak tamil at home.  My kid needs a school that can also work on English vocabulary skills. Having said that, i would still recommend Tatva, for both playschool and daycare.


Little Elly Velachery: Play School and Day Care
Pro’s:
·          Amazing Infrastructure. Lots of Toys of all kind.
·          Very well lit and bright. Though doors were closed, there was room for natural light.
·          Medium Ventilation. The only source of natural air was the balcony (Back yard door). But given the bungalow, there was room for ventilation.
·          Highly Structured Montessori Toys and activities.
Cons:
·          Two Ayyahs and one Nursery teacher who also played a day care head role
·          One Ayyah, looked like she was the boss of Day Care, and was quite a tough head. She literally gave a killer look to a sweet girl toddler, who refused to drink milk and the moment we were there, it killer look turned to a cuddly request.
·          Day Care really lacked good  staff, who can genuinely love or care for kids. Kids looked so petrified and controlled within their room and doing nothing.
·          Day Care Children were not even doing any free-play. Was wondering, for who were the amazing toys and infrastructure was
·          Food (Lunch and snack) Should be packed by the pupil.
·          Day Care cost on hourly Slots. So, on the whole a working mom will end up writing off quarter of her pay-check to this place.

Final Thought: Great Place with rude Ayyah’s and oblivious staff. Amazing Investment on the premises and toys. But, my kid can't be in the hands of people who don’t know what it is to care for children!!! 

Kids Day Home Velachery: Day Care
Pros:
·          Very Cost-effective. Only 4,000 INR per month
·          Food (three times) taken care by the two owners
·          Only limited children. 10 at a given time
·          No Time Curfew
·          Two housewives who are friends are taking care of all the kids. So more like Home!
·                   Heard, personal touch: Security, care (food/cleanliness) and little warmth is here, given only handful of kids. Need confirmation on this though,....
 Cons:
·          It was a 600 sqt Two-bed room house, converted to a day home.
·          There were not many toys. The obvious one was just one  red slide!!!
·          Kids, I saw were lying like chickens on one bed. I saw like 6 kids lying in two rows on a double bed queen size cot. There I made my way out with a gasp!! (OMG!!!!!)

 Final Thought: OMG. It's too Small for a Day Care,..... 10 kids in one Bed and some on the floor? Not Happening!!!

Arise n Shine Velachery: Day Care/Play School
Pro’s:
·         Good Initiative of Play School. The little Activities they have in their day schedule, was based on a US Curriculum.
·         Big Infrastructure. There was room for good ventilation and natural light.
·         Good student to teacher ratio in play-school
·         Clean ambience
·         Good place for after-school activities
Cons:
·         Day care was not yet suitable for toddlers. They have just one ayah and the three kids I saw were quite of independent age group (5+)
·         Food should be packed by the student
·         Cost works to be on the upper side, but I felt it was reasonable, given their play school curriculum.

Final Thought: May be great for Play School, but Day care still lacked. My kid is just a toddler, and he would need someone to spoon feed and care for him.

Prahalth Velachery: Day Care/Play School
Pro’s:
·         First to start a day care or crèche in Velachery
·         The place had good Outdoor play area. Was more like a mini park.
·         Was told Food time will never be missed. That was their unique selling point!! We do whatever  it takes to feed the child (update: not anymore)
·         No Time Curfew on day care. (update: not anymore)
·         Good Care Giver to Children Ratio. The Place had close to 13 Care Givers!!! (Update: not anymore)
·         More conventional and Home like. No sophisticated talks, simple and teachers are very very caring. It's was a place, where children were made to feel more at home and learning through natural games.
·         The transition from mother to day-care was smooth, slow and steady!!!! The School allowed me to stay outside for almost a week in a row, for my son to gain confidence in the place.

·         More Hindu oriented (Yoga and Slogas are taught for children). Something minorities, like me, need to compromise, but hindu's take it to their advantage.  
·         Ms. Sheela looked experienced in the field of Play School or Day Care. She is about to start LKG, UKG,… so option to continue kinder garden is provide·  
      
Cons:
·         With experience comes challenges. Sometimes Ms. Sheela came out as a blunt, rude person to have a conversation with. But talking more to her, i felt it's more of  her mind caught up with the kids inside the playschool and little less to do with sounding rude or hurtful. She always, termed the children as "My Kids" and hung up on phone calls, so not to be distracted during the play school session.
·         Parents are not Allowed to see the playschool during weekdays.
·         Day Care takers, discipline kids through Spanking. 
·         Food should be provided by parents.
·         High care taker attrition. In two years, I've seen not one stay over a period of 3-6 months. Quality of care takers are also very low - mostly grumpy old women who are rude to kids.

Final Thought:

Updates: My son has been into Prahalath playschool two years  and day care 4 months when he was about a year and half and a week recently at three years. Initial thoughts (right below) were good. But, quality of day care from first term and now is awfully bad.  First, the tolerant, energetic young care givers are replaced with grumpy old nannies and little children seem to be at the receiving end. Physical spanking is something that I've been hearing about from two to three children who spent time at Prahalath day care. Second, Children come in the same clothes and even pottied diapers back to home. Initially, when the young gals were there, it was a routine to freshen up kids head to toe, before send-off. But now, even wet or pottied diapers are not changed. Food is NOT religiously fed. Don't be surprised if your kids looses weight or gets sunken eyes in just a week. My son got it! and i had to leave my job and stay at home for my kid, coz he was just loosing weight in just one week.  But, Prahalath Time Kids, schools still retains the best traits and dedication, that i felt initially when my child for a year and half. The Day Care option is best recommended for older kids who can take care of themselves and who just need a safe secure place to rest. But, younger kids, be sure to listen out to your child. If your child shows  withdrawal symptoms or is scared or says if he was spanked, don't be surprised. I don't wish to pay a day care for spanking my child,.....

Old comments: Prahalth was conventional and good,  overall, it's a place where parents need to have compromises of Brand, Sophistication or Structured curriculum. Initially, i felt it was a rude playschool, but over time i felt Ms. Sheela was so concentrated on kids that she had little time to respond to others. Their Playschool, Mam and teachers are no doubt good! Young girls are care takers. Children were constantly carried by them and shown around.  Diapers were changed and kids are given an evening freshen up, before they are handed over back to parents. 

So my take, Prahalath used to be the best day care center until recent organisation re-structuring,.... Sad, the only Conventional, Child-oriented center is now robbed out of it's passion by grumpy old folks,... Strongly recommend play-school.

Maple Bear Velachery: Play School/Day Care
Pro’s:
·         What got me interested was that the management team were Christians, something I thought which might be great for my toddler, given I’m one myself. But, even more was that the management team also reside in the premises, so greater control over the staff was assured both during play school and day care hours.
·         The Management had Good Course materials, Toys and Study Kit in line with Canadian School format.
·         I liked the fact that all staff members were in one accord conscious of management watching every bit of what they need to do.  Constant monitoring to deliver the best face forward to the child and duties.
·         Good Teacher to student ratio
·         Clean!!!! Really Clean Beds, Rooms, Materials, Toilets,…..
·         Food and snack provided by Maple Bear
·         A/C during Play School Hours. Play School Costs are also nominal.
Cons:
·         The house was too small. The day care room was a compact bed room .
·         Poorly ventilated. Absence of A/C does not irk me. But sealed windows, doors and poor air ventilation, surely does. This really got me off the track thinking twice.
·         Day Care costs are on hourly Slots. A late pick-up of 10 mins will translate as fine of 150INR for parents. “……….?????”
Final Review:  A Play School worth the Money. But, will my child get some room of Air to breathe??? Don’t wish him to be locked behind unventilated doors, so I rather keep looking out.

Kinder Lounge Velachery: Day Care/Play School
Pro’s:
·         Well-Structured Programs/ Food/ Activities
·         Food Menu is amazing with Rice day, wheat day,…. Good nutritious food planned for Children.
·         Seems to be the choice of Corporate or working women. Saw a lot of good family kids enrolled at this place
·         The only place where I noticed activity for Kids in Day Care.
Cons:
·         The quality of staff, somehow I felt they were not child friendly. 
·         The place was dark.
·         Overall I felt the place lacked love: a must factor for daycare centers

Final Review: The day Care food was the only good about Kinder Lounge. Kids looked obviously controlled and scared.

Apple Kids Velachery: Day Care/Play School
 Pro’s:
·         Well- ventilated, with loads of natural light and fresh air.
·         4 Ayyah’s (mostly retired women from decent family back ground). Good Child to care giver ratio.
·         Lot’s of Toddler kids. The place was so full of kids, life when I visited the place on a normal day care working day. The kids were allowed to do free play and visitors were given unrestricted access to the centre. Also, The Sr.KG kids, seem to sing all the rhymes (Group Singing), during their free play time.
·         Liked the fact that the place had open windows/doors and the center was so full of life. All kids (almost all kids) were happy. The place were I thought my son could have good amount of peers in his age group (almost 2yrs).
·         Cost Effective
·         Children were ensured to have be fed on time. Crying, happy, sad or lonely, the caregivers ensured       that every kid fed on time.
·         The center head of Velachery branch was a very committed, good person. Her passion to run the day care, was seen out directly through her conversation.
Cons:
·          The play School activity does not seem very structured for toddler play group.
·          The Volume was so high. The Children inside were a part of a group, for which a care giver was assigned. Somehow, the personal Hygiene or comforting care for a crying child was completely compromised. (I saw a kid nauseating down to his mouth and the caregiver, did not do anything with the Handkerchief right next to him. Even more, for an hour or so, a child crying for his mother, was left all alone to cry it all out,….).
·          Food is to be packed by parents.

Final Review:  Felt that the Day Care and Care givers were kind at face value. Can't blame them, given the volume of kids they have been assigned to manage. Will be a good place for kids above 4+ years. Toddlers who need personal care, may not find a home like atmosphere here. 

Podar Jumbo Velachery: Day Care/Play School

 Pro’s:
·          Normal Playschool set not on love for children but only for monetary  motive. So, facilities, schedules and activities are aligned accordingly.
Cons:
·          I did not have a chance to meet all teachers, but the care taker of day care who i met, was an ideal candidate for an ad commercial. Rosy talks and Colgate smiles, man you're in a business were passion, love and care meets. If Money is your only motive, kids are not your domain. Period!
·          Very rude to children. Hear it from the neighborhood kids who go to Podar Jumbo playschool.

Final Review: 
No Comments!

My Pick: I wanted my kiddo to go to a day care that has good care givers and place were he would not be left all to himself to figure it all out. I gave into Prahalath in 2014, since i felt it's was more conventional, non-monetary and child to care-giver ratio is good. Bryan, used to be in good hands. Sheela mam and her earlier team of young day care takers, ensured some security and care. But, now, Prahalath has changed. May be as a better Playschool (TIME) but day care, completely compromised on care or comfort. It takes love and passion for children to run a day care and i hear the grumpy old day care givers treat children like chickens (Rude and sometimes spanked).  Wish her luck in bringing back the human touch again to the center. it's time for change! Yes, Best care is mothers care and my hunt for best day care ends. I choose to stay at home for my child!! 

For others mothers, who have no option but to go to work, please take time to observe the place and take reviews directly from your child after they subscribe to a school or day care. Children cannot lie!!! and from the mouths of those little children, what i've been hearing is that they enjoy going to Tatva and Kids Day Home! I've not experienced those two places, but somehow trust these little minds when they say the like a place or if they don't. So, through them, i would recommend Tatva and Kids Day Home, to be the best day care in Velachery.



2 comments:

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