‘My daughter is quite the fashionista and loves making new friends’

Every parent’s dream is to give their children the best they can. And this exercise begins from the time they are born till they are old to choose the best school within their means. A daunting task faces them the minute their kid is old enough to start going to school. Several sleepless nights are spent short-listing the schools.

The same was true for Neha Arora, an influencer who talks about parenting and fashion to name a few, and her husband, Nikhil Arora when it came to looking for a school for their daughter Inaaya who is now in Nursery at Apeejay School, Pitampura.

“Though we filled over 20 forms from the top schools in and around where we live, we wanted Inaaya to study at Apeejay. There were a few reasons. First, my husband is an alumnus of this school. Second, through him, I had heard only good things about the Pitampura branch. We are thankful that she finally got through here,” Neha said.

Excerpts from an interview.

How was the admission process?

It was such a marathon that started in December 2021 and ended in March this year. At Apeejay, the first step was online where we had to fill out the form.  My husband is an alumnus of this school so the rest of the process was a lot smoother in getting the admission done. But till she got admission we had plenty of sleepless nights. We had filled forms in so many schools and had not got a call from even one of them till we got a call from Apeejay. It was such a relief that I started crying.

What was your checklist for Inaaya when you started to shortlist schools for her?

Besides, the fact that my husband and brother-in-law are from Apeejay School, Pitampura, and had heard only good things about it; it is one of the top schools in North Delhi. We had filled out 25 forms from different schools but we were very keen that our daughter goes to Apeejay only; it was among the top 5 schools on our list. However, we had not expected Inaaya to get through to this school.

How is your daughter doing in school now?

The COVID-19 pandemic meant that she could not go to a preschool for more than a month. She was just starting to settle in when everything shut down. But I am an influencer and deal with parenting and fashion. So during the lockdown period, I would always engage with Inaaya in activities. I was also her teacher during this time – taught her Sensory play among other things.

Also by nature, she is an extrovert and loves to socialise. Settling her down in the school was not a tough task. She was waiting to go to school and settled perfectly into a fixed routine. The first few days were a blast for her but now she is extremely attached to her teacher Kavita ma’am.

Can you tell us a little about the teachers here?

As I said, Inaaya is extremely fond of Kavita ma’am. And the best part about her is that my husband and my brother-in-law were also taught by her. We call it a family school. We have a special place for her in our hearts; she is so calm and polite all the time. Another great thing about her is that she knows every student – she knows their strengths and weaknesses – even though there are 50 students in a class. Hats off to her!

What does your daughter love doing?

She loves doing pretend plays and writing. She also loves to learn new things. Like me, she also has an Instagram handle and a Blog where we promote a lot of kids’ brands. She has also been associated with a lot of paediatrician-approved and dermatology-approved skincare brands. I would say she is quite a fashionista.

Can you share some parenting tips?

It depends from parent to parent and family to family. But there are a few things that each parent can do. No two kids are the same and hence how you deal with the situation that may arise is also different. I would say that the behaviour of the parent is more important. Kids learn from what they see. Parents are role models for toddlers. If the kid sees his parents being respectful and courteous, he/she will automatically learn those values.

Second, parents must teach their children manners and social etiquette. A child must know how to behave in public, have to greet the elders and even those who are younger to them. Third, spend time with your child. COVID-19 made toddlers cooped up in homes. The result is that they are afraid to go out. Ensure that they are used to seeing people around them. Take them out to the park where there are other kids. Encourage them to socialise.

“Parents must teach their children manners and social etiquette. A child must know how to behave in public”

–Neha Arora, Influencer and Blogger