‘We were bowled over by the warmth with which we were greeted at this school’

Parenting can be a daunting task especially if both parents are working. Spending quality time becomes essential so that the toddler doesn’t miss out on the opportunity to bond with the parents in his/her formative years. While some parents find it tough to juggle their jobs and spend time with the kids, Aditya Kar and his wife Deepali Jalpota have mastered this art. What makes it a bit easy for them is that working in the IT sector means that they work from home post-Covid.

In an impromptu interview, both talk about their son — Krishvik Kar — who has recently been admitted to the nursery at Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park.

Why did you end up choosing Apeejay?

Aditya: I have been in Delhi forever. I knew about Apeejay since it is near to where we live. What sealed the deal for us was that when we went to submit the application form physically, other schools just had a drop box outside the gate; at Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park we were greeted by Shalini ma’am who heads the nursery section. She gave us a tour of the premises and we were bowled over.

Deepali: Back then we didn’t know who she was nor did she give the impression that she was an important person. She was courteous and greeted us with a lot of humility. There was so much pride in her voice as she showed us the school and the infrastructure impressed us no end.

What were some of the things that you heard?

Deepali: My sister studied at the Apeejay School of Management (ASM-Dwarka). I had even heard the name of Dr Stya Paul sir; he was a visionary of sorts. We spoke to a lot of pre-primary teachers and they all had good things to say about Apeejay. We had read that some of its schools were ranked NO 1 by the Times School Survey. We did a lot of Internet searches and went with everything with a toothcomb. But the warmth we got the first time we visited the school, and the fact they had adopted the NEP 2020 and had thematic learning clinched the deal for us. We prayed that Krishvik would get admission here.

Did your son attend preschool and how did it help?

Deepali: He did attend preschool but most of it was online. But from November last year, he used to go once or twice a week. We are a Bengali household and language is a bit of an issue. We intentionally taught him Bengali first. We knew he would learn this language in school. The preschool teachers were super supportive. They said that we should continue to teach him his Mother tongue first. Once in preschool, he picked up English.

When he started school at Apeejay he was very confident and any remaining gap was bridged here. He now speaks Hindi as well. We are happy that he can speak three languages.

Why do parents stress about learning English so much?

Deepali: It is not so much about English or Hindi. It is more about having a common language to converse in. We started with Bengali but the problem was that when he went out in a non-Bengali community, he was at sea. I am a Punjabi and my parents had a tough time having a conversation. Things are better now since he knows two more languages. English is a universal language so communication becomes easy.

Aditya: We work in the IT sector and need to deal with clients from all over the world. English is the one language that makes things easy for better communication.

How do you spend quality time with your son?

Deepali: It helps that we are working from home. Also, we stay with my in-laws. My husband and I follow different shifts. In the morning Aditya spends time with him and in the evening I do. Each one of us has different games that we play with Krishvik. With my husband, he plays more physical games and with me, he loves to play teacher-student where he is the teacher and I am the student. We do a little learning as well.

What are things that he has picked up?

Aditya: He has picked up several things. There has been a huge change in him in the last three-four months. He can write three-letter words. He becomes his class teacher Khushboo ma’am when he plays with my wife. He can write in a straight line on the whiteboard that has no ruler lines.

What about parent-teacher interaction?

Deepali: Khushboo ma’am is really good and takes care of him. When we play teacher-student he repeats what she says. I know that she disciplines him as well. Also, whenever we reach out to her she immediately responds. She gives ideas as well and is very approachable.

“There has been a huge change in him in the last three-four months. He can write three-letter words.”

-Aditya Kar, IT Professional & Father of Krishvik who is in Nursery at Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park