Keeping Children in Preschools Safe

Since preschools are off-limits to parents, some may be wondering how their children are doing apart from the temperature-checks when you drop your kids off at their child care centres. As the Kindergarten 1 and 2 children head back to school last week, we get a glimpse of their lives in school!

How Is It Like In The First Week Of Preschool?

Is It Safe To Send My Child Back to Preschool?

While parents of graduating cohorts of primary, secondary, and pre-tertiary school-going children are eager to send their kids back to school and resume their preparations for the examinations, parents of younger children are in a dilemma – should I send my kids back to school?

Even though preschoolers may not have much academic studying to do, early education and early learning is still important for their development. Experts have said that early childhood education is beyond just the preparation for primary school. It focuses on the development of children’s social, emotional, physical, and cognitive needs that are crucial for their well-being in the long run.

Back to School Mad-Hatters' Party!

More importantly, after 2 months at home during Singapore’s Circuit breaker, children do require socialisation (albeit still at a distance), which preschools can provide. “We can’t keep our kids at home for so long. It will severely impact their socio-emotional wellbeing and their whole person development.” says Minister for Education, Ong Ye Kung.

For parents who are still concerned, preschools islandwide have stepped up cleaning and disinfection of their premises and equipment and there are lots of Safe Management Measures in place to ensure the safety of children.

It is also worth knowing that pediatricians have found that children who attend child care in their early years develop a protection and better immunity against infections in their later years. At child care centres, children are exposed to more viruses than at home which primes their immune system and immunity to fight the same infections later on. This may be just another benefit of sending your child to preschool even though it is not necessarily mandatory in Singapore.

That doesn’t mean that you are putting your children in danger, because you can also do a part to boost your child’s immunity, ensuring that they eat well, exercise regularly, and have healthy hygiene habits. All of these are what Mulberry Learning would priortise guiding and teaching your little ones as they head back to school.

Should there still be parents who may feel more comfortable with their children at home, there are still a plethora of home-based learning activities that they can rely on.

“We can’t keep our kids at home for so long. It will severely impact their socio-emotional wellbeing and their whole person development.” says Minister Ong Ye Kung.

How Do We Keep Children in Preschools Safe?

While we are mindful to roll out the various Covid-19 safe management measures, many may still be wondering how that would look like in reality in a child care centre. Our little ones may be young, but they are smarter, braver, adaptable and more resilient than many of us may think. The first week of school for the K1 and K2 children have went by successfully and here’s a peek into their time at Mulberry Learning!

Before the little ones head into the premises of our preschools, a temperature and health check is required. Little boxes are created on the floors to guide children to stand in line, away from their peers as they wait for their turn. Parents are also advised to display their SafeEntry confirmation for their child.

Children aged 2 years and older are also reminded to wear their masks or face shields when they are in the preschool premises except during mealtimes and when they are taking their naps. Wondering how to get little ones to put on their masks for long hours? We have some creative ways to persuade children to wear their masks or face shields!

Just as what children see when they head out, we’ve demarcated where they should sit when completing activities. During lesson time, they are given dedicated spaces to sit to ensure they maintain a safe distance away from their peers.

During play time, toys that children use are cleaned and disinfected regularly. They are also encouraged to play independently!

Even when sitting apart, children can enjoy their delicious and nutritious meals! Look at some of their smiling faces!

Finally, children are encouraged to wash their hands regularly and thoroughly, at least every 2 hours and especially before and after mealtimes, after toilet visits, or when their little hands are dirtied during classroom activities.

With all these measures in place, you can rest assured that your child will get that holistic development and early education he or she needs while keeping the germs at bay!

About Mulberry Learning

Established in 2006, Mulberry Learning is an award-winning Reggio-inspired preschool with 11 locations around Singapore. Mulberry Learning is the world’s first and only preschool network certified by the USA for the Habits of MindTM framework, and its curriculum has been voted as “Singapore’s Best Holistic Learning Programme” for 3 years running by leading parenting publications.

Find out more about our Signature Programmes

Exclusive Promotion

Looking for a preschool? Presenting Mulberry Learning’s Virtual School Tours: Register Your Interest to find out how Mulberry Learning can help your little ones become a confident communicator, independent thinker, and a passionate lifelong learner.

 

Mulberry School Tour

    Salutation *
    Surname *
    Given Name *

    Mobile *
    Email *

    * indicates required fields

    Given Name *

    Date of Birth *

    + Add another Child

    Second Child's Given Name

    Second Child's Date of Birth

    + Add another Child

    Third Child's Given Name

    Third Child's Date of Birth

    + Add another Child

    Fourth Child's Given Name

    Fourth Child's Date of Birth

    Programme Interested *

    Earliest Enrolment Date *

    How did you hear about Mulberry?
     Facebook
     Flyers
     Internet
     Email/E-Blast
     Forums
     Magazines
     Word of Mouth
     Others