A Non-Mom’s Perspective On Attending Preschool for the First Time
Before I begin, I just want to disclose a quick disclaimer that doing this was a little bit outside of my comfort zone—but it was an incredibly fun experience and a learning one nonetheless, so I hope you guys enjoy reading!
Just to give a quick backstory, my kabarkada from Poveda, Blossom, helps manage a preschool and day care center in Ortigas, and she’s been inviting me and my cousin, Loki (if you follow me on Instagram, I’m sure you know him very well!), to do a couple of trial classes and see how it goes. It took me a while to finally schedule it, but one Saturday morning last January, I was able to bring both Loki and his older sister, Yoki, to a Baby and Me class at Hills Learning Zone in Parc Chateau, Onyx Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig.
Of course, being a non-mom who has literally no idea how these things work, I entered the classroom as shyly and as quietly as my cousins did. We were a little early (classes were at 10:30, but we were there before 10). I was so glad that Blossom happened to be the teacher for that morning, so she briefed me that they usually let the kids have playtime while waiting for the rest of the students to arrive.
Their Baby and Me class is a unique way to introduce new parents to their progressive style of teaching, at the same time, it helps students adjust and get used to the classroom environment, before they can eventually start attending classes on their own.
To be honest, I was so amazed with how easily Blossom was able to get everyone’s attention—most especially Loki’s! Being his older cousin (we’re 25 years apart!), one of the things I have yet to learn, now that he’s in his “threenager” stage, is getting him to listen to me. It wasn’t like before when he was a baby, and everything was a breeze. I could borrow him from his parents, bring him to the Cupcake’s house so that we can take him to the village park, or drive him to the zoo—he would never have tantrums and it wasn’t much of an effort to take care of him.
Nowadays though, he’s a little bit naughtier, wants to do things his way, and will sometimes throw tantrums. I guess it’s normal for his age, but it’s a challenge I’m not very used to yet. And so with that hesitant mindset of taking him to class for the first time in his life, I expected the worst. I thought he wasn’t going to listen, participate, or interact with the other kids.
But Blossom (and I think this applies to all the highly trained teachers of Hills Learning Zone) was a kid whisperer. She found a way to get everyone to clean up the toys before starting the class, and when class did start, I genuinely enjoyed watching Loki slowly come out of his shell and participate. I felt like a stage mom who couldn’t stop taking photos and videos of him!
So that’s basically my experience of attending a preschool class for the first time with Loki. Even I enjoyed it so much, I’m already looking forward to the next Baby and Me class with him.
To talk a little bit more about the school, Hills Learning Zone was established in 2008 in Corinthian Hills Clubhouse as a children’s learning center, before expanding and moving their school in Ortigas three years later. They try to keep their classes small, to be able to tend to each child and foster a holistic development among young children. They offer an individualized program by providing developmentally appropriate practices, as they value and recognize the uniqueness and individuality of each child.
I was a witness to the fun and stimulating environment of their classroom, and it really was amazing to see my cousins engage in the activities. They told me right after class that they couldn’t wait to go back!
They have Preschool Programs that cater to children ages 1 to 5 years old, Tutorial Programs that focus on Enrichment Classes, Mandarin Classes, ESL Tutorials, and Spanish Tutorials, and Summer Programs so that children can have a fun and productive summer.
One of the things that stood out for me the most is their Daycare Service, which is available from 8:30am to 5pm. Just thinking about it from a working woman’s perspective, I’m sure there are a lot of on-the-go women who balance their careers and being a mom. And I think it’s so convenient to have this kind of service available in a business district. You can drop off your kids at Hills Learning Zone before work, have them attend classes and be cared for by their dedicated teachers (all of whom have a degree in Child Development Education, Development Education, and Psychology), and just pick them up right after work. The best part about it is that you know your kids are in good and safe hands (plus they’re learning and growing while they’re at it!).
If you want to know more about Hills Learning Zone, you can visit their website here. You can also contact them at (02) 638-7844, 0917-896-0046, or hillslearningzone@gmail.com. You can even get 62% off their Baby and Me Class for Php 249 instead of Php 650 when you book through Metro Deal here.
Hills Learning Zone: Preschool and Day Care Center in Ortigas
2F Parc Chateau Condominium, Onyx Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City
