Why Playgroup?

Many people had commented seeing the positive 'results/difference' in Renee after we've signed her up with the playgroup sessions(Gifted Tots) at Growing Up Gifted(GUG) and that made me glad that I've made the sacrifices. Sacrifice? - hey, not near hor, take an hr to get there, by LRT, then MRT and the waiting/long walks? Plus, to ensure her nutrients intake(n mainly becos she doesn't appreciate 'outside' food) I've to cook and bring her food out! lolz but it's ok, cos if I'm the mother and don't do it, who would?

Ok, some asked, why signed her up at such early age? Some may say it's KS but somehow, if you asked around, u will find that most of today's mothers will agree that, early learning is now inevitable, especially in this modern generation. However, on this note, it is in my opinion that we should not put un-necessary stress on our kid(s)and anything before the age of 2 is abit too young I feel. It's important for them to have fun at this age and too much of proper 'learning' too early might have adverse effect later.
That is why, though it is somehow considered late to some, we've only signed her up when she's 28 mths old - many of her classmates were from the Gifted Babes class and some had even started as early as from less than 1 yr old but I've learnt from their parents that not all are there just becos the parents are being KS - I shall not elaborate their reasons here.

Now, the main reason we let her attend playgroup sessions is that at this learning/brain still developing age, they have this insatiable energy and it's hard to keep up at times, so, to make her happy, I've to keep bringing her out and also to help her 'get in touch with the world' :) Ok ok, I'm also one who cant stay at home for long - boring rite and since I've given up most of my work to care for her, bringing her out has become a form of 'excercise' for both of us :D
However, how often can I bring her out? It'll soon be boring again cos there're just these few places that I can bring her to. One day, I was reading a friend's blog and I saw how much her girl has achieved from the childcare centre and I thought, why don't I sign her up for some 'learn through play' kinda playgroup so that she can have her high level of energy WELL spent and without the pressure of actual learning. So, I went on a long search for a suitable centre and 1 Sat, after viewing some places, realised that I was on the wrong track - those around housing area are mostly childcare centres and nearby ones don't appeal to me cos of their teacher/child ratio and the 'lack of quality'.
No no, It's not about enrolling our child into a so-called posh school, as there're many others which are more costly but being fussy in this area, I hope to enrol her with a school with a better quality - but better qualified teachers are paid higher, so we'll have to be prepared to pay higher fees.
(In fact, our part-time cleaner who works in childcare centres, she saw Renee's artworks and commented that they're more 'creative' as compared to those done at where she's worked in, so here's one difference already)

Another round of search persued and finally, I've shortlisted Gymboree(more on fun) and GUG(art&craft, fun activities, songs...). Though her daddy was quite reluctant at first but hearing that it's a parent-accompanied programme(and since I'm willing to bring her all the way there) and it'll be fun for her, he decided on GUG.

I guess going to the playgroup sessions does really help, cos being there with her, I can see that she really enjoys doing the artworks & singing and most of these artworks are something which most of us wont allow at home, for fear of the mess/dirt they'd create hahaha. Furthermore, we won't know where to start and what to 'create'... Best of all, though she's quite an independant girl, she's very sticky to me, so these sessions also allowed me to train her to be less sticky, which will be very very 'useful' when it's time for her to attend nursery or when we have our 2nd child(that's IF we have lah, just for example only cos many mommies who are pregnant now told me that they don't want their precious 1st born to feel like they're being dumped at the schools on the arrival of the 2nd baby...- Hey look, I also benefit in learning something from accompanying her to the sessions lolz)

And couple of months ago, just as we've both kinda settled-in comfortably with this school, her daddy, whom has probably seen the improvement in her, felt that perhaps it's time for her to go to a place where there's more learning since by the time she turns 3 next year, we will still have to 'upgrade' her to the non-parent accompanied prog (actually, she's supposed to be upgraded when she turned 2 1/2yo as per GUG's prog guide but I delayed as she's only just started then. And when we resumed after the 1 mth break, I was told that there's no vacancy and she'll hv to join next year, which was also fine with me 'cos I'd prefer her to continue with this parent accompanied programme till she's at least 3). And though I'm quite hesitant(on the 'more learning part'), her daddy's the one paying :D So now, headache again cos WHERE?! arrrggghhh...