Lekha Merchant started off by asking the parents, why they had chosen Saifee nursery as a school for their children. Some of the parents said that they liked the non-structured set up, some said -the free play and some said that Saifee was the only nursery school that took children after they had completed two years of age.

She congratulated them for having chosen wisely. She talked about the two very salient features on which the entire Saifee philosophy was based and how the parents could also follow it at home.

She said that everybody at Saifee looks at learning as a natural process. The teachers at Saifee don’t really teach anything but facilitate natural learning. All children are born curious and this natural curiosity fuels learning. She reminded the parents about their children who at this stage must be wanting to touch anything they see, putting things into their mouths etc to make sense of the world around them. They are little explorers and this curiosity must not be curbed. It is up to us adults to create that safe environment at home where our little ones can explore. Strapping the children in a high chair, pram etc, for a great length of time is not a good idea. They need the freedom to crawl, roll, tumble, run, jump etc. Movement is an essential component of natural learning. Children develop both physically and mentally with this kind of movement. The children’s bones are growing at this stage. So all they really need is nutritious food, enough sleep, sunshine and ample space to move about. Enrolling them into playschools and activity classes at this stage is not a great idea because their bodies are not ready to follow a strict regimen. Moreover they cannot sit in one place for even a short period of time. They would rather move around and explore their surroundings. They feel very reassured by the gentle presence of their mother or caregiver. They love to hear the same song or lullaby over and over again because it is very reassuring for them.