Hilltots HKPPA comments

[mlam]

Does anyone know whether the Hilltots under HKPPA at Tai Hang Rd is the same as Starters before as it's exactly on Starters' location before & I wonder whether it has just changed its name.
And any comments on the current Hilltots as I would like to send my 18 months old there.
Thanks.

[josoo]

No, there used to be a Starters there as well. They closed Tai Hang down and there's only Wanchai now. Hilltots is completely separate. I saw Hilltots and maybe I'm fussy, but the toilets smelt really badly! It was dark as well, didn't want my daughter to be stuck in a small area even though we live across the street.

[mlam]

oh viewing what you wrote josoo i think i will visit the school before deciding as i'm extremely concerned about toilet's cleaniness. thanks for mentioning that.

[Arwen]

I was there about 4 months ago and to attend the trial class. I didn't like the place either as the setup is in a small apartment in the building. The place is old and cramped and not scoring high on my cleanliness list. My place is just 5 min walk to Hilltots but I rather travel the distance to elsewhere than to put my now 2 yr old there.

[cemily]

My son was there 2+ yrs ago when he was under 2yo. A friend highly recommended it because it helped to introduce discipline to his child. I personally did not like it. The place was generally not clean. The teacher was not particularly loving and I felt favouritism to some kids. The food they served was not healthy. But they did offer a variety of activities and they were not costly. I left after 1 term though I lived 5 minutes drive away.

Rgds

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[run4fun]

It is very fortunate that most of us here have clean and roomy home. But do you remember as a kid any place that you love to play that weren't the cleanest nor roomiest, but definitely one of your favorite? All parents wish to give the best to our kids but let's not forget to think from the kids' perspectives?

We also have to compare apples to apples. Hilltots is a non-profit organization. It only charges something like $80 per hour. It is more like a community play place. And for a community play place with an enthusiastic teacher, and for that a price, I think it's a good deal.

Now, here is also how I think differently. The world that our children will live in the future is going to be tougher, and more competitive than ours. We all want to give them the best. As much as we want to give and protect them, could we shelter them all their lives? How do you expect them to survive if they have lived in a green house all along.

Yes, we should filter out dangerous, violent and inappropriate things. But let your children see the world as it is, not through your glasses. Don't build in, at this age, the concept of prestigiousness and brands.

[run4fun]

If they are privileged enough to play at the private clubs, be sure balance it with lots of play in public park. Build up their sense of awareness. Build up their resilience. The most dangerous thing we could do is to raise a spoiled and fussy kid that cannot face up to any challenges of tomorrow.