South London Press, Tuesday June 30 2009

Nursery where fish help potty training

KIDS’ ‘HOME FROM HOME’ MARKS FIRST YEAR

A HI-TECH nursery which uses innovative potty-training methods has celebrated its first year.

Rainbow Smiles in Rosendale Road, Dulwich, opened its doors in May last year.

Dad-of-two Tariq Ayyub, 45, a former IT worker, converted his old house to incorporate hi-tech, child friendly equipment including computers and SMART Boards.

But the nursery’s crowning glory is a fish tank built into the bathroom to encourage the Toddlers to give up their potties.

He said: “The children like the toilets. It makes it fun for them.

“You want them out of nappies and to get potty-trained and this works because they want to see the fish, but to see them, they have to go to the toilet.

“It’s all about making learning a game. Our changing rooms have got built-in steps leading to a sink, which they love because all kids want to run up stairs and it encourages them to wash their hands before they eat.”

Tariq  came up with the idea for the nursery because he was unhappy with the standard of childcare available to his sons.

He said “My whole emphasis when building this was to ask. “Would this be good for my children?”

“My perspective is that parents like a nursery that feels like a house. Everything in the nursery has the children in mind.”

He hopes his business will be granted planning permission to increase its capacity from 32 to 45 children.

By Nadia Gilani

South London Press,

Tuesday June 30 2009