Tips for Parents
Nanny, Grandparents, or an International Nursery? Which is the Best Choice?
In all life decisions, we always weigh the pros and cons of each option. A trilingual international nursery will allow your child to naturally acquire three languages and develop social skills that cannot be nurtured in a relationship with just one adult. However, we all have different priorities, so each care solution should be carefully considered according to your needs.
A nanny or grandma offers flexibility, adapting to your schedule, but they may become ill or change jobs unexpectedly. While a nanny or grandma may provide more individualized attention, children may miss out on the important social skills they develop in a group of peers.
International nursery teachers are trained to foster young minds in the best possible way, while a nanny or grandma may not have the specialized skills or knowledge to support your child’s development in the same way.
Tips for Choosing a Good International Nursery in Warsaw:
The size of the group and the number of caregivers should allow for individualized attention. Our 1-year-old groups start with one child and two teachers and will not grow larger than 10 children after 10 months. This teacher/child ratio allows for nearly individual attention for each child. It feels almost like home, but is enriched with many educational activities.
The size of the group will also significantly influence the child’s ability to boost their immune system in a gentle way. While children in international nurseries may still get sick, small groups help students strengthen their immune system without the constant infections often seen in large groups of young children. While this group size cannot guarantee that your child will not get sick, it does offer a safer environment where your child can strengthen their immune system and allows you to continue your professional career.
When is the right moment to enter an international nursery?
We observe that around the age of one, children develop a strong desire for contact with other children and to explore the world beyond the home environment. This is a perfect time to establish routines and develop emotional skills in the company of peers. The international nursery environment, along with the expertise of qualified teachers and caregivers, sparks students’ natural curiosity and motivation for learning.
In Poland, maternity leave guarantees 12 months with your baby. If you’re seeking a high-quality education and care solution starting from your baby’s 13th month, ITSW International Nursery in Warsaw is the perfect choice.
When is the right time to start at an international nursery?
A good adaptation is a process that allows the parents to gain confidence that they leave their child in good hands. For the child adaptation is a process of gaining independence and step by step entering into a new environment first with and then without the parents presence. Good adaptation is conditioned by creating positive and trustful relationships of the child and the parents with the teachers. Good adaptation requires preparation, time, patience and emotional understanding.
What does neuroscience says about early language acquisition in a international nursery setting?
Neural and behavioral research studies show that exposure to language in the first year of life influences the brain’s neural circuitry even before infants speak their first words. Language acquisition has been shown to impact neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to undergo structural changes in response to stimulus, behavioral experience, or cognitive demands.These neurons are sensitive to the frequency and duration of speech sounds and can differentiate between different speech sounds, such as “ba” and “da.” As infants continue to be exposed to language, their brains develop more sophisticated neural networks for processing speech sounds, words, and sentence structures.
Why choose trilingual? Isn't a local nursery with just a few hours of English each week sufficient?
We are convinced that English is the lingua franca in today’s world. Nevertheless, reducing language diversity to English kills diversity. As children have a natural ability to absorb and learn languages, we strongly believe that learning in not one, not two but three languages is the best way for international students to build the cognitive, social and emotional capacities to thrive-wherever they go off to seek a brilliant future. All children have their home language, English is a must (lingua franca) and it is really the third language that makes the difference.
Will my child learn languages through watching TV and playing video games in English?
While it is important to surround your child with languages you would like them to acquire, screens will never replace the human interactions children need to learn the language. Watching Peppa Pig in English,a series with nursery rhymes, lullaby songs and BBC Cebeeies on TV can be used as a support but will not teach your child the language.
Help your child gain superpowers – book a place and unlock trilingualism!