As a working parent, one of the decisions that you’d need to make before your maternity leave ends involves the care arrangement of your baby. While some are able to get help from their parents or in-laws to take care of their baby during the day, another popular option among working parents is to send their baby to an infant care centre.
While you may have some doubts about putting your baby in infant care, some of these worries may just be myths that new parents have about this care arrangement. Here, we explain some common misconceptions about infant care in Singapore to help you ease your worries.
1. Infant care teachers are exactly the same as nannies
There is a misconception that infant care teachers are essentially nannies or babysitters. This then prompts some parents to wonder if it is worth paying hundreds and thousands of dollars to have someone take care of their babies’ feeding and changing needs, as well as to put them to sleep.
In actual fact, there is more to being an infant educarer than following a care routine. Infant educarers are required to go through professional training and certification in order to teach at an infant care in Singapore. Responsible for creating a safe, welcoming and playful environment for little ones, knowledgeable educarers are able to enrich the minds and development of infants with proven teaching approaches.
Read also: 6 Key Factors That Influence Your Choice of Infant Care Centre in Singapore
2. Babies are left to cry in their cots in infant care in Singapore
The very thought of your baby being left to cry alone in his or her cot is heart-wrenching. One misconception about infant care in Singapore is that all the babies will be left in a room together with other wailing babies.
If you need reassurance, tour the infant care centre before enrolling your child and observe how the educarers interact with the babies. Also take into consideration the teacher-child ratio. The 1:3 teacher-child ratio for MindChamps Infant Care is within (and in fact lower than) the 1:5 infant care guidelines set by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA). This means that each infant receives more individual attention and plenty of loving cuddles from the educarers.
For example, the MindChamps Infant Care teacher is a potent source of age-appropriate stimulation for young minds as they are constantly kept updated on the latest research-backed practices.
Read also: Demystifying the Difference: Preschools, Kindergartens and Child Care Centres in Singapore
3. Babies will not have any play-learn routine
Some parents might wonder what babies do all day in an infant care centre, and if it is of any real value.
“Why would I pay so much money to have someone sing the ABCs to my child when he knows the song already? Everything they do at an infant care centre, we could easily do with my child at home for free.”
Such sentiments are quite common amongst parents who are skeptical about how “legitimate” the infant care centre’s routine is. Investigate and opt for an infant care centre in Singapore that provides a learning environment, curriculum and daily routine that you deem most beneficial for your little one.
Following a holistic “whole learning” approach, MindChamps infant educarers introduce a comprehensive range of multi-sensory, experiential activities that engage the S.M.I.L.E.S.™ (Sensory, Motor, Intellectual, Linguistic, Emotional and Social) elements.
Play-learn activities include Together Time (One on One), Rock-a-bye, Rough and Smooth, Funny Faces, and Baby Swing. This play-learn routine of age-appropriate stimulation contributes to infants’ building blocks of intellect.
Read also: 4 Types of Infant Care Programmes in Singapore
4. If you place your baby in infant care, you are basically neglecting them
On the contrary, your baby will have plenty of company in infant care. In a warm environment, surrounded by educarers and peers, infants get to soak in information through their sense of sight and hearing, which helps to boost their language acquisition.
Infant care in Singapore provides great opportunities for your child to socialise and bond with others. Rather than being left at home with one or two caretakers, infants can join other babies on their learning journey. One thing is for sure – your child will not be lonely.
5. It will be easy to secure a place for your child in infant care
If you are interested in placing your child in infant care, do not wait until the last minute to do so. Quality, in-demand infant care centres in Singapore fill up quickly.
Read also: 3 Ways MindChamps Provides the Best Infant Care in Singapore
Research shows that infancy is rife with learning opportunities – but there is a catch: The infant stage also flies by fast. To make the most of this window of learning opportunity,enrol your child in a quality infant care with a high-standard curriculum ahead of time, lest your child is waitlisted or relegated to a less than ideal childcare arrangement.
Your little one deserves the best start in life, and that starts with quality care and education from the get-go. Here is what parents have to say about MindChamps Infant Care.
Written by Jenny Tai