Being a new first-time parent has made me realize that there are so many small knick-knacks when it comes to parenting that I’ve never thought about before. Sure, there are guides, books, and helpful friends who are more than willing to shell out their personal experience to help guide you into a new chapter of your life, but there are so many different styles of parenting that it feels almost impossible to find a “right” one.

At the beginning of this year, when the beijingkids team was putting together our 2020-2021 School Choice Guide I had the opportunity to look at profiles of essentially every international school in the city. One of the things that confused me the most was preschools who listed their student age range starting from 0.

As an overly practical person, it got me wondering, did that mean that some new parents in Beijing were going from the hospital to the preschool? Am I missing out on a new parenting trend?

To find out more, I had a chat with Vivian Shao, Co-Founder of Journey Academy of Beijing (JA), one of the schools that accepts students from ages 0-6, and offers Mommy & Me classes for kids under 1-year-old.

Before joining JA in 2016, Shao worked in the government on top-level design projects and overall planning, and has extensive experience in systems management and handling international affairs. She has worked and lived in different countries, harbors an open attitude and international vision, and a unique opinion on how to develop children’s recognition of their Chinese identity in a global environment.

In the process of nurturing her own child, Shao realized there was a shortage of high-quality early childhood education resources that accept Chinese nationals. She decided to leave her career and co-founded Journey Academy of Beijing with her partner, a decision she made for her own children and the children of families with common educational values.

“We know parents’ needs and anxieties, and value the parent’s voice. Most of all, we are committed to cultivating global citizens that are life-long learners, rooted in Chinese culture and identity, to become talented leaders for our future world and the rise of China,” Shao tells beijingkids.

Located in the pioneering international community of Chaoyang District, JA is dedicated to offering excellent education services to children from the ages of 0-6 years old. The aim is to preserve children’s aspirations, empower their curiosity, and inspire their passion to find infinite discoveries. JA’s education program is based according to the principles of the IB PYP curriculum. They have adopted the Reggio Emilia approach to inspire the children’s natural talents, and inspire them to achieve the impossible. JA’s unique language learning system is devoted to cultivating children to be native speakers in both English and Chinese. The House System in JA develops a student’s sense of belonging and allegiance to their Houses during their time there. JA is committed to cultivating world citizens that are knowledgeable, balanced, empathetic, and enthusiastic about social affairs, and actively contribute to the community.

Unlike a few other kindergartens in Beijing, JA accepts students ranging from ages 0-6 years old. Can you tell us a bit about why your school is accepting children under 6-months-old?

Our program for children under 3-years-old is Reggio, which helps young children develop their motor skills, language, social and emotional development. We have classrooms designed especially for young children, equipped with baby care facilities that are safe and eco-friendly. Also, our teachers have rich experiences in teaching children under 6 months. We also provide classes for the parents too, to help new parents to learn more about the development of children.

What is a typical class for kids under 6-months-old like?

Children under 6-months-old are developing their senses and motor skills. We provide lots of different materials for them to feel, lots of music and rhythm games, and of course baby sports.

What kind of skills does a child under 6 months learn at Journey Academy?

Motor skills, sensory development, bilingual environment, music, social, and emotional development.

What’s the tuition for a child who attends the Mommy & Me class?

RMB 6,000 per ten-class package
RMB 8,000 per month (twice a week)
Group discount is available, please contact the Admissions Office (details below).

*Hear that parents? This is a perfect opportunity to get a few friends together for Mommy & Me classes, where you and the kids get to spend time together and save some money in the process.

For first time expecting moms, when do you recommend they start looking at kindergartens?

Many parents start to look for kindergartens during their pregnancy! Different families have different understandings and demands for early year education. We think it is very important to know more about the kindergartens around your home before choosing. We recommend parents to decide on their children’s kindergarten before 2-years-old.

Is there an interview process for infants? If so, what does it involve?

We have interviews for application families. The interview covers the assessments for language, recognition, social, emotional, and physical development.

What is a Mommy & Me class like for a first time mom? What can she expect to learn from the class? What can her baby expect to learn from the class?

We think it is very important for new moms to feel safe and relaxed in our classes. Mothers have lots of work to do to take care of their children, they need academic and psychological support from us. We teach parents and their babies interactive activities, sports, art and music activities, and also workshops for the parents.

During the COVID-19 period, how can parents get to know Journey Academy better? Will you be holding online school tours?

Feel free to visit our website, follow us on WeChat (ID: JourneyAcademy), call over or drop a message to our Admission Department at +86 171 5013 9988 (for phone and WeChat enquires).

During the COVID-19 period, we offer Online Admission Talk for families interested in learning more about Journey Academy. Feel free to register through our Admission Department.

Photos: Journey Academy of Beijing

I have wished many times my child could go back to being a baby. How wonderfully easy were those days, compared to now when she is four years old, mobile and very talkative. Just have another baby, you might say, but it’s not that easy. However after I visited the new Green Garden in Lido I wished I had another baby on my hip. I came in feeling rushed and so busy with work, but when I entered I felt immediately relaxed and peaceful. I love places with great design and pretty visual aspects.

“A respectful beginning is an investment in the future of the relationship between your child and you, your child and others, and in your child’s exploration of the world.” – Magda Gerber, Your Self-Confident Baby

But this place is not only pretty, it has a purpose. Babies from birth to 36 months are welcomed to this nursery with love. Ying Zhang (Vivian) and Jemina Villanueva-Vallee (Jea) have been working tirelessly to get this space ready for the smaller kids to toddle around and be respected. Green Garden’s vision is a courageous one, and much needed in Beijing. The two mothers work with the parenting philosophy RIE, which stands for Recourses for Infant Education. The RIE approach is a method which allows parents and carers to see the world through the child’s eye, talking to the children like a normal person and respecting their feelings and wishes.

Imagine this scenario: Your baby cries, but instead of grabbing the diaper and performing a uniform change, you talk them through it. “I’m going to change you now, because your diaper is wet.”

The Green Garden is a international nursery designed for young children and the loving adults in their lives. Zhang and Villanueva-Vallee believe that young children learn best through self-initiated exploration of their environment, discovery through play and interactions with other children. All the fabrics are eco-friendly organic materials, along with sustainable wood from Thailand and a non-toxic chocolate-smelling floor. And I can tell you it’s the best thing ever for my nose. The nursery also offers support services for parents, caregivers, and educators of infants and toddlers. Go have a look at this peaceful place in the hustle and bustle of Beijing; I promise you won’t regret it.

Photos: courtesy of Green Garden

For the coming weeks, we will be highlighting local and international schools around Beijing from our upcoming 2014-2015 School Choice Guide, which comes out in early February 2014. Scroll down for more information on how to participate in our annual school choice fair in March 2014.

Jack and Jill Children’s Center is a full-day childcare and education provider. The child-focused teaching practices are the cornerstone of a dynamic learning process designed to build up students’ curiosity and enthusiasm for knowledge. The curriculum is designed and implemented by a professional teaching team. Based on various curricula, influences include HighScope, Reggio Emilia, and Chinese culture. In an environment where children are the “real owners,” they will strengthen mind, body and spirit as they explore the world around them, develop communication and social skills, and learn to think proactively and independently, judge and solve problems.

Founding date: October 2012

School type: Local early childhood education center

Grades offered: Nursery and kindergarten

Tuition fees (2013-2014 academic year): RMB 70,000

Registration fee: RMB 2,000

Lunch fee: RMB 600/month

Lunch offered: Organic, nutritionist-approved Chinese and western food

Age range: 2-6

Number of students: 50

Nationality of students: China, US, Malaysia

Foreign passport holders accepted? Yes

Local Chinese students accepted? Yes

Primary teaching languages: English and Chinese

Class size: 18-20

Teacher/student ratio: 1:4

School hours: 8.30am-4.30pm

After-school activities: Western and Chinese holiday events, out-of-campus activities, extracurricular courses (cooking, comics, and more), winter and summer camps

School facilities: Library, multi-function room, cooking classroom, park

Total area: 800sqm

School nurse or doctor available? Yes

Contact: Rm 105-108, Bldg 1, Chevalier Apartments, 2 Shangjialou Lu, Chaoyang District (8436 1861, 139 1188 6574, shuang.p@jacknjill.cn) www.jacknjill.cn 朝阳区尚家楼路2号院裘马都1号楼105-108室 

Word from a Parent:
“During our first visit to Jack and Jill Children’s Center, we were deeply impressed with the warm service and lovely facilities, all of which are designed especifically for children. Our 3-year-old daughter fell in love with it at first sight. Teachers respect Szeen and give her freedom to play, which is particularly important to us. She enjoys Jack and Jill’s out-of-campus activities: visiting a hypermarket, seeing the process of baking bread, taking part in a bread-making course, dressing up as a fairy for Halloween and visiting the fire department – all of these are memorable things that she has shared with us.“ Chea Hooi Khor and Ban Fong Lim (Malaysia), parents of Szeen (3)

For more information on the 2014-2015 School Choice Guide email editor@beijing-kids.com and click here to view the 2013-2014 School Choice Guide on ISSUU. For more information on our upcoming School Choice Fair on March 1-2, 2014, please e-mail  schoolchoicefair@truerun.com.

Photo courtesy of Jack and Jill Center

Chances are, you’ve never heard of Twinkle Twinkle Play and Learning Center. Neither had we – until a reader emailed us to recommend it. Located in Lido, Twinkle Twinkle Play and Learning Center is a Japanese-owned nursery and kindergarten that caters to children aged 18 months to 5 years. The school features small groups of no more than 10 students each, and offers half-day and full-day programs.

Reader Maya Yaron (originally from Israel) first heard about Twinkle Twinkle Play and Learning Center on BeijingCafe two years ago. Her son, now 3, has been attending the school since he was 18 months old.

Twinkle Twinkle features an in-house chef who prepares lunch daily, lots of special events, and arts classes. In addition, the schools helps kids with independent skills such as hand washing, clean up, and toilet training. Every child enjoys a birthday celebration, and there’s a good mix of foreign, Chinese, and Japanese students.

The school especially encourages creativity. “I love that they sing and dance every day,” Yaron writes. “They [also]do lots of arts. They have a special wall outside on which they can draw.”

Currently, a full-day program at Twinkle Twinkle (including lunch and snacks) costs approximately RMB 69,000 for 11 months.

“I only have good things to say about this place,” continues Yaron. “Our son runs every day to the school bus happily.”

The school is planning to run a summer camp from August 19-30.

To find out more about Twinkle Twinkle, contact Laura He at 8457 4060, 15 1179 81207, or laura.he@xingyibaby.com. Click here for the school’s official website.

Photos courtesy of Maya Yaron and Laura He