The primary care pediatric nurse practitioner is offering anticipatory guidance to the parents of a 12-month-old child. The parents are bilingual in Spanish and English and have many Spanish-speaking relatives nearby. They are resisting exposing the child to Spanish out of concern that the child will not learn English well. What will the pediatric nurse practitioner tell the parents?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Research indicates that most bilingual children are able to shift from one language to another when appropriate, and that the development of one language does not negatively impact the development of the other. In fact, children who learn two languages at an early age often have cognitive benefits and may have better communication and problem-solving skills later in life. It is important to encourage the use of both languages in a bilingual child's life, including exposure to family members who only speak one language or the other.

The Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Is Offering Anticipatory Guidance