I always take the children to grandma's on Wednesdays.
'Porto' = POR-to — first person of 'portare'. 'Mercoledì' = mer-ko-leh-DEE — four syllables, stress on the last.
Use when describing weekly family routines. Grandparents providing regular childcare is a central Italian family arrangement — mentioning it signals both family closeness and practical reality.
'Portare i bambini da + person' = 'to take the children to someone's place.' 'Dalla nonna' = 'to grandmother's' ('da + la nonna'). 'Il mercoledì' = 'on Wednesdays' — the article with days of the week indicates a recurring pattern.
I nonni vengono a prendere i bambini da scuola.
The grandparents pick the children up from school.
'Venire a prendere' = to come to pick up — describes the grandparent's role.
Mia madre li tiene tre pomeriggi a settimana.
My mother keeps them three afternoons a week.
'Tenere' = to keep/look after — common Italian verb for informal childcare.
Senza i nonni non saprei come fare.
Without the grandparents I wouldn't know how to manage.
Honest acknowledgment of the practical dependence on grandparent childcare.
Italian grandmothers providing informal weekly childcare is so universal that it is built into many families' work schedules. 'Il giorno della nonna' (grandmother's day) is a real weekly institution — both practical support and cherished ritual.