How do you keep your heritage alive in your kids?
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Being married to an American it's been challenging teaching my daughter Spanish. It was easier when she was younger but since my in-laws babysat often she'd get confused. And they would also get confused and asked what she was saying. Now that we live with our in-laws I still try but it's hard. Thankfully one of my daughters teachers is Peruvian and she speaks to her in Spanish.
How do you ladies do it? Are you trying to raise your children bi-lingual?
How do you ladies do it? Are you trying to raise your children bi-lingual?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Laura on -
Hello,
I too am married to someone who is not hispanic. He is Polish-Italian. I did not (much to the disappointment of my parents) teach my two boys spanish when they were little. My oldest is in his 3rd year of highschool spanish and is doing quite well. The best part is I am still able to help him with his spanish homework. My youngest son is constantly asking what this or that is in spanish.
Ever since they were small, we taught them about different traditions from their different backgrounds. We are very close to all the grandparents and spend time with them. I cook both mexican and italian food. My kids prefer to eat at home because, as they say, my food is better than the stuff they can get out. Aren't I lucky, but I do enjoy cooking.
There are many traditions, especially for the holidays that they have been exposed to and we enjoy.
I have to share my sister is also married to a non-hispanic and she is teaching her kids both languages. My niece is 2 1/2 and is fully bilingual in spanish and english. Her twin boys are only 7 weeks old, so too young yet to speak. My mom helps her daily and only speaks in spanish to the kids.
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Permalink Reply by Crisangwich on -
My son is half white/half hispanic...we call him our "Czechzican"...LOL!
My mom watches him while we both work and she teaches him lots of things in Spanish. I want him to really immerse himself in the latin culture...especially when he gets older. :o)
Christina
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Permalink Reply by Mary on -
I wish I had been smarter about this and stuck to speaking Spanish to my little girl. I know a couple who are Venezuelan but the wife has German parents. She speaks to their kids in German, the dad in Spanish and the girls learned English in school. That's the way to go. I wonder if it's too late with my 4 year old.
Laura said:Hello,
I too am married to someone who is not hispanic. He is Polish-Italian. I did not (much to the disappointment of my parents) teach my two boys spanish when they were little. My oldest is in his 3rd year of highschool spanish and is doing quite well. The best part is I am still able to help him with his spanish homework. My youngest son is constantly asking what this or that is in spanish.
Ever since they were small, we taught them about different traditions from their different backgrounds. We are very close to all the grandparents and spend time with them. I cook both mexican and italian food. My kids prefer to eat at home because, as they say, my food is better than the stuff they can get out. Aren't I lucky, but I do enjoy cooking.
There are many traditions, especially for the holidays that they have been exposed to and we enjoy.
I have to share my sister is also married to a non-hispanic and she is teaching her kids both languages. My niece is 2 1/2 and is fully bilingual in spanish and english. Her twin boys are only 7 weeks old, so too young yet to speak. My mom helps her daily and only speaks in spanish to the kids.
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Permalink Reply by Mary on
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Oh, I know about the lingos :) Peruvians enunciate the words more. I dated a Puerto Rican guy in college and he couldn't speak Spanish too well. When he did, it was pretty awful. I understood why when I met his parents. Only one of them seem to speak Spanish clearly because they had been in this country for so long that they began to mix the English and Spanish together and formed their own language!
Rominna DeLeon said:My son is four and he right now speaks in both languages. We share a house with my parents so they speak spanish all the time, the only confusion is when he speaks to my husbands side of the family in NY becaue the Puerto Rican lingo is very different than the Peruvian lingo and than you add a hint of NY.
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Permalink Reply by Mary on
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Having grandparents talk about their past is great for kids. I heard a lot from my grandmothers. Sadly both my grandfathers died when I was 3 and 5 respectively. What pains me now is that Kiana doesn't have grandparents on my side. My dad always had great stories so I guess it's up to me to relate them to Kiana. My daddy passed away in April of last year. My mom died of breast cancer when I was 11 so I don't remember our conversations. But I do remember the stories my grandmothers and dad told me. I'm putting together essays and diary entries for my little girl because I wish I had the same from my parents especially now that I'm a mom.
•Betty• said:We live very close to my parents & they are our babysitters. They pick our son up from school every day & he stays with them till we pick him up in the evenings. This has helped because my mom still speaks lots of spanish. She talks to us in spanish & we respond in english, don't know why this happens, weird. My son speak & understand english very well. Wanted to see if I could get another language in him, but we'll see. We always introduce him to our foods and my grandparents tell him about what it was like growing up & living in mexico.
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Permalink Reply by Mary on -
We speak English to them but hubby and I speak Spanish to each other. My son doesn't Speak Spanish because he can not pronounce most of the words but he understands quite a bit. My daughter is completely bilingual and if she is watching a movie she would often ask me if they are speaking in Spanish or English. Because we are living in PR right now they get to play with children who only speak Spanish and they do well. My son is more shy about it but he can have a simple conversation with a Spanish native speaker...IF they tolerate the accent that is! About the culture...we are more americanized.
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Permalink Reply by Nina on -
I am definitely teaching my kids to speak both languages. Not only becuase of other benefits (like future jobs, math skills, etc) but becuase it is important not to lose your roots. My mom understands a lot of english but has a thick accent so she prefers to communicate in Spanish. My husband is the same. I am fluent in english so I speak to my kids in spanish, and my mom and Jose in English so that they all learn. I don't really have a tried and true way, I just speak to them. Just remember that no one was born knowing any language, they learned bc someone taught them. Speak to them. They will catch on. Hey, maybe so will your inlaws! lol Suerte!
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Permalink Reply by Mary on
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You're right Nina! I will make a better effort from now. Thanks for sharing your tactics!
Nina said:I am definitely teaching my kids to speak both languages. Not only becuase of other benefits (like future jobs, math skills, etc) but becuase it is important not to lose your roots. My mom understands a lot of english but has a thick accent so she prefers to communicate in Spanish. My husband is the same. I am fluent in english so I speak to my kids in spanish, and my mom and Jose in English so that they all learn. I don't really have a tried and true way, I just speak to them. Just remember that no one was born knowing any language, they learned bc someone taught them. Speak to them. They will catch on. Hey, maybe so will your inlaws! lol Suerte!
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Permalink Reply by Mango Fusion Jewelry on -
Hi,
I am Brazilian and my husband is Bulgarian. We have taught our 2 girls Portuguese and Bulgarian since they were born. They fully understand all 3 languages but they don’t speak Bulgarian or Portuguese that well. We don’t have any family in the U.S. to help us teach our kids these other 2 languages. My older daughter doesn’t speak in Portuguese with the kids from our Brazilian community because she knows they can speak English too. I hope both of my daughters will be able to be more fluent in Portuguese and Bulgarian with we don’t give up! My 7 year-old daughter is very interested in learning about my Brazilian background though.
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