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Advice on raising bilingual children

Quercus
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni

Hello everyone,

Our household is bilingual. Hubby has only ever spoken Polish at home to our kids. They (Miss 3 and Mr 4) speak and understand both languages (Polish and English).

But my dilemmas...

1. They start Polish school soon and I have to take them. And my Polish is almost non existent so I'm starting to feel very anxious about it.

2. Mr 4 has worked out he can manipulate me because he knows I don't always understand. I'm feeling pretty stupid to be honest. Languages are not a talent of mine and believe me I have been trying.

Has anyone else managed raising kids with multiple languages? How did you cope? What helps? Any advice would be welcome.

Nat

41 Replies 41

Quercus
Champion Alumni
Champion Alumni

Hi Donte' and thanks.

You have this way of just speaking matter of factly that I appreciate.

You're right it is our choice (hubby and I) and even with feeling uncomfortable in my heart this is what I want.

When I think of my Australian heritage (and pass this to my kids) it is from a strange place. I do not feel any connection to the Aboriginal heritage of this country. I find it highly triggering because of horrible things that happened as a kid. As such I avoid the topic completely with my kids.

So for me I feel more comfortable giving them a mixed cultural experience. That Australia is made up of many cultures and they all have their own intricacies. I don't want them to end up racist because they misinterpret my silence as dislike.

Donte
Community Member

Thank you Quercus.

It helps when you know what your motives are and have self awareness of what has shaped you as an individual and what triggers your feelings and guides your choices. X