May Palacpac, Storyteller

A Guest article written by Andie Fernandez of  TruFluencyKids Spanish

Deciding to raise your kids bilingual can make you create Pinterest’s boards and download language apps like your life depends on it without really knowing what you are getting into. 

Most parents, myself included, thought I was prepared. 

But the truth is… I wasn’t. 

Not because bilingual parenting is impossible, it really isn’t. But as I went about my own bilingual journey and I have accompanied many many parents in their own bilingual journey with their kids I have seen a lot of persistent myths that keep coming back and I myself had to fight.

Mito #1 They are going to get confused

This is the myth I keep hearing and the one that almost convinced me before I started my own journey. I imagined my daughter confused and staring blankly at me, wondering why mom was suddenly speaking words she couldn’t understand.

But the truth is that kids are smarter than what we give them credit for. They do not get confused by two languages, they figure out quickly who speaks what and when. My toddler understands perfectly that with her nanny we speak french and with me french. And depending on the situation, she adapts and uses that language.

Mito #2 They will be delayed in speaking. 

This one I have heard so many times and it honestly annoys me. So hear me out. All kids develop at their own pace, whether you are raising them bilingual or not. Yes, sometimes they will mix words or take longer to express themselves clearly, but that is because their brains are juggling two language systems! And that is amazing, not alarming.

Mito #3 I’m not fluent, so I probably shouldn’t try.  

This one makes me really sad. I see a lot of parents give up before they even give it a try because of this. Truth is a I am not a native speaker of either of the languages I am teaching my daughter. Sometimes I will make mistakes and end up Googling words or phrases. 

But this is what I have learned: You don’t need to be perfect to give your child the gift of another language. You just need consistency. And drive. It’s okay and a lot of fun learning together. Your effort and enthusiasm will matter way more than your accent.

Mito #4 It is already too late. 

We tend to think about bilingual learning as this thing that can only be achieved at a certain age. It’s not. Languages aren’t a train to catch before they leave the station. They are more like a bike, the earlier you learn the easier it feels but you can hop on and learn at any time. It can start small with one song a day, changing words for dinner or breakfast, watching a show in the target language and then in the society language, and maybe at some point, classes with TruFluency Kids Spanish. Who have native speaking teachers creating amazing learning experiences for kids with songs, stories and silliness.

Mito #5. It is not worth the effort.

Somedays, that thought creeps into my head, especially when I am tired or my child doesn’t want to answer in the target language, or just plain ignoring me. It happens. 

But then, out of nowhere I will hear a complete phrase. Or I will see her great grandma light up when we do zoom calls and my daughter greets her entirely in Spanish. Or I hear her singing lyrics to a song I don’t even fully understand. Or she is having conversations with kids in the playground making them feel welcomed and included. 

And it is in those moments when I say: every bit of it is worth it. 

So, in the end, if you are raising a bilingual kid, or thinking about doing it. Don’t let these myths stop you. They are loud and can feel overwhelming, but they are also very wrong. 

What you are doing matters. It is not just about vocabulary in another language, it is about giving them the key to another world, another culture and another way of understanding and connecting. And that is powerful.

What is TruFluencyKids Spanish?

TruFluencyKids Spanish offers online Spanish immersion classes this July to September, as well as Group classes, private classes, and classes for different age levels.

If you’d like to know more about them, you may visit their FAQ page here: https://trufluencykids.com/faq/

Or get in touch with them through their official website: https://trufluencykids.com/contact/