With our various backgrounds we want Peanut to feel comfortable in our home cultures and languages so we had decided to raise her bilingual in English (our "speak to each other" home language) and Dutch (speak with papa and his family). While we lived in Helsinki, the thought was that she would then pick-up Finnish from the environment and when she started daycare.
Then, we moved to Dallas and life has been a whirlwind of activity since. Only recently have we started discussing adding Finnish back into her little life.
By chance, we are surrounded by many opportunities to make it naturally part of her language exposure. Peanut & I occassionally make it to the Mamma-kerho meetings and playgroups with other Finnish moms & kiddies. Our home is a stone's throw away from a number of playparks frequented by the same. And, the Suomi-Koulu of Texas has a baby class we could join. And, of course, Peanut's mama is at home with her and could add Finnish there.
There are many resources out there telling us we can do it and Peanut can do it. Now, we are just sorting out what's the right way for us.
Anyone else out there have experiences or advice to share??
Jabberlingual
Bicultural/Bilingual Families
Babycenter Multilingual BB
1 comment:
No advice but I know people who have been able to absorb three language in a similar situation. It will require work from both of you but what a gift it will be for Peanut! I wish I would be bilingual but she has chance of becoming trilingual!!!
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