Culturally Speaking

Bilingualism is one of the greatest gifts we can offer our children. It opens doors that go far beyond language: doors to connection, culture, identity, and belonging. When our children learn to move naturally between two languages, they also learn to move gracefully between worlds.

For many families living abroad, raising bilingual kids means more than just speaking two languages. It means keeping a part of ourselves alive by sharing our stories, our roots, our humor, and our songs. Through our heritage language, our children stay connected to where we come from and to who we are.

But let’s agree that this journey isn’t always easy. When you live in a place where one language dominates, your child will likely prefer the majority language, which is the one their friends speak at school, in cartoons, and on the playground. And that’s natural. They want to fit in, to belong.

That’s when our consistency matters most. Keeping bilingualism alive requires intention, creativity, and patience. Some days it will mean singing your favorite childhood songs. Other days it will mean insisting, gently, that your child answers you in your mother tongue. And sometimes it will mean simply modeling by speaking it, living it, and showing that your language is part of your world and your love.

As our children grow, their interests and routines will change, and so will our approach. We might shift from bedtime stories to bilingual board games, or from playful songs to meaningful conversations about family, history, or identity. The key is to keep adapting while staying connected.

Because in the long run, this effort becomes a priceless gift. Bilingualism not only gives our children the ability to communicate in more than one language. It gives them perspective, empathy, and a sense of belonging to more than one place.

It’s a bridge between past and present, between home and the wider world. And that bridge will carry them further than we can imagine. ❤️