Parenting Views

My views on education, mutilingual parenting and other parenting topics
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March 1, 2012

Raising a Multilingual Toddler

Dominique Parenting Views Multilinigual Parenting

My Toddler Girl

One, two , three or more languages? How do you expect your child to understand them all? Won’t the kid get confused? I get puzzle looks whenever they hear me speaking to my kids as I can be speaking to them in English one moment then we may switch to Mandarin or Cantonese the next. Believe me. My kids can understand me perfectly well be it speaking to them in whatever language I choose.

Teaching has always been my passion. Being an elementary school teacher I know how important it is for a child to get a head start in literacy. Introduction to languages should be done as early as possible so that the child grows up surrounded by language making it easier for them to absorb.

For my three kids I have been introducing them to English, Mandarin and (spoken) Cantonese from birth as I want them to be able to know more about their mother tongue and Chinese heritage. I believe that there is no right/wrong time to introduce a 2nd or 3rd language or even a fourth to a child. We do not practice a one person one language policy at home as everyone , including the extended family, is able to understand all 3 or even more languages. However at the moment I will limit it to 3 main languages and brief introductions to other languages that we come across.

Reading Materials

Living in Asia it is quite easy to get books which are both English and Mandarin. This is one of the books which I read to my 17 month old regularly. It as both pictures and the labels in both English and mandarin on it. Each time I go through the book I read both the English and Mandarin word associate with the fruit and try to get her to read out after me.

I go through the book this way.

Flipping through the book with her and focusing on the pictures while naming the fruits.
Reading through the book in English, then Mandarin then Cantonese.
Going through each page in all 3 languages.

Tiger girl at present is able to identify most of the fruits featured in that book. She is also able to call out apple and banana in both English and Mandarin. Even when we ask her to get the fruit in Cantonese she is able to follow the instructions given. She is able to differentiate between the 3 languages and answer accordingly.

I’m starting through word/picture recognition then gradually proceed to formation of simple sentences in the various languages as she gets older.

Besides reading books to her we also play CDs in the different languages for her to listen to. At the moment she is in love with Korean Pop like her brothers. Even though none of them understand the meaning of the song in Korean but they like the tunes and beats. The kids are also more receptive to the Korean culture and traditions since being introduced to the language.

I belief in laying a strong foundation in language and giving a child a wide enough platform would prepare .

Are you raising a multilingual toddler too?

February 5, 2012

Guest Post- Patience Parenting with Clarissa of June Bug Mom

Dominique Guest Post, Parenting Views Patience Parenting

The story of how I became the “JuneBugMom” and my thoughts on what makes a “good parent”.

In June of 2011, I became a mother for the first time. I think every parent goes through a bit of a surreal period after giving birth (or acting as a stress ball while mom is giving birth anyway). Suddenly, the cute little blob on the screen has come to life. Something you had been growing a bond with for the past nine months is now looking you right in the face (wondering where the warm home they were just in previously had gone). You are solely responsible for the life of that little one – quite a task they give us, if you ask me! It’s amazing, and terrifying all at the same time.

I was so confident that I had the “mother” thing down, that I had my bags packed two hours after my daughter arrived. Two days after she was born, we were finally allowed to return home. I was Super Mom, or so I thought. I had bottles at the ready, I had dinner on the table, and the baby slept!!! Crazy, I tell you! I had no idea what was in store. Later that night, the fun started. The hospital will tell you the basics – feed the baby, change the baby, wash the baby, cuddle the baby. The hospital forgets to mention the steps that come after the basics (I find there are quite a few missing steps). By three in the morning, I was hysterical, the baby was hysterical, dad was hiding, and I had checked off every baby necessity I could think of. At four in the morning, it was time to swallow my pride and call in the pro – “Grandma”.

After having my daughter, I had a new-found respect for all the things I put my mother through. “Grandma” was the only one that could get Raina to sleep. She had the magic touch! She knew all the tricks. Time for Super Mom to move over, Super Grandma was there to save the day. That day, I learned that it was okay to not be Super Mom. It was okay to not know everything. It was okay to not follow the rule book line by line. In fact, it is nearly impossible to follow the rule book line by line if you try. Developing a sense of humor is the best thing you can do as a parent. There will be gross times, sticky times, fun times, up times, down times, silly times, and time-out times, but what is always constant is the fact that you are parenting the way you see fit, and you have to take comfort in that. You will never be perfect, not everyone will like your tactics, but you are the parent At the end of the day, if you are doing the best you can then you know you are being a great parent. Asking for help is just part of the job sometimes.

In the past seven months, I have learned quite a bit from both my parents and my daughter. Babies are extremely smart creatures. They can teach you how to see the good in each day. Something as small as bubble wrap sent my daughter into a fit of laughter. Days full of laughter are remind me to stop and smell the roses. If parenting were a movie, it would be action, adventure, comedy, drama, and horror all rolled up into one. Everyone will want to offer you their advice on what parenting is like for them, but no two parents are completely alike (because no two children are exactly alike). Parenting is what you make of it. I think that the best thing any parent can do is love their children.

There is no better feeling in the world than loving your little one, or seeing that little smile flash across their face. Parenting is terrifying sometimes, but if you just take a step back and look at the big picture, remember not to take life TOO seriously, and enjoy the moment – you are already on the right path.

Clarissa is a 24-year-old freelance writer, product reviewer, and former Medical Transcriptionist who appreciates a sense of humor and hopes to inspire others. She is a blogger at JuneBugMom.com and a mother of one who inspires her daily