Comments on: Goals (or the lack thereof)

By: Why I Decided Against a Spanish Immersion School for My Bilingual Boys | SpanglishBaby™

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 08:01:29 +0000

[...] The same was true when it came to raising my children with two languages. I knew we’d probably use the one-parent, one-language method at home. And though I didn’t go so far as to research it when my boys were born, we live in a major metropolitan area. I knew there were Spanish immersion schools around, and I just figured I’d look into them when the time came. [...]

By: APF

APF — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 21:41:13 +0000

I too am the child of an America father and Costa Rican mother. I was raised speaking Spanish as a child, but my mother stopped keeping up with it when I became a teenager. She never had any particular goal, except that she enjoyed Spanish songs and stories with her child. When I was older, I guess it wasn’t as fun. However, I really wish we’d kept speaking Spanish — now in my mid-20s, I am not sure I can really say “I speak Spanish” anymore. I really regret not being completely fluent in Spanish!

By: Chelsea Morales

Chelsea Morales — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 18:51:16 +0000

Kimberley, I love this post. I think what really hit home about it for me is that this is the cross-section of raising bilingual children and every other parenting challenge: what are our goals and what are theirs? In trying to give our children what we know will be a valuable skill and cultural connection in the future, are we somehow taking away their choice in the matter? Does/should any child have a choice about how much and what they learn? If so, at what age is it appropriate for them to decide what to leave behind? Particularly in relation to the literacy issue, I think this is something all of us who embark on this dual-language adventure will have to answer. The line between pushy parents and those who guide gently is thin. .-= Chelsea Morales´s last blog ..Job to Vision =-.

By: Ana Lilian

Ana Lilian — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 04:58:52 +0000

Kimberley, thanks so much for this sincere story. I agree that, especially with our children, the most sane approach is to take it day by day and focus on what we are capable of doing and offering at this precise moment. Easier said than done because we start basing our decisions on them since conception and we always want what's "best for their future." Butt, their future is formed by our daily actions. .-= Ana Lilian´s last blog ..Goals (or the lack thereof) =-.

By: Susan

Susan — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:57:20 +0000

I just love your article. I think that we as parents have to realize that the goals we have for our children will change, especially as our children develop their own interests and goals. I am sure your sons will go far having you as such a supportive and understanding mother.

By: Beth Ortuño

Beth Ortuño — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:31:38 +0000

I love your approach. And it is not just with autism– I strongly feel what we call “normal” children also need to be treated as individuals. We do have to consciously work toward goals or else we just get bogged down in busy daily life and never really get anywhere. But, everything needs to be tailored to each child, and we can’t be controlled by some generalized idea of what a kid at a certain age, or with a certain condition, is “supposed” to be able to do. The challenge is to constantly be able to evaluate, even from hour to hour, what level the child is on so that we respect his or her needs, while also gently stretching them to grow. I think it is so difficult at times because kids are always changing. Just when you think you know what is going on, they always surprise you!

By: Monica

Monica — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 14:06:44 +0000

Es muy dificil pero no imposible, aplaudo tu perseverancia, yo espero que mi hija hable muy bien el español y tambien espero que no se rebele en el futuro, lo cual ya habia pensado que pasaria. Tambien tenemos planeado ir a mi pais de origen, Peru, para que mi hija asista a la escuela y pueda tener mayor contacto con el idioma, me encanto tu post, gracias!