Raising a Bilingual and Bicultural Little Bear

Contributing Writer: Sofia Lopez-Ibañez of Texas

Life takes you to different places and makes you perform different roles than you expected...  Being a bilingual and bicultural parent was never in my mind when I pictured myself as a mother; but, here I am with my partner raising a bilingual, bicultural little bear. Born and raised in Mexico, we came to the U.S. as teenagers. We continue to live in Texas and we have acculturated to the point where we feel comfortable raising our child with the “best of both worlds.” 

There are several reasons why we have decided to raise a bilingual, bicultural little bear. The two main reasons are:

1. My husband and I are very proud of our roots, origin and heritage and at the same time we are proud to have the opportunity to become Americans.  We can't deprive our son from experiencing what we lived and develop a strong sense of pride for, being Mexican by heritage and American by origin.

2. By being bilingual and bicultural, we want to plant a seed of interest in other cultures and languages so our little bear can be open to learning and knowing those cultures and languages around him.

In order to successfully raise a bilingual and bicultural child, we have committed to passing on our traditions, beliefs, and language.  We also have committed to introducing American traditions, beliefs, and language as much and with the same emphasis. This will help our little bear to feel confident speaking two languages and being a part of two cultures. Our little bear is almost two years old.  We speak Spanish at home and expose him to English through family members, social activities, play dates, literacy, games and T.V.  We celebrate Día De Los Muertos and watch the fireworks on the Fourth of July after eating ribs, corn, and mashed potatoes.  We have vacationed in Chicago and Puerto Vallarta.

We are exposing our little bear to the beauty of both countries and languages as much as possible. We feel really proud when we see his excitement at a baseball game or after eating a “churro.”  We take these as signs that we are succeeding at making him comfortable with both experiences.  For us, it's all about balance. I am proud that my little bear says “gracias” as well as asks for his “ball.” Mixing words it's totally normal at this stage, until he learns "code-switching" and is able to switch languages depending on the kind of situation, either bilingual or monolingual. At this point, my little bear responds the same way to instructions whether it’s Spanish or English, without any expression of confusion. These are all signs he is receiving a balanced exposure to both languages.

Our family is lucky to be in a community so close to Mexico with a significant Hispanic influence. This helps to increase exposure of our Mexican heritage, while at the same time having family and friends who are American and can help introduce the American culture as well.

Dia de Los Muertos, 2016

I'm not Against my Child Getting Hurt

By: Tedi McVea 

From the start, I have not been against my child getting hurt. I have allowed our Little Bear to attempt skills I knew he wasn't quit ready for, understanding full well that it will earn him a few bumps and bruises along the way. While, this may not be the traditional "first-time mom" way, it has been our way.

I believe getting hurt is a legitimate learning experience. I don't want to rob my child of learning the natural consequences of his actions by creating a bubble (pain free environment).  I want him to learn when he can crawl that falling hurts, so when he can climb, he is more cautious about falling. I want him to know that running downhill may result in a fall, before he can ride a bike down a hill and risk a more painful fall. I want him to solidify these lessons at age appropriate stages, so he can feel confident in his assessment of risk and manage it appropriately.  This also means not running to him when he gets hurt and instead pausing a bit or walking to him. This time allows him to fully experience the cause and effect of his actions.... this little bit is often the hardest part for me and means fighting every mommy urge I have to run and coddle.

With that being said, I am completely for preventing injury. I mean lets face it... baby logic is sometimes not the most logical. It is still developing and help and guidance is certainly needed along the way. I define getting hurt as a temporary bump or bruise, which effects' can fade away in a matter of days or as quick as minutes. I am however, ultra protective against  injuries that can be longer lasting and more serious.

This philosophy for parenting is sometimes I think misunderstood. I have certainly gotten "glances" from other parents. There are even times with my own partner that I have to say, "No. It's okay. Let him jump from his chair." As I follow up with an explanation that there isn't the potential for injury. He will either land it and be proud or fall and get hurt be more cautious next attempt. I've noticed that she is now really warming up to this philosophy and sees the noticeable benefits.

Our Little Bear from the start has been ahead on his gross motor development and feels very confident trying new things. He was one of the first of his friends to walk, go solo down a slide, navigate down steps, or hang from the monkey bars. I think sometimes we don't realize how our anxiety's as parents, translate to our baby's experiencing anxiety trying new things. While every Mom has their own philosophy and every baby has their own development range and needs, this one has worked wonders for us! It also translates pretty seamlessly into Free Range Parenting, a granola mom staple.

So remember, getting hurt is okay. Its getting injured that we can work together to prevent.