Monday Moments: Talking

Speaking Spanish with Baby

I'm trying to keep up with Capital Mom's Monday Moments themes. She writes these beautiful narratives about her kids--little snippets from her life that seem like they are pulled out of a novel that every mother would love to read. I'm not as eloquent as her, but I love how she shares, and I want to be able to share our moments as well.

When Baby T was a baby, I was so excited once he began to communicate. When he started waving “bye-bye” and doing the sign for milk, I was ready for him to communicate more. It’s frustrating when your baby cries and you don’t know what they want. I couldn’t wait until he started talking.

I speak fluent Spanish because my parents are from Argentina, and I grew up speaking both Spanish and English simultaneously. It is a gift to know another language, and I always said I would give my kids that gift. But when Baby T started talking—and he started pretty early, well before he was a year old—I didn’t want to do anything to hamper his communication. I didn’t want to confuse him with sounds and words from a different language, so I didn’t speak much Spanish to him.

At his one-year well visit, the pediatrician asked, “Does he have a word or two?” He had at least eighty.

At his two-year well visit, the pediatrician asked, “Does he have twenty words or so?” He has hundreds. We can carry on full conversations. Right now, in fact, he’s sitting on my lap, watching “Curious George” and telling me that George has a duck in his hand; the ducks are hatching; and there are three ducks on the TV. It’s such a relief to be able to fully communicate with him these days.

But he doesn’t speak Spanish. Or, I should say, it’s limited. There are things I have always said to him in Spanish. When he asks where daddy is: “Está en el trabajo.” When he asks where Sully is: “Está en casa.” So he can say those things. And I just taught him that motorcycle is “moto.” He likes that one. And he asks for his “leche bottle.” And that’s about it.

I want to be better with Little M. Since I’m home with him, I know I have the opportunity to speak Spanish when we’re alone together. I want my kids to have the ability to speak another language; it’s gotten me to places I never would have otherwise reached in my life.

I would love to hear tips from other moms out there who speak another language themselves: Do you speak it with your kids? How did you start? Do you have a specific routine or time of day that you speak another language? Once they are older, do you feel the need to explain what you’re saying, or do you just talk, hoping your child will eventually pick it up?

Because at this point, Baby T just looks at me like I’m crazy when I speak Spanish to him.