Multilingual kids - checking their development

[oompah18]

I am so glad this has come up! My husband is the main concern: He rarely speaks his native Finnish to our boys, despite me reminding him almost constantly. He always says he just forgets to, as he speaks to me in English anyway I have gone on & on to him about actually (in my opinion) being "cruel" to the tots, depriving them of the language of the country they live in, depriving them from a social life with kids of their age, etc etc, maybe I am just overreacting, but ds1 is 4& half & asks me things like,"What is "on" in Finnish"? People have said that ds1 speaks Finglish with an English accent, just like me! It is so frustrating, as my husband´s elderly family can´t communicate with the tots & I feel so embarrassed. ds3 goes to the parish "playschool" 6 hrs a week, & they say he understands a lot what is going on, but gets so frustrated at not being able to say anything that anyone can understand.
However, on the bright side, his English is verbally about 2 years above his age! He has the gift of the gab (must be inherited, I am from a family of writers & teachers & lawyers!!!)
DS2 is almost 3 & speaks uncoprehensible gibberish still, but often more Finnish than English. He is happy to be read to in Finnish & watch Pikku Kakkonen
ds3 is only 14 mths but says only äiti & bubble, so we shall see....
Anyway, what should I do??????????
Allie

[oompah18]

sorry, meant to say, ds1 goes to play school of course, not ds3, oops!

[Rosamunda]

My 3 boys were all born (92, 93, 96) in France and we lived there until 1999. My husband hardly ever spoke to them in either Swedish or Finnish. I nagged and nagged but it didn't have any effect. Then a Finnish company offered him a job, first in Hungary and then in Finland. So we arrived here in 2001 with boys aged 9,7,5 and a problem. None of them could speak either Finnish or Swedish. So we put them into a school that teaches the Finnish curriculum in English (not really an international school, just a Finnish school with English teachers). We didn't really have a choice, except maybe for the youngest.

You are in Finland so it is a bit easier as your boys will hear Finnish all around them. It doesn't matter so much that their dad speaks English. But the Finnish grandparents should really insist on using Finnish with the kids.

Not all bilingual families use the OPOL approach. It has its pros and cons.

[EP]

It is so frustrating, as my husband´s elderly family can´t communicate with the tots & I feel so embarrassed.

There is no reason for YOU to be embarrassed. But there is a BIG reason for your husband to be.

[oompah18]

Thanks, of course you are right, but, it REALLY upsets me, when I see the kids in our street, (most under 7) & Olli can´t speak to any of them, he just looks & listens & stares & waves!

[catstale]

Thanks, of course you are right, but, it REALLY upsets me, when I see the kids in our street, (most under 7) & Olli can´t speak to any of them, he just looks & listens & stares & waves!

Are they in finnish daycare, or have you considered that option? It helps a lot! We don't speak any finnish at home but my kids have learnt it in daycare.

[allan]

Well our son has Downs Syndrome and were a bilingual family (English and Finnish). For all my moanings about Finland there has not been one doctor, nurse etc who has suggested we only speak Finnish/English. To be honest they have been very encouraging. He's 2 1/2 and understands fine in both languages and is trying to talk in both too!