Zapatos

Our plan with Owen is to expose him to both English and Spanish at home, using the OPOL (One parent, one language) method. Before his birth, I read up on the idea (mostly on blogs of others trying the same or a different method) and at first it was pretty fun and easy. But I found myself wanting to use my mother tongue a lot. Reading to him, singing to him, naming things. Spanish was fun too, but I felt a little trapped. So I use it when I can, often translating something I just said in English to Spanish. He knows several spanish words, (especially for things he loves), like zapatos, perro, and "mira mama". He responds by finding his shoes, barking like a dog, or looking at me, so it's fun to know he is picking up the meaning. I've decided not to stress about trying to use Spanish with him 100% of the time, and to simply continue to expose him to the language and the culture. We are planning on an extended visit to South America next summer, and I know that will make a huge difference. In the meantime, we are having fun reading Spanish books, singing songs, and playing word games just for fun, like counting his bath toys in Spanish and naming the colors of things.

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