What?! I am a mom now-1

Our Situation:
My husband and I decided to raise our daughter bilingual. We want our daughter to be proud of both
her American and European heritage. On top of that, the majority of my family in Belgium does not
speak English well. Our decision was not based on a fashion statement, but on a necessity. Once our
daughter is an adult, she will have the option to study or work in Europe, without having to apply
for a visa or resident card.

Our Approach:
My husband only speaks English with our daughter, and I only speak Dutch. In the beginning this was
quite difficult. I had to get used to speaking Dutch to my daughter, and English to my husband and
the outside world. The numerous deployments came in handy (there you have it, another
deployment "perk"). The only spoken language at home was Dutch... and also a lot of cooing and
babbling! When you raise a child bilingual, you have to invest in a few things. Well, you don't really
have to, but trust me, it will make life much easier. One of my favorite things is a code free portable
DVD player. You can not buy such DVD players in a regular store, unless you live in Franklin Park,
IL. The shop "World Gift Center" has built up a good reputation within the expat community here in
the U.S. Nowadays you have a lot of online shops selling code free portable DVD players, but you
have no idea whether they are trustworthy. The shop "World Gift Center" is an actual shop which
also sells online. In 2006 we bought our first code free portable DVD player, and we use it almost
every single day. My mother regularly sends us Dutch DVDs and books. Now we all watch Dora, The
Little Einsteins and Mickey Mouse in Dutch and English!
If you want to know more about raising a child bilingual, then I definitely recommend the article
"Two or More Languages in Early Childhood: Some General Points and Practical Recommendations,"
by Dr. Annick De Houwer, University of Antwerp.

Our Progress:
Our daugther is now 2.5 years and starts to talk a lot. She understands everything we say in Dutch
and English, and replies in a mix of Dutch and English. If you are raising a child bilingual, and you
would like to share your experience, visit My Blog.