152: Accountability: A to Z of Raising Bilingual Kids

Have you ever thought about how accountability can help you on the bilingual journey? This month, bloggers from around the world are coming together to write about the fascinating world of raising bilingual kids with topics from A to Z. Bilingual Avenue is kicking things off with accountability! It is not uncommon to lack the motivation needed to achieve the goals we have set for ourselves. Some days we are full of energy and ready to take on the world. Then on other days those same goals seem simply impossible! As busy parents, we sometimes let everyday life get in the way of achieving our goals. This is one of the reasons why I believe it is so important to find ways to stay accountable to your family’s language objectives. There are two main types of accountability, personal and external. Personal Accountability Leveraging personal accountability essentially means that you are accountable to yourself. You could, in other words, consider this your will power. Some of us have stronger will powers than others. I would ask that you reflect on your own ability to carry through your commitments. If you know that you have a difficult time achieving personal obligations, then you may want to set up systems to strengthen your personal accountability. It can be as simple as writing yourself a letter that you will revisit when you reach tougher times on your family’s language journey. But it can also be as elaborate as drafting a detailed daily routine that includes all sorts of language exposure for your child. The key here is to find ways to create personal accountability as a tool to help you stay motivated when raising bilingual kids gets tough! One great way to find personal accountability is to reflect on WHY you want to raise bilingual kids in the first place. Don’t be afraid to dig into your reasons! To help you think through how you may leverage accountability for your own family, I am giving you a bit of homework. List three personal reasons why you have chosen to raise multilingual children that can keep you personally accountable to your family’s language goals.External Accountability Think of external accountability as an individual or a group that helps you achieve your family’s language goals. This group does not have to be limited to just bilingual individuals. Even your child’s pediatrician can serve as external accountability. Strive to find pediatricians who are supportive of multilingualism. They can help you assess your child’s language development just like they assess other developmental indicators. As your child gets older, schools can serve as part of your accountability team. When you first start out, you may not know exactly how your external accountability will develop. Give it some time and push yourself to increase this type of accountability overtime. Just like I gave you homework to dig into your personal accountability, I want you think about your external support network. List three individuals or groups that will assist in holding you accountable through your family’s language journey.   For more inspiration to raise your bilingual kids, make sure to check out all the other wonderful posts in the A to Z of raising bilingual kids.