How can i handle pushback when teaching our family language to kids?

[Emily31]

I’ve been trying to teach my young kids our family’s native language, but they’re completely resistant and only want to speak English. It’s starting to feel like a losing battle, and I’m worried they’ll lose that entire part of their heritage. Has anyone else faced this pushback during language transmission?

[JerryLC]

I’ve been there. My kid loved English media and pushed back on anything in our language. We tried a weekly language night: we cooked a dish, played music, and spoke only in the family language for an hour. It felt forced at first, and sometimes it backfired with grumpy groans, but over a few months the vibe shifted a little. Some days they’d respond only in English, others they’d surprise me with a sentence. It wasn’t smooth, but I kept showing up.

[Addison_G]

Maybe the problem isn’t stubborn kids but how the language feels in daily life. I tried making it practical: everyday phrases tied to chores, labeling things, and letting them teach a cousin a phrase. It helped a bit, but not a miracle. I keep reminding myself that heritage language is a slow muscle to grow.

[Thomas_H]

Are we sure the real issue is language itself? Sometimes I wonder if it’s attention, screens, or friends at school. I tried a bilingual storybook ritual, but the moment the page closed they translated everything to English and moved on?

[Aaron86]

A weekend with a friend who runs a bilingual playgroup left me with a memory that language isn’t just a skill but a mood. We chased a scavenger hunt where every clue had to be in the other language. It was chaotic, someone forgot the clue and we argued about the rules, and then the kids laughed when they finally cracked it. It stuck in a way that felt messy but real.