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As parents, we always want the best for our children, we try to support them in any way that will help them thrive. Sometimes, while raising a multilingual child, it could seem that we could have more obstacles on the way, but it shouldn't be perceived as that. When parents are open to give unconditional love and to accept their children for who they are and not for what we (or society) are expecting of them, it is easier to let them use their whole repertoire to create and express themselves in multiple ways  to raise their voice and convey unique messages to the world.

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Even though, I don't think there is a magic recipe or just one perfect way to support mulilingual children at home, I came up with some ideas that could be integrated to promote translanguaging. (Plese keep in mind that each child, even siblings, have different content inside their repertoires and therefore, all the strategies listed below should be personalized according to each child's needs).

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• Create a policy where all the languages inside your child’s repertoire have a place to be used and expressed at home. 

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• Prepare the home environment: make it attractive and organized for the children. Include books, games, movies, and songs created in the target languages that are appealing to their interests and age. 

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• Invite your children to create multilingual stories, including drawings, words or even pictures to illustrate them. 

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• Let children express themselves using their full repertoire, pay attention to the way in which they communicative the message rather than the perfect articulation of the words in just one language. 

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• Take advantage of technology and help them connect with relatives or friends that speak languages that differ from the language of the society.

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• Reflect on the ways you perceive the languages, think about their value in your family’s life,  and be conscious of the messages you are sending to your kids. 

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• Become the model for your children, even though you do not speak all the languages they know, your attitude and respect towards languages is transferred to them. 

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• Show genuine interest in the achievements that they conquer. Every single step makes adds emotions to the process.

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• The process of learning a language never ends, therefore, give children the time to understand who they are in relation to each language.

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• Never impose a language because rather than positive, it could increase negative attitudes towards using that language.

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• Provide feedback when needed taking into consideration their emotions.  

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• Encourage your children to achieve their dreams, learning languages can open them the doors to connect with many people, cultures, and places around the world. 

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• But most of all, enjoy the ride and have fun with them!

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