Hi, I'm Suzanne, maman to a petite franglaise fille and mum2be of another franglais(e)? in the future. I thought I'd start this group to share my experiences with other parents of franglais kids and to find out more about how you have managed bringing up yours.
My first dilemma was whether to speak English or French or both to our little franglais, we read lots about this & there are lots of opinions out there so in the end we decided to speak English at home (although the odd bit of french creeps in) and French outside the home or whenever in the company of French friends.
Our little franglaise has just started to speak and calls me Mama and my other half Daddy...so showing true signs of being a petite franglaise from first words. I don't mind being called Maman rather than Mummy but I'm not sure my oh would like being called papa...he feels its a bit strange. Over time I'm guessing when she goes to school he will get used to it...or maybe she will stick with Daddy...we shall see.
One of my friends kids call her by her maiden name rather than maman..I'm not sure I'd like that.
What do you think and what do your franglais kids call you?
Where I live I found the support was not so great. I got a lot of negative comments when I had my third. By the fourth and fifth, people realized that they could give their opinion but I wouldn’t necessarily listen! We took it one kids at a time and loved every minute. My oldest is getting married in three weeks and my second will have her first baby in February!
We’ve gone through so many changes in the last year with more to come!
Wow 6 now that sounds like fun Shelby! I’d love a big family like that but I suspect I’ll run out of fertile years. I’m aiming for 4 but my husband is thinking 3 - we’ll see! We’ve certainly found the French society supports larger famililes which we think is great.
I have 6: 2 girls born in Philadelphia and 3 boys and a girls born here. I try to make them speak as much English in home as possible. Outside the home it depends. Hang on to that English, it is quickly forgotten.
I think that as long as you speak your mother tongue to your children, whatever it may be and regardless if you are a father or a mother, you cannot go wrong because you are speaking from the heart.
In our house my childrens’ father spoke French and I always spoke English, the result is three entirely happy and bilingual children, no confusion, no school problems.
I have alway been Mummy and he is still Papa, but if I am talking to them about him or vice versa he is Daddy and I am Maman and it really doesnt matter! Just enjoy your children.
We speak English at home and French or English outside the home, depending on who we’re with. My daughter prefers French so we insist on English at home and if it’s just the three of us outside, we speak in English, too. My husband doesn’t like Papa either so she calls him daddy and me maman or mommy, depending on her mood.
Mine call me maman sometimes and mum other times! Same with Papa/dad. We speak English at home and French if there are French people with us, when they were very young I made sure we always spoke English, apparently you need to be consistent with them when they’re little …