Tagalog playdate

We still have a bit of a power struggle getting Katy to speak in the other languages she knows. She fully understands and can speak, but she is reluctant to do so, and will answer in English if she can get away with it. Mama is getting a little frustrated and also worried as there are many people who can fully comprehend a language but cannot speak it and although Katy is "only three", this is exactly the time when her language habits are being formed.

So we have started trying to have Tagalog playdates with Mary Jane, a K3 Filipina girl at her school. As usual, when I set up the playdate, I was told that Mary Jane spoke Tagalog. And she can. But it also turns out that she prefers to speak English and speaks English with her own family. Yet another reluctant Tagalog speaker!

They've had two playdates together. Not much Tagalog gets spoken. But they do have a lot of fun.

Here they are after a makeup session.

And here is Katy getting upset after Mama commented that there would be no more Tagalog playdates if there is not enough Tagalog spoken.

At least Mary Jane could cheer her up.

But she still stayed mad at Mama.


It's not that Mama is so mean and ambitious about foreign languages. It's that I have first-hand experience about how easy it is to lose a foreign language and let it slide and how hard it is to get it back and to learn a new foreign language as an adult.

Also, Katy has been extra grumpy this week and I discovered why last night. She is growing another molar on the back right hand side. She says it doesn't hurt or itch, but she sure is irritable.