A Note To Self – The Why’s Behind Bilingual Viet Mom
Today, I’d like to pause and reflect on the roots of Bilingual Viet Mom. This blog post is essentially an open letter, written for myself as a reminder, and for you as an explanation. It talks about the passion, the hopes, and the inspirations that pushed us towards this journey of bilingual parenting. While it’s not an epic tale or a grand declaration, it’s an honest recounting of why we’re here, doing what we do. It’s shared here for me to look back and remind myself whenever I need to, about the Why’s behind Bilingual Viet Mom.
1. Why A Blog About Teaching Vietnamese To Kids
In a nutshell, it’s simply because teaching Vietnamese to kids is what we’re doing right now. Our journey into bilingual parenting was born out of a dual passion: our love for the Vietnamese culture and language, and our desire to share our heritage with our children. Both my husband, a Vietnamese American, and I, a Vietnam-born Vietnamese, envisioned this blog as a chronicle of our experiences, a testament to our children’s linguistic journey, and a resource for other parents who are on the same path.
Our children are still young, and while we may not be experts, this blog serves as an anchor, reminding us of our commitment to our goals. It also allows us to connect with a wider community who can relate to our experiences and learn alongside us.
Another reason is because of my background. Teaching Vietnamese to foreigners for six years offers me a unique perspective. While those years were mainly spent teaching adults, introducing the Vietnamese language to children is a new and exciting challenge that, as a mom of two little ones, I happily accepted. This blog, alongside my ambition to create learning resources, keeps me motivated to continue developing my skills and understanding of child education.
2. What Motivates Me To Teach My Kids Tiếng Việt
The heart of my motivation lies within my own family. I was born and raised in Vietnam, surrounded by a large, loving family. I have two older siblings who are 8 and 11 years older than me. Not only am I the youngest (con út) in the family, I’m also the cool aunt (cô Hoa / dì Hoa) to my now 6 nieces and nephews. I didn’t realize I was so close to my family until when I moved to the US and started my own family here. I missed them (and still miss them) dearly.
Ten years ago, it’d never crossed my mind that I would one day live halfway across the world from my loved ones, raising children who speak a different language and grow up in a different culture. God definitely had a different plan for me. Falling in love with my husband, moving to the US, and starting our family here was a whirlwind. Through all of this, I’ve found myself yearning for my children to understand their Vietnamese heritage and be able to communicate with their family back home. This longing drives my work with Bilingual Viet Mom.
3. My Blogging Inspiration
My love for blogging has deep roots; it started with a crochet blog I created in secondary school. Over the years, I’ve drifted in and out of the blogging world, but the love for it never faded. As I embarked on the journey of teaching my kids Vietnamese, I stumbled upon Po Tim King’s blog, Fortune Cookie Mom. Her work, homeschooling bilingual Chinese-English kids, truly resonated with me.
Her dedication to fostering bilingualism in her home was awe-inspiring and made me realize I could do the same for the Vietnamese language. She inspired me to tap into my love for blogging once again and to create a platform to share our experiences, our successes, and our challenges.
Conclusion
At its heart, Bilingual Viet Mom is a personal commitment, a vision of bilingualism that we’re striving to nurture within our children. It’s an attempt to bridge the cultural gap between their Vietnamese heritage and American upbringing.
I encourage you to join us in our journey and share your experiences. What are your motivations for raising bilingual children? What challenges have you faced and triumphs have you celebrated? Let’s build a community of learning and growth. Share your stories in the comments and don’t forget to join our email list for updates and resources. We’re all in this together!
