Talking to your children can be difícil at times. They seem to speak a completely different language than yours, with slang words and new fads being created every school year. Add to this difficulty talking to their friends who speak English instead of Spanish and it can sometimes seem impossible to communicate. Here are some tips to help overcome this language barrier and create a comfortable atmosphere for everyone involved. 

SPEND TIME WITH THEM

Spending time with your children and their amigos is a great way to not only overcome the language barrier, but also to learn English. By interacting with your children’s friends, you will create a sense of comfort. Even if neither party understands that this act shows a willingness to try, it is welcoming. This comfort will bring them home more often, and interactions will become a normal part of life. Eliminates any hassle and providing new opportunities to understand the world your children live in. 

EAT TOGETHER

Invite your children’s friends and families to dinner. Everything seems more comfortable when accompanied by buena comida (more so if it’s Mexican food!). Take advantage of this time to build your comfort level and learn more about each other. As you learn English, these new friends will be observing and learning Spanish. Allowing both sides to win from the interactions. Inviting their parents will help eliminate any misconceptions and will also help you make lasting friendships.

PARTICIPATE AND INVITE THEM TO DO THE SAME

Participating in the eventos your children are interested in will help you build a relationship with them. Inviting their amigos to join you will have the same effect with them. Leads to a mutual trust with each other, which will grow as your children do. Participating in events will also give you the opportunity to understand what your children are up to, which is always a good thing as they grow up and find their own paths. It is important that you show enthusiasm and support for your children’s interests and pasatiempos, inviting their friends to join in the fun leads to better communication everywhere. 

Being a part of your children’s lives doesn’t have to be difficult. Finding ways to communicate with them and their friends can help you learn a new language, find new things to be excited about, and make new friends. 

How do you communicate with your children’s friends? Let us know in the comments and let’s tackle parenting together.