How to Raise Your Child to Be Bilingual in Spanish
Here’s a quiz for the parents out there:
What’s the single most important thing you can do to ensure your child becomes bilingual in both English and Spanish?
Is it crossing your fingers, hoping they’ll magically “pick it up”? Nope.
Or maybe filling your home with Spanish-language books and videos? No again.
The key to raising your child to be truly bilingual lies in something simpler yet more powerful: intentional effort paired with the right strategies.
Understanding how bilingualism works—especially in an English-dominated environment—is the first step you’ll need to take. Armed with that knowledge, you can go on to make a plan that suits your family.
So, are you ready to guarantee your child’s bilingual success?
Whether it’s for deeper conversations with abuela, a stronger cultural connection, or a broader worldview, this post is your playbook.
I’ll introduce you to top resources and expert advice on bilingual education for kids. No matter where you’re starting from—whether you’re a first-time parent, a heritage speaker, or simply passionate about languages—this guide will help you build a true bilingual identity for your child.
1. Make sure your partner and family are on board.
Introducing your children to Spanish at a young age may strike you as a no-brainer.
But here’s the thing: you already know that raising your child bilingual offers them a world of cognitive, social, and developmental benefits.
But, discussing your family’s particular take on bilingualism is still essential. Different perspectives, experiences, and assumptions about language can shape how your family members feel about raising a bilingual child.
For example, you might be surprised to learn how many women come to me wondering why their boyfriends, partners, or husbands won't speak Spanish with them.
Language and identity are complex topics and mean different things to different people which is why it’s so important to discuss how each parent feels about using Spanish before you get started.
Talk openly about which languages each of you feel comfortable speaking and in what contexts. Will you be looking outside your immediate family for help or resources for learning Spanish? And if so, how do they feel about that?
You may be lucky enough to have a native-speaking grandparent in your family. But if they don’t realize that you are making Spanish a priority in your home, they may not understand how much you would love for them to interact with their grandkids in Spanish.
Having open discussions with family members about your child’s bilingualism will help them understand why you’ve made this choice for your child--and, even better, how they can help.
When should you start having these conversations? As soon as possible. You’ll want to hit the ground running when it comes to bilingual education. On that note…
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2. If you’re serious about raising bilingual kids, start early.
It’s never too late to learn Spanish, and people of all ages have unique language-learning strengths, even adults.
However, kids aged 3-6 excel at intuitive language learning and will pick up Spanish through play and mimic accents with ease. The good news is that you don’t need to be a language specialist to expose your child to Spanish—you just have to be consistent.
The early childhood years are also ideal because you have a strong influence on your child’s environment and routines, making it easier to incorporate Spanish into their day.
Once your child enters grade school, they start to have their own lives with friends, activities, and even homework, making it harder for you to introduce new habits.
You’re more likely to be present with your child before age six, so establishing good habits early can make continuing into grade school easier.
Now that you understand how an early start can set your kids on the path to bilingualism.
This concept will guide you in determining the level of interaction your kids need in Spanish.
3. Know that Spanish is your family’s “minority language.”
Understanding this one concept will put you ahead of the game when it comes to bilingual parenting.
In the U.S., English surrounds your child—from school to TV to playground chatter.
But what about Spanish? It’s likely the minority language in your household and in the world around you, and that’s why you need to be extra intentional about integrating Spanish at home.
An hour of mommy-and-me Spanish each week is fun, but it’s not enough to make your child truly bilingual.
So, how do you create an environment where Spanish sticks?
That might mean speaking more Spanish at home in the early years or finding creative ways to immerse your child in the language.
Either way, you’ll need to tap into something young kids naturally love: routines.
4. Create routines around Spanish.
If you’re the parent of a young child or have worked with young children before, you probably already know how much routines can make or break your day.
Even for families with a Spanish-speaking parent or grandparent, if you don’t have a routine, there is no guarantee that your child will magically be bilingual. You may slip into English conversations all too easily, cutting down on your child’s exposure to Spanish.
But, if you get in the habit of having your child do a short Spanish activity just before abuela arrives and always remember to greet her in Spanish when she visits, that may be enough to set the stage for some beautiful intergenerational interaction.
The suggestions that follow take a little planning at first, but adding a few of these into your schedule will boost the time your children spend immersed in Spanish--and make your day run a little more smoothly, too.
Read on for some Spanish routines for young kids to help you do just that.
Use music in Spanish to help young children make smooth transitions--while immersing them in Spanish.
Using music is a powerful way to help your child through transitions throughout the day--according to research and savvy parents.
Consider singing (or playing) an authentic Spanish language lullaby to your little ones.
Your kids can also wake up to a song in Spanish--or even clean up with a song in Spanish. Whatever’s coming next, I’m sure you can find a song in Spanish to cue your child that a transition is coming.
Or turn on your Spanish playlist when the kids are coloring with their Spanish-speaking family members to cue them about which language to speak.
What if a hyper-repetitive and super-peppy kid’s song each time you transition from one activity to the next is not your thing?
I hear you - nonstop kids' songs can drive any parent a little nuts! It’s also completely ok to add a few authentic Spanish songs that you feel like singing along with to your transitions as well.
Your child will grow up knowing you love to listen to music in Spanish, too--and that’s a powerful lesson.
Speaking of powerful lessons…
You’ll definitely want to piggyback Spanish onto your child’s reading routine.
Whether your child is reading already or still in the ‘listening’ stages, you’re probably already prioritizing a reading routine; now it’s simply time to add Spanish.
Here are a few suggestions:
If you are reading aloud to your child, be sure to balance English reading with Spanish reading. For example, you could read one short book in English and one in Spanish.
Once children are old enough to read independently, many families encourage a set reading time, such as just before bed. So, if your child reads 20 minutes each evening in your bilingual family, you could have them start with 10 minutes of English and 10 minutes of Spanish.
Consider picking up a few great bilingual books like the ones Juliana Russell creates for kids. Parallel readers in both English and Spanish can be really handy if your child is not quite ready to read only in Spanish.
Bilingual books in English and Spanish will allow your child to read, understand, and absorb vocabulary without feeling lost.
And now, for a habit kids tend to slip into all too effortlessly, which happens to be a huge language learning opportunity.
In your bilingual family, make screen time en español.
Does your child watch a little TV or play the odd learning game on your phone or tablet? If so, why not make that Spanish time?
You’ve probably already heard that learning Apps and educational games are more active than TV. So consider choosing a Spanish learning App for your child to play during ‘screen time.’
When the kids watch TV, consider starting out with Spanish language learning-based shows. These are easy to follow because there is quite a bit of visual information and a focus on songs and vocabulary.
If you take a minute and browse YouTube and Netflix, you’ll find Spanish versions of shows like Little Baby Bum, where your kids can learn nursery rhymes and songs. Or You can tune into a learning series like Cleo y Cuquín or Word Party, so your child can develop their problem-solving and learn new concepts--in Spanish.
As your children get into the habit of watching longer and longer shows in Spanish, they can transition to watching their favorite Disney films in Spanish as well.
You can also look for family-friendly, authentic Mexican films like El Jeremías you can find a description in this post about Mexican films for adult Spanish learners.
Whether your children use learning apps or watch TV in Spanish, establishing this habit early on is key.
Focused screen time in Spanish will give you a nearly effortless opportunity to immerse them in the language.
Routines, when consistent, are among the easiest and simplest ways to ensure repeated exposure. They’re also the most powerful.
Still, your Spanish routine shouldn’t stop you from keeping things interesting by looking beyond routine experiences for a bit of extra fun.
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5. Keep seeking out new and creative immersive bilingual experiences for your children.
As your family continues their Spanish adventure, you may also want to consider some more intensive ways of enriching their language learning.
Here are some of the ‘big changes’ I see families making to boost their kid’s bilingual experience:
You could do what celebrity and fluent Spanish speaker, Gwyneth Paltrow does and find a Spanish-speaking au pair or nanny to help with your children and immerse them in Spanish as well.
Or maybe you’ve always wanted to spend a family immersion year abroad in Mexico. Yes, it takes planning, but it’s more possible than you might imagine.
If you’re lucky, you may be able to find a dual language immersion preschool program or even a primary school program.
You can also find a Spanish teacher with experience working with families raising bilingual children and enroll in online Spanish lessons for your children. (You can get 20% off your first package if you use the code DOM20).
Some families even choose to homeschool their children from a young age to ensure they will be truly bilingual in English and Spanish.
And just in case you are considering homeschooling, here are my two cents--and a great resource.
Homeschooling entails a great deal of energy, planning, and commitment on the part of you, the parent. Creating all your own materials as you go--or searching for them on the internet--can be a lot of work.
I personally recommend using professionally designed Spanish homeschooling materials, like one of Llamitas Spanish’s curriculums.
Corrie Wiik, the founder of Llamitas Spanish, is a teacher and mother of two bilingual kids. She started creating Spanish materials for young children in the US when she wanted to teach her children Spanish but couldn’t find learning materials.
I know Corrie well, so I also know how incredibly passionate she is about her work. Her materials are beautiful, fun to use, and sure to inspire your children--all while giving you a break in creating or finding homeschooling materials.
And even if you’re not ready to go all in on homeschooling your kiddos, you can still supplement and enrich their regular preschool schedule with these excellent programs.
What if none of these immersive experiences sound doable for you right now?
To be sure, the more in-depth and unique options won’t fit every set of circumstances.
But keep in mind that new opportunities come along all the time.
With a little creativity, you can find some incredible creative learning opportunities that will fit your family’s unique style of bilingualism.
And by the way, there’s a learning opportunity just waiting for your kids on the playground.
6. Find other bilingual families.
This is important—and not just because research says kids learn languages better through social learning.
Finding other bilingual families can be a game changer, helping your family continue immersing your children in Spanish.
Seek opportunities to surround yourself with other bilingual families, and you’ll find precious support from like-minded parents.
Besides, there’s something they don’t tell you when you set out to raise your children bilingual:
Sometimes, children reject speaking more than one language because they feel different.
I know how sad and illogical this sounds to adults, but the pressure to ‘just be like everyone else’ can be real for kids.
Finding other bilingual families to be around will help your children navigate the ‘difference’ of being bilingual in a healthy way--until they can fully appreciate what a gift it is to be able to speak in Spanish and English.
To find other bilingual families, you can frequent your local playground and look for local meetups. Or check out Bilinguitos, run by Kaila Díaz, a family bilingualism specialist.
Kaila teaches immersion and individual courses, but she also organizes GrupoPLAY playdates all around the US for bilingual Spanish-speaking families.
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7. What about your Spanish in all of this?
If you’re like most parents I know who want to raise their children bilingual, you already have a deep connection with the Spanish language.
And your unique relationship with Spanish can come with its own particular set of questions as you raise your bilingual children. Here are some of the biggest ones--and my answers for you.
If you didn’t grow up speaking Spanish, should you still speak it in front of your kids?
This is a big question for adults who are learning Spanish and also want their children to be bilingual.
Here’s my take as a Spanish coach for adults:
First of all, if you aren’t fluent in Spanish yet or comfortable using it as part of your normal speech, don’t put pressure on yourself to feel like you have to speak Spanish for your child.
There are so many ways to expose your children to Spanish, from music to shows to au pairs and playdates. So speak in a way that feels comfortable for you.
Whether that’s joining in in Spanish at a playdate or family conversation or just singing a song alongside your child.
It’s great for your little one to hear you speak Spanish, but they have to know they can communicate with you always. So, never be afraid to switch to English and use a resource or find a teacher, friend, or family member to help with the Spanish.
Will my children pick up my Spanish mistakes--or my accent?
Parents worry about making mistakes when speaking Spanish in front of their children--or are afraid that their children will learn their (American) accents.
Here’s a great article in Slate on whether it’s ok to make mistakes when speaking a second language in front of your children.
In a nutshell, the author presents a well-known study that stated that children in the US with Spanish-speaking parents who only used English at home did less well academically than their counterparts who grew up bilingual.
A lot of people have drawn the conclusion that parents should speak their native language to their children. But:
The author points out that the children whose parents spoke Spanish at home had an advantage not because their parents spoke their native language--but because they grew up bilingual.
If you speak well enough to join in the conversation, do so when it seems right to you, even if you have an accent or make the occasional mistake.
If Spanish is a part of your life, it’s not realistic (or even useful) to stop speaking it in front of your kids because you haven’t reached “perfect” yet.
Our accents, even our mistakes, are a part of who we are, and they should not bar us from communicating.
Your child may have an accent as part of their bilingual heritage, whether they ‘learn it from you’ or develop it naturally as one language transfers onto the other.
Either way, their unique way of being bilingual is something to be proud of.
What if you are still learning Spanish yourself?
Many parents of young children wonder if they should learn alongside their children.
Here’s some of the most important advice I can give you:
If you arrive at parenthood and are still learning Spanish, you need to continue learning as an adult on the side, not alongside your child.
Focus on your own learning with programs or materials designed with the way adults learn in mind.
You’ll learn faster and in a way that is more fitting and inspiring for you. And you’ll be an incredible example for your bilingual kids.