5 Challenges You Might Face When Raising Multilingual Children and What to Do About Them

February 07, 2025

Are you a parent of a multilingual child, or do you plan on introducing multiple languages in the near future? Learning languages from early childhood offers numerous benefits. Research suggests that bilingual and multilingual individuals gain cognitive advantages, show greater empathy, and make smarter decisions in various situations. However, despite the many benefits backed by science, raising multilingual children can be challenging—especially if you live in a community where multilingualism is uncommon.

Before you encounter these common challenges, read this article to prepare yourself. Here are five challenges you might face when raising multilingual children and what you can do about them.

1. You Might Feel Insecure About Your Decisions

Multilingualism is not the norm in many communities, and the lack of support or relatable families can be discouraging. There are two types of multilingual families: those who become multilingual by circumstance and those who do so by choice.

The first group consists of mixed-nationality families living in a third country, often using a lingua franca at home. For example, a Spanish and French couple living in Scandinavia might communicate in English. The second group faces even greater challenges since keeping languages "alive" requires significant effort when living in a country where they are not commonly spoken.

Common triggers for insecurity include communication barriers, negative comments from others, or even your child's frustration. What if you don’t understand what your child is trying to explain? What if they mix up words and get into a conflict at school? What if your three-year-old barely speaks? These concerns are valid and can cause anxiety for parents of multilingual children. So, how can you prevent self-doubt and stay on track?

What to do: Educate yourself as much as possible. Seek out different sources of information. The internet is filled with research data, personal experiences from multilingual families, documentaries, YouTube videos, and in-depth books on this topic. The more scientifically backed facts and real-life stories you absorb, the more confidence you will gain in your multilingual journey.

Not sure where to start? Check out this list of books recommended for parents raising multilingual children.

2. You Might Face Criticism

Unfortunately, you may encounter friends, teachers, other parents, or even family members who express concerns about your child’s multilingual upbringing. Some may make casual remarks, while others may be passive-aggressive about your choices. In certain communities, outdated views on multilingualism persist, making it difficult to change people’s perceptions.

Being the only one in your circle raising children differently can be isolating, but you don’t have to go through it alone.

What to do: Find your tribe. Connect with other families raising multilingual children. There are multilingual parent groups on social media, language clubs, and local community meetups. Engaging with at least one other multilingual family can provide valuable support, motivation, and encouragement. With the right community, negative comments from outsiders will have less impact on your confidence.

3. Your Kids Might Get Frustrated

Children can become frustrated when they struggle to express themselves or when others don’t understand them. This is common among multilingual kids and can be a major challenge for parents. Every child is unique, and direct comparisons to peers or siblings can be unhelpful. However, rest assured that children will eventually learn the words they need—just give them time.

So, how can you support a frustrated child who is struggling to communicate?

What to do: Be patient. Sit down with your child and help them construct the sentence in your shared language. Encourage them to try saying it in another language. If words fail, ask them to draw a picture to express their thoughts. It’s easy to say “just be patient,” but when frustration becomes a daily occurrence, it can be emotionally draining. Remember, this phase will pass as your child’s communication skills develop.

Extra tip: Worried that your child feels slow or unintelligent due to language struggles? Turn the tables! Ask them to teach you words from one of their other languages. Many children love playing the role of a teacher, and it can boost their confidence. For instance, if your child is bilingual in Spanish and Polish, ask them how to count in Spanish or pronounce a word in Polish. Our five-year-old lights up with pride when correcting my pronunciation, instantly restoring her confidence.

4. Your Child May Translate Word for Word

While most multilingual children develop one dominant language, their other languages can be influenced by it. As a result, they may attempt to translate phrases word for word, leading to unnatural expressions in their non-dominant languages.

For example, a child who primarily speaks English may try to translate an English idiom directly into another language. Expressions like “It’s a piece of cake” or “Break a leg” may not have direct equivalents in other languages, but children may not realize this and translate them literally.

What to do: Long-term exposure to native input is key. Ensure your child hears and uses each language in natural contexts. If your native language is Polish but you live in Spain, continue speaking Polish at home. While it may seem helpful to respond in Spanish, doing so can lead to confusion. Consistent exposure to each language in authentic settings will improve their fluency over time.

5. Your Child May Refuse to Speak Certain Languages

This can be one of the most difficult challenges. As children grow, they begin prioritizing social belonging over family traditions. At a certain age, some children may feel embarrassed about speaking their heritage language, especially if their peers don’t share the same linguistic background. Some may avoid speaking it in public, while others stop using it altogether—even at home.

What to do: If your child has already developed fluency in a language, they are unlikely to forget it entirely. To maintain their skills, create opportunities for them to use the language. Encourage conversations with family members who speak the language. Even limited but consistent exposure—such as annual summer visits to grandparents—can keep the language alive in their minds.

Three weeks of immersion each year can be enough to retain fluency. So don’t be discouraged—your efforts will not go to waste!

What to Take Away From This

Raising a multilingual child comes with unique challenges, but it is a rewarding journey. In this article, we covered five common obstacles parents face and practical ways to overcome them. While not every challenge has a perfect solution, trusting your instincts, staying informed, and connecting with other multilingual families will make the process easier.

The effort you put in today will benefit your child for a lifetime.

Happy learning!

Hana Koubova

Language enthusiast