Mom, The First Teacher

As a mom of 3 from a nation that English is not our mother-tongue, I've a dream to bring the kids up in an atmosphere where English is introduced from their early childhood life.

With the 1st and 2nd it's a little bit difficult on trying because I didn't start to speak English with them from the beginning of their life. They don't speak English voluntary in family. My husband and I often used many tricks to motivate them in speaking English.

With the 3rd is a little bit different although at the end he didn't speak English to us voluntary too. He he..
He goes to a Montessori school since aged 3 (to fulfill my desire in fact..) that has totally different method of teaching than the usual national curicullum in public school, where his 2 older sibling went. At that school he has an English speaking environment from the first day. Now almost 5 on next July, I see and feel he has a better improvement in speaking English than the 2. His teacher said he's very active in speaking at class with his friends and the teacher. He likes to describe funny things and what he did with his 2 older siblings at home to them.

I always try to support and encourage him by making conversation in our way back home from school. The topics could be anything, from what we saw at the street or just telling him what I had done today or asked him if there was special matter at his school. Sometimes (when he forgot I'm his mom) he would answer in English, but most of the times always in Indonesian. First I feel a little bit confused why he won't speak English a lot with me..since I knew from his teacher he always did to everybody at school (I even did a spy on him to fulfill my motherhood curiosity if it was true or not, ha ha ha...).

Once I asked him why he wouldn't speak in English with me or his father (because when we speak in long sentences and I often did in purpose, ha ha .. then he could answer or make good comment of it, but in Indonesian! It means he clearly understand what we're talking)
You know what he said…
“Ma, it’s surely different! English is used at school, with you Indonesian.” Hah?!
What should I say? He has already known English was not our mother tongue.
Kids are really smart, aren’t they?

So far.. I quite satisfied with his progress at school as long as I’ve got good report on him from his teacher. ..
or as long as I could heard he speaks to himself in English while he plays Lasy or Lego blocks at home.
Sometimes when my 3 kids play together and the 2 big kids busy talking to each other, didn’t consider him then he would talk loudly in English to get their attention back. He did it! Usually both of his siblings would get silence a moment, smile and said, “ Listen, listen…he speaks English”. Then they play again together. Hahaha…

I’m not expert in English and I do ever worry -as many teachers do- that the “student” (my boy) will complain about my pronunciation or grammatical ‘errata’ I made. But he won’t ! He has very high tolerance even if I makes dozen mistakes or has to open my Alfa Link dictionary a hundred times. He simply doesn’t care. He still thinks his mom is the best, ha ha…Of course, I should confident as a mom since I’m his first teacher he’s got.

I just want to share with you, all the mom of 1–5 years old kids -since English is not our mother tongue-, never feel shy to speak English with your little ones. Let’s open the manual books and feel ‘free’ to start teaching English to them. This is the right moment while they’re still in early childhood and while you’re still in ‘love’ with learning process too..
Enjoy learning, enjoy teaching and good luck !