Z Is for Zombie: How Bilingual Parenting Is Like Minecraft

I barely played video games growing up and even as an adult never found them very entertaining, at least, not compared to reading a book or, you know, hanging out with real live people or feeling the sunshine on my face. Yet my children love them and so I have come to appreciate video games as fun and often brain-building activities. I have even logged some time playing their favorite, Minecraft, though I have no idea what I am doing! It is quite humbling to have your 4 year old sigh as he explains something to you again. It seemed an apt metaphor for bilingual parenting, which is also incredibly challenging but rewarding. Here are the ways I have discovered that bilingual parenting is like Minecraft.

– Often the world you are operating in can seem very surreal.

– You find yourself doing things you never thought you would.

– You can still have lots of fun even if most of the time you don’t know what is going on.

– Some days everyone is building together peacefully (Creative Mode), while other days you’re being attacked constantly by strange creatures (Survival Mode).

– Your children often understand more than you do.

– You don’t really need a lot of gear, but it can help, though the wide range of choices can be confusing.

– You find yourself using vocabulary (like “OPOL” or “creeper”) that your pre-child self wouldn’t recognize.

– Some days you’re just happy if you know what your children are saying.

– You try to act like you’re the one in charge, but eventually you realize that you are part of a world your kids have created and you all have to work together if you want to accomplish anything.

– You are more likely to build something amazing (or survive attacks) if you have others helping you.

– Sometimes everything is going great, but other times you are surrounded by creatures (your children or nay sayers) that explode if you even look at them.

– You are humbled by how much you have left to learn, at the same time as you are proud of what you have managed to accomplish.

– Every day is an adventure that challenges your creativity and endurance, but that in the end is always worth it.

This post is part of the month-long series A-Z of Raising Multilingual Parenting, from the piri-piri lexicon. Be sure to stop by and see some of the other articles in this incredible collection about bilingual parenting!