When people notice my kids and I speaking to each other in Spanish, the first thing they say is usually something along the lines of “They’re so lucky they can already speak two languages,” or “I wish I spoke Spanish!”
My oldest daughter is now 7, so raising bilingual kids doesn’t feel like as much of an experiment anymore (as it sometimes did when she was tiny and my partner and I decided we would only speak Spanish at home). Looking back, I wouldn’t say raising bilingual kids has always been easy, but one thing that has only become more clear as the years go on are the many, MANY benefits of raising bilingual children.
If you’re considering raising a bilingual child, or are already doing it, then you probably don’t need someone to convince you about the advantages being bilingual will offer your kids.
After all, you probably already KNOW that being bilingual has a direct connection to academic and professional success.
You’ve also probably heard that being bilingual at an early age stimulates brain development and expands cognitive abilities.
And while the practical and educational benefits of being bilingual are compelling all on their own, for our family, the emotional and cultural benefits of raising bilingual children are really our main drivers. As a Mexican-Ecuadorian-American family, nothing is more gratifying than listening to our kids make connections with family members en español! We love being able to take them back to the places that formed us, knowing that they will be able to communicate effectively with lots of different types of people.
So, the “why” of it all is pretty clear. We’re here to help with the “how”.
Because despite these many tangible benefits, and despite the steady rise of both Spanish-speaking children and Spanish-friendly school programs in the States, it can still be surprisingly difficult for U.S. parents to find, evaluate, and purchase most of the world’s very best literature aimed at Spanish and bilingual early readers. And it’s our belief that a great story can make all the difference when endeavoring to raise a family of bilingual bookworms.
So we do the work, and bring the best literature for children ages 0-8 straight to you. We review countless new releases. We import the very best from around the world. And we send your child the stories they will connect to, cherish, and come back to again and again, nurturing a lifelong reading habit.
Sol Book Box was founded to help busy parents here in the U.S. access the kinds of books that make speaking Spanish FUN, engaging, and relevant for kids (all crucial to helping them actually enjoy speaking español). Our focus will always be on bringing the very BEST in Spanish children’s literature to families here in the U.S., but we’re also so thrilled to have recently expanded our offerings to support all sorts of bilingual families, wherever they are on their language journey–from heritage speakers to newbies, and everywhere in between.
We created this blog to be one more tool in your toolkit as you navigate introducing and/or maintaining a second language in your home. Going forward, we’ll be offering our own experiences on how to make speaking Spanish a more joyful experience for the whole family, as well as the resources that we’re using with our own bilingual niños.
Most of all, we hope that reading along will inspire you to help your kids (and you!) connect to the absolute joy of being bilingual.
Gracias por leernos,
Vanessa Nielsen Molina
Vanessa is an entrepreneur, educator, and mamá of four, who’s passionate about helping other parents experience the joy of raising bilingual children. Follow her journey and access more resources at BilingualBookworm.com.
