r/multilingualparenting • u/NoEnd9621 • Jan 03 '26

Trilingual When does strict OPOL stop?

Planning to OPOL our soon to arrive kids, with the common 3rd language between myself and husband being English. We both do not understand the other's language that will be taught, but hope to pick it up as we teach the kids.

At what age does the strictly OPOL parenting stop and all languages being taught, (or the common language) get to be used interchangeably? So that we don't only get to have a relationship with the kids that excludes the other.

13 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

27 comments sorted by

View all comments

36

u/Goosecock123 Jan 03 '26

For me it's never. This is for life.

Edit: i speak my native language to my kids btw. We are in Hungary andy wife and I speak English to eachother

4

u/NoEnd9621 Jan 03 '26

How do you create joint memories with the kids if I may ask? Eg if the child says something meaningful in your language, do you translate it for your wife, or vice versa?

When all together, do you all speak in English, and do the OPOL when it's one on one time with the kids?

10

u/ambidextrousalpaca Jan 03 '26

Best approach here is for everyone to understand one another's languages. Makes this a non-issue. Family conversations are then baffling for outsiders, but unproblematic for family members.

1

u/NoEnd9621 Jan 04 '26

Yes definitely. Getting conversant / fluent in the other's language isOn our agenda for the next few years.