What possible problems/advice can be given when (2) or more languages are spoken at home for a toddler?

My wife and I are living in the U.S., she is from Brasil, and me I am from the U.S. Our son was born in Brasil, and lived there until he was 1 years old. My son is now 2.5 years old, attending daycare full-time; understanding what is said to him in Portuguese and English, BUT not yet able to communicate in complete sentences in either English or Portuguese, only words of both languages. Lately, he has been having “serious” tantrums (realizing the terrible 2’s). My question is this: Are his severe outbreaks of anger, frustration in trying to communicate? If yes, what can be done to help him? Are there specialists that can aid parents that are bilingual raising a toddler adapt better to communicating?





Any advice for raising a child in a (2) language home? Is it better for one parent to speak one language and the other parent in the other language? Are there any resources online from Doctors and such to read up on this topic? How we can be sure we are teaching our child properly and not hindering is communication skills by speaking two different languages at home?What possible problems/advice can be given when (2) or more languages are spoken at home for a toddler?
I'm almost certain it has nothing to do with the language difference. He is a bit young to form complete sentences. Be patient.


Children at the age are great sponges. They will absorb anything put in front of them. So don't halt the two languages - quite on the contrary keep going at it.





I speak Spanish and English fluently with no mixtures- and i don't remember learning either language. My parents would speak Spanish to me, yet at school daycares i was spoken to in english.





Don't skimp on the languages - keeping feeding both languages to him!! He'll be fine.





I have a colleague who's got a 2 year old nephew - his father is Korean, mother Peruvian and they live in America - the kids utters all sorts of words in all three languages!





Don't read into things - he's growing and developing!What possible problems/advice can be given when (2) or more languages are spoken at home for a toddler?
I had the same problem, my sons grandparents speak spanish and I mainly spoke in english my son had to receive speech therapy because it took him long to be able to say full sentences.He is now 7 years old and speaks english good but does not speak spanish he gets frustrated when he tries to speak to his grandparents in spanish but can not.My advise to you is to try to speak to your son in one language until he gets it good and then just try teaching him the second language later.
Children raised in bilingual settings tend to talk a bit later, but once they DO start to talk, they are fully fluent in both languages.





As long as he's understanding what YOU say, and probably saying a few words in each language, he's fine, and you dont' need to change anything. Quite the contrary -- you are giving a gift that will serve him well.








His tantrums are 'normal'. Even mono-lingual 2's aren't yet able to always communicate EVERYTHING they want to say.


(I used to work at a preschool where most kids were bilingual, and a few were trilingual.)

pores