NYR

My New Year's Resolution this year is to switch to speaking English with the kids. They both managed really well in England, and Danny spontaneously used words like 'look' with his cousins, so I was pretty positive about them understanding me. The sticking point in the past has been my perseverance - having spent so many years speaking Dutch with Carmen it is just a hard habit to break. When I started on New Year's Day I kept switching back to Dutch to talk with Carmen, but she suggested I switch to English with her as well, to make it easier to stick to it. I did and it's been going really well. Jamie has been asking for translations now and again, but that already seems to be dying down. Danny has coped with it fine, although occasionally I've needed to switch back to Dutch to make things clear. When I do I say the phrase in both languages. This morning I was playing a memory card game with him and he suddenly said 'terug...back'. He wanted me to put the cards back in the box, and had used both Dutch and English words for 'back'. I can't remember using the word 'back' before, certainly not this morning, but obviously some things are sticking!

So after 10 years of speaking Dutch at home (almost exactly - Carmen and I started 'going out together' on 11 January 1995) I am now speaking English. Strange but enjoyable.