A Bilingüe conversation with Janny Pérez, bilingual parenting coach and founder of Mi LegaSi
Raising a bilingual child sounds simple on paper: speak more Spanish, read books, play songs, stay consistent. Real life brings harder questions. Is my Spanish good enough? Am I speaking it enough? What if my child answers me in English? What if we started later than I wanted?
I asked Janny Pérez, who has spent years coaching first- and second-generation Latina moms through exactly these questions. She's the host of the Latina Mom Legacy podcast, a self-published author, and a mom raising a trilingual daughter in English, Spanish and Bulgarian. Her message was a relief: you don't need perfect Spanish or a perfect system. You need a plan that fits your family.
The short answer: start with the Spanish you have
"Even though it may be challenging, I can do this." — Janny Pérez
The most common thing Janny sees in the families she coaches isn't a lack of strategy. It's shame and guilt about not speaking a "perfect" Spanish. Before any routine or resource, she starts with mindset, because the stories we tell ourselves decide whether we keep going.
Here are the reframes she gives parents:
- "My Spanish isn't good enough" becomes "I'll use the Spanish I have, or learn alongside my child."
- "I'm too busy" becomes "I'll find pockets of time in my day where Spanish comes first."
- "It's all or nothing" becomes "Small, steady steps count."
Janny's 4-step approach to raising a bilingual child
Janny compares bilingual parenting to plugging in a GPS: you can't get directions until you know where you're starting. Her approach is simple but flexible.
Step 1: Know your starting point
Take an honest look at three things:
- Your child. Do they understand Spanish? Can they communicate their needs in it? Even a baby or toddler has a starting point.
- You and your partner. Are you fluent and able to read, speak and write Spanish? Intermediate? Basic? The same goes for your spouse.
- Your environment. Do you live in a Spanish-speaking community with extended family nearby, or are you the only Spanish speaker your child hears? Those two journeys look very different.
Step 2: Decide where you want to go
Do you want your child to be fully fluent? To talk easily with their abuelos and extended family? To have a basic foundation? Janny's advice is to forget what society expects and decide what your family wants.
Step 3: Find your why
This is the step Janny considers most important. In her program, parents peel back the layers of why they want a bilingual child, and "by the end we're all crying," she says, because the real reason is rarely about vocabulary. For Janny, it's leaving "a legacy of love" for her family and everything her ancestors stood for.
For me, it's the same. I grew up in Colombia, and my family loved me in Spanish. I want to love my daughter, Olivia, in Spanish too, and I want her to be able to visit Colombia and talk with our family there. When it gets hard, your why is what keeps you going.
Step 4: Choose tools that fit your child
Not your neighbor's child. Yours. Some kids love flashcards; many don't. Janny teaches parents to observe how their child engages with the world (through song, hands-on play, art, books or movement) and use that to bring Spanish in.
Why families stop speaking Spanish (and how to keep going)
After working with so many families, Janny sees two common turning points.
1. Giving up too early
Many parents stop because their child isn't talking in Spanish yet, and they assume the child isn't learning it. But bilingual milestones look different. If a child is expected to have about 100 words, a bilingual child might have 50 in English and 50 in Spanish. "Sometimes parents think, is my child behind? No," Janny says. "The brain is taking in and processing a lot of information."
The research agrees. When researchers count only one language, bilingual toddlers can look like they know fewer words. Counted across both languages, their total vocabulary is comparable to that of children learning one language (Pearson, Fernández & Oller, 1993). How much a child hears in each language also shapes how fast vocabulary grows in that language (Pearson et al., 1997). And understanding comes before speaking: even when a child isn't talking in Spanish yet, steady exposure keeps building the language underneath.
2. Switching to English when school starts
Janny sees families do beautifully until age 4 or 5. Then school starts, homework comes home in English, and parents switch to English to help. Children follow, picking the language that feels easiest.
"They have to have a need to use the language." — Janny Pérez
This matches what researchers have found: the language parents actually use at home strongly predicts whether children keep speaking it (De Houwer, 2007).
What successful bilingual families do differently
- They're clear on their goal. Whether it's tutors, a dual immersion school or Spanish-speaking care, they do what it takes to get there.
- They keep going, imperfectly. They stumble and get back up, and they show through action that Spanish matters.
- They make Spanish part of life, not a subject. Traditions, music, TV and family time happen in Spanish. "Spanish is not a subject," Janny says. "Spanish is just part of who we are."
- They get their child's buy-in. With older kids, Janny suggests asking instead of imposing: "Cuéntame, tell me about a time you felt loved in Spanish." Often the answer is an abuela, and that connection becomes the reason to keep speaking.
I've started telling my almost-three-year-old, "Tú eres bilingüe. That's a superpower." When she starts to push back someday, I'll have Janny's question ready.
Small daily habits that keep Spanish alive
Janny's biggest lesson is consistency, and consistency doesn't mean all day. "It's better to be intentional ten minutes every day and then build up," she says, than to cram in an hour or two and then skip weeks.
Young children are creatures of routine, so tie Spanish to the moments you already have:
- Mornings: "Mija, cuéntame, ¿qué quieres desayunar?"
- The car ride to school or daycare: "Todo en español."
- Bath time
- Bedtime reading and songs
- Time with family: when you're with relatives who speak Spanish, the whole visit can switch to Spanish.
Don't save Spanish for Hispanic Heritage Month or Navidad. Everyday moments are what tell your child, we speak Spanish here. Research backs this up: the everyday talk children hear directly builds their vocabulary and how quickly they process language (Weisleder & Fernald, 2013), and babies learn language best through live, social interaction with a person (Kuhl, Tsao & Liu, 2003).
This is exactly why I started Birdsong. As a new, exhausted mom, I had about 20 minutes before bedtime, I knew I should be speaking Spanish, and I didn't know what to say. At our house, bedtime is sacred, and it always includes a Spanish lullaby. That's why every Birdsong toy plays a traditional Spanish lullaby, so you always have something to sing.
Are you a hands-on or hands-off bilingual parent?
Janny makes a distinction that takes a lot of pressure off. You're the manager of language in your home, but that doesn't mean you have to be the one teaching it.
- A hands-on parent sees themselves as the role model: speaking Spanish, reading together, leading the routines.
- A hands-off parent wants a bilingual child but doesn't see themselves as the main teacher. That's okay. Their child will need Spanish from somewhere else, like a Spanish-speaking nanny, a dual immersion program, a language school, tutors or grandparents.
Neither is better. Janny is hands-on and her husband is hands-off, so their daughter gets her Bulgarian from tutors and her grandmother. Roles can also change: if you go back to work after years at home, you might move from hands-on to hands-off. Researchers call this kind of planning a family language policy, the choices a family makes about which languages get used, by whom and when (Curdt-Christiansen, 2009).
Where to find Spanish support outside your home
No bilingual school nearby? Janny suggests starting here:
- Local Facebook groups. Search your city plus "Spanish," "español," "Spanish nanny" or "Spanish classes." You'll be surprised how many there are.
- Consulates. Many consulates, like the Mexican and Colombian consulates, offer cultural and language resources for families.
- Your local Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Email and ask what's available in your community for bilingual families.
- Online communities. If you live in a rural or suburban area, connecting with other parents online, even virtually, helps you feel less alone.
"You can't expect the algorithm to do all the work for you," Janny says. Big cities make it easier, but it's possible anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
Can I raise a bilingual child if my Spanish isn't fluent?
Yes. Janny's first reframe is to use the Spanish you have and learn alongside your child. You can also bring in other Spanish speakers, like grandparents, caregivers, tutors or programs, to add exposure.
How much Spanish should I speak to my child each day?
There's no magic number. Janny recommends starting with about ten intentional minutes a day, tied to a routine like breakfast, the car ride or bedtime, and building from there. Consistency matters more than volume.
My child answers me in English. Should I stop speaking Spanish?
No. Children often understand far more than they say. Keep the exposure going, create real reasons to use Spanish, and connect it to the people they love.
Is my bilingual child behind if they have fewer words?
Usually not. Count words in both languages together. A bilingual child's vocabulary is split across two languages, so each one can look smaller on its own. If you're worried, read our guide Does My Bilingual Child Have a Speech Delay?
Watch the full conversation
This guide covers the highlights. In the full Bilingüe episode above, Janny shares much more, including how to observe the way your child learns and her advice for parents of older kids who push back.
Keep reading: The Best Age to Start Spanish With Your Baby (You Haven't Missed It) · How Bilingual Babies Learn Two Languages · Does Being Bilingual Confuse Babies?
About Janny: Janny Pérez is a bilingual parenting coach, the founder of Mi LegaSi, and the host of the Latina Mom Legacy podcast. Her program, Confident Bilingual Parenting, is a 3-month group coaching program with her signature course, coaching calls every two weeks, and an ongoing free Facebook community. Learn more at milegasi.com.
Make Spanish part of your everyday routine: Every Birdsong toy plays a traditional Spanish lullaby and is designed for the small daily moments where language lives. Meet El Elefante Quiere or Cuéntale al Sol.