Ingrid & Tomás

From: 🇸🇪 Sweden + 🇦🇷 Argentina

Ages: 30 & 35

Languages Spoken: Swedish, Spanish

Current Location: Malmö, Sweden

Child: Elva, age 4

Story: Met volunteering abroad. They keep things balanced with structured reading in both languages and alternate weekends in each language.

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Can you describe your family’s language background?
Ingrid grew up in Gothenburg speaking Swedish, while Tomás is from Mendoza, Argentina and is a native Spanish speaker. We both speak English, but we don’t use it at home. Each of us is committed to passing on our native language.

Which languages are you using, how and where, and how did you decide on that mix?
We use Swedish and Spanish at home. Ingrid speaks only Swedish with Elva, and Tomás speaks only Spanish. Every other weekend, we switch the home environment—Swedish one weekend, Spanish the next—to give immersive exposure in both.

Why is teaching those languages important for you?
Our languages are deeply tied to who we are. Swedish connects Elva to her home country and social life. Spanish connects her to her father’s culture and large family in Argentina. It’s about identity, not just communication.

When did you first decide to raise your child bilingually?
We decided even before we got married. We both value our cultures and didn’t want either to be lost. It was always non-negotiable that our child would be bilingual.

Did you follow a specific strategy (e.g. OPOL, ML@H), or did it evolve naturally?
We use OPOL for daily conversation and alternate-language weekends for immersion. It’s a blend that evolved over time but has become a stable routine now.

What were your biggest concerns at the beginning — and how did those play out over time?
Our biggest concern was Swedish dominating everything, since we live in Sweden. But the alternating weekends and daily Spanish reading have helped balance things out.

What helped you stay consistent in using both languages? What’s your routine?
Routine is everything. We read two books a day—one in each language. We also play songs, cook dishes, and tell bedtime stories aligned with the weekend’s “language.” Structure helped keep us accountable.

Has your approach changed as your child got older?
Yes. As Elva started preschool, Swedish became stronger. So we introduced “Spanish-only Sundays” and video calls with Tomás’s family to maintain balance. We’re adapting constantly.

How do you handle resistance or when your child favours one language?
We don’t push, but we stay consistent. If she responds in Swedish during a Spanish day, Tomás repeats her response in Spanish and encourages her to copy. We keep it playful, not strict.

Have you experienced any moments of breakthrough or pride in their language development?
Yes—when Elva corrected her grandmother’s Swedish pronunciation on a video call, then turned around and recited a Spanish rhyme she learned from Tomás. It was a proud bilingual parenting moment.

What role has extended family, or your community played in supporting (or challenging) your goals?
Our families are very supportive. Ingrid’s parents speak only Swedish, and Tomás’s family sends regular voice messages, books, and videos in Spanish. Malmö has a diverse community, so people understand what we’re doing.

Got a funny or unexpected story from your bilingual journey? We’d love to hear it.
Elva once said “Jag vill helado”—combining Swedish grammar with a Spanish noun—very confidently. We all cracked up. Now we call it “Spanglenska.”

Have you ever felt pressure (internal or external) about your bilingual goals?
Absolutely. There’s a quiet fear that if we don’t do enough, she’ll lose one of the languages. Especially when teachers praise her Swedish but don’t mention Spanish—it makes us wonder if we’re doing it right.

Do you feel like your child connects emotionally or culturally to both languages?
Yes. She celebrates both Swedish and Argentinian holidays with excitement. She knows which food belongs to which “language day” and proudly explains her dual identity to friends.

What’s been the most unexpected challenge?
Managing exposure to both languages equally when daily life is so skewed toward Swedish. It’s easy to slip into convenience and let Swedish take over, especially when we’re tired.

What has surprised you most in a positive way?
How Elva takes pride in knowing two languages. She’ll say things like, “My mummy speaks one language, my papi another, and I speak both!” It’s empowering for her.

What technology or other resources do you use to support language learning?
We use Spotify playlists in both languages, digital library apps for audiobooks, and WhatsApp voice messages from grandparents. We also follow a few bilingual parenting blogs for ideas.

Have schooling or childcare settings helped or hindered the process?
Preschool is all in Swedish, but they’ve been supportive of our goals. They even invited Tomás to do a storytime in Spanish for the class once, which was amazing.

If you could do one thing differently, what would it be?
Start video calls with the Argentinian side earlier. Those relationships took time to build, and we wish we’d begun when Elva was a baby.

What advice would you give to other parents just starting out?
Start early, stay consistent, and be playful. Your child doesn’t need perfect grammar—they need connection. Make language part of the family rhythm, not a chore.

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