Connecting with other families speaking our home-language: why it matters

Last Sunday, we spent the afternoon with three other Russian-speaking families in Vondelpark.

The children played. The parents talked. Everyone spoke Russian naturally, without translation, without explanation.

Anya didn't have to be the "Russian girl." She was just Anya.

When Ivan and I moved to Amsterdam, we knew our daughter would grow up bilingual. What I didn't anticipate was how much we'd need community, not just for Anya, but for ourselves.

For your child, other Russian-speaking families mean:

Language becomes social, not just something "only mama and papa speak." She hears different accents, vocabulary, and ways of expressing things. She builds friendships where she doesn't have to translate herself.

For us as parents:

We remember that Russian is whole and complete, not the language that needs defending or explaining. We get answers to questions our Dutch friends can't fully understand: Where do you find Russian books in Amsterdam? How do you handle school communications? What do you do when your child starts answering in Dutch?

How we found our community:

• Russian Saturday schools and cultural programs

• Facebook groups for Russian-speaking families in the Netherlands

• Parents from Russian cultural events

• Connections through my language teaching work

It took effort. Reaching out, showing up, being intentional.

But these Sunday park meetups are now as essential as anything else we do.

Because raising a child in your heritage language abroad isn't just about vocabulary.

It's about belonging. Identity. Knowing that who she is—bilingual, bicultural, bridge between worlds—is something to celebrate, not explain.

If you're raising children in your home language while living abroad, have you found your community? What's helped you connect?