So many of us in this country grow up with more than one language, and it can only be an advantage in the long run. We do have a number of articles on this on Parent24, here's one to start with:Raising multilingual kids. I deeply regret not raising my children bilingual, and if I had it over again, I would do it. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

I also have a 3 year old. I speak Tswana, my wife speaks Xhosa, Afrikaans at school and we Speak english in between. My son has taken to Afrikaans in a big way as its the language mostly spoken at school and he interacts with other kids. I'm not worried though, as although he cannot communicate in Tswnaa and Xhosa, he understands intructions in all languages.

My Son is three and my Daughter 1 and we have been bringing them up Trilingual from birth. I only speak English, my Wife only German to them and my wife and I speak Afrikaans to each other (which they hear). They have no problem in differentiating the languages, and speak all three separately. We had concerns at first, but using the one parent one language rule it works very well. Even my one year old daughter clearly defines between the languages and my son has taken to a little bit of Spanish on his own through TV.

I think your child has a wonderful opportunity. As Namibians, we grew up hearing Afrikaans, German and English. Kids pick it up so fast, especially as German and Afrikaans has much in common. Enjoy.

Could you precisely explain what language 'Belgian' would be? You would either be speaking Flemish or French... there is no such thing as the Belgian language.

Anyway, the ONE parent, ONE language rule is excellent... I wish I had been taught more than two languages as an infant/toddler. You really owe it to your child to afford them this linguistic advantage.

I have a different concern. I have a child who will be turning 3 in August. The mother and I got divorced when she was still 9 months. They relocated from Jhb to PE and the child who was previously exposed to a Xhosa and English background got exposed to an Afrikaans environment (the mother is from a mixed bakground). The child goes to an Afrikaans creche her older sister is more bold and has taken to Afrikaans even though she rather speak English. The younger one seems to be very confused shy and speaks her own language and will communicate in English when she wants to. Any advice?

Well, lets take myself as a study, I grew up in a English / Afrikaans house hold, with more emphasis on English,
I went to English schools.

When I think, its in English, when I speak its in English, however if I am with the Afrikaans family I think in Afrikaans.

Now, I have asked English only friends the following question, when doing Afrikaans in school do you think in Afrikaans or English, most people would Think in English, then Translate what they where thinking in their head and then speak in Afrikaans.

Now think about the following, When thinking in different languages whole different mindsets evolve, different ways of seeing the world, because culture influences language, and each language describes the world in different ways (for example, we have one word for snow, it is snow, Inuit people (Eskimos) have many ways of saying the word for snow, each describing the different types of snow, each meaning a very different thing to them, from our English view point snow is snow and nothing else, not matter if its hard, soft, new, old, etc...

another example, if any one has ever "torn you a new one" in Afrikaans its an experience vs some one crapping on you in English...

So if your child from an early age is exposed to different languages like this on a daily basis it is only going to further brain development, you will probably end up in a situation in the begging where the child is mixing the languages, when communicating but eventually the child will learn to speak/think/articulate fluently in all of them.

Remember their brains are forming and language is developing based on the input the child is getting, so if you show them and apple and they have learnt its an apple, in all the languages that is how it will be wired in their heads vs learning the languages at a later stage where you need to train your mind. plus in this day and age in its good to be multi lingual, also German and Afrikaans are similar in nature.

I would say its good for brain development.