When kids learn Afrikaans: The funny, heartwarming moments of growing up
In her column, Tracy shares experiences and lessons learnt as she navigates life and grows with her two boys. To share your views email Tracy on [email protected]
Image: File
This week I’ve been very much in my feelings. My baby is turning two. Two.
I find myself scrolling through old photos late at night, the kind you swore you took too many of at the time. Tiny fingers wrapped around mine. That sleepy newborn face. The little bundle that once fit perfectly against my chest. I keep trying to remember exactly what it felt like holding such a small baby, when he was just…so little.
Now he’s running around the house, chatting away, and somehow already half the size of his big brother, who is seven. How did that even happen?
I know all mommies go through this. It can’t just be me. But man oh man, did time really fly with this one. Just the other day I was in active labour. I still remember it so clearly. His birth was easy—praise God. Less than four hours from the first contraction and he was here, welcomed into the world like he had somewhere important to be.
And honestly, that pretty much sums him up. He’s been chilled from day one. Calm, clever, observant. My little babypies.
These days he wakes up every morning singing “Happy Birthday.” Every. Single. Morning. I think he gets the idea because we’ve been asking him in the lead-up to his birthday, “Whose birthday is it?”
The other day I said, “We’re going to eat cake.”
He looked at me very seriously and said, “Nooooo mammmiee Lynn… donuts.”
I mean… where do they even get this stuff from? Such a funny boy.
Anyway, this piece is not actually about me being in my feelings, although clearly I needed to let that out.
My babies
Image: Dad
The real highlight of the week happened while helping big brother practice for his Afrikaans oral.
Het ek dan nou vir jou lekker gelag.
Just hearing the way certain words are pronounced, and the way he translates things when he forgets the right word, had me in stitches. It also made me realise this must be exactly how my Afrikaans friends and colleagues feel when I try speaking Afrikaans.
Fun fact: in my household growing up, both my parents and my siblings speak Afrikaans. It’s their home language. And then along came Polly with her English.
So there we were, practicing his oral. His task was to speak about his “beste maat.”
He started off really well:
“My maat se naam is…”
“Hy is seev-verrr ja oud.”
“Ons play sokker saam.”
“Hy is my beste maat.”
Then he pauses. Looks at me thoughtfully.
“Wait wait Mommy… I want to add one more sentence. How do I say ‘he has a good heart’?”
My overachiever, this one.
So I told him how to say it, but I also gently suggested maybe he should first focus on getting the first sentences right. You know… crawl before you run and all that.
We practiced a few more times.
Then Mr. turns to his daddy with full confidence and begins again:
“My maat se naam is…”
And the whole house immediately starts clapping.
His baby brother, completely confused but always ready for a party, starts clapping too.
Big brother stands there smiling proudly, clearly very satisfied with himself.
Moments like that make my heart so full. I love watching him learn, watching him grow into his own little person. Through moments like these you also start learning more about their world who their friends are, what matters to them, how they see things.
And as chaotic and funny and emotional as motherhood can be, I sometimes look at these little moments and think… maybe we’re doing a good job.
So this week we’ve had birthday songs at sunrise, donut negotiations, Afrikaans oral rehearsals, and lots of clapping for no apparent reason.
Now we just wait for the results.
And somewhere in between all of that, I’m quietly preparing myself for my baby to turn two.
Excuse me while I go look at a few more baby pictures.