7 surefire signs your kids are definitely German
It happens to the best of us upon moving here - our kids turning German. Here are some signs to look out for so you know before it's too late.
While you may think you're raising just another regular American, Brit, Canadian or Aussie who just happens to live in Germany, you're likely totally wrong.
But here's what to look out for as your kid grows into one of the natives.
1. They’re already beer enthusiasts in the making
Photo: DPA.
They’ve been coming with you to the beer garden since before they can remember, sipping on ‘Kinderbier’ and munching on pretzels. So perhaps you've started to see the signs for some time now.
"They pretty much live off of Schnitzel and Pommes and are counting down the days until they are allowed to drink beer," as one reader told us on Facebook.
2. They’ve picked up the local phrases (probably better than you have)
You may find yourself envious of how quickly and seamlessly your kids seem to pick up a new language and phrases. Maybe they should be your German teachers...
3. And they start to correct your German
But it's also a bit annoying when a four-year-old starts reminding you of der, die and das.
Two simple words in, and my little nephew, with shaking head, says my German is terrible. Family keeps you grounded, right? #ExpatProblems
— Lydia Shoup (@lydiashoup) May 5, 2016
4. When their accents speaking English no longer sound like your own
You know ur kid has fully acquired #German when she yells "We DIDNT do it IN ZEE CLASSROOM" -and isn't joking. #bilingual #expatproblems #L2
— kari martindale (@kariloguekari) April 20, 2015
At least you can be thankful they haven't picked up your poor German pronunciation.
5. The way they greet people is different from how you were raised
They may not be as comfortable with certain greetings as you were as a child.
6. When they love the same children’s shows you did growing up - except with different words
Shaggy, Scooby and the gang in German is seriously messing with all of my childhood memories of Saturday morning cartoons #expatproblems
— (((magpiedays))) (@magpiedays) January 24, 2014
And maybe with slightly different character names, like Bob der Baumeister or SpongeBob Schwammkopf. You might start to question if it's even the same show.
7. And if you move back home, you may feel a patriotic duty to have them brush up on some things...
Just realized my former #expat kid is about to start 4th grade as the only kid who doesn't know the pledge of allegiance. #ugh #repatproject
— kari martindale (@kariloguekari) August 20, 2016
But no matter how German they become, you know there’s still a glimmer of you in there, no matter how small.
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While you may think you're raising just another regular American, Brit, Canadian or Aussie who just happens to live in Germany, you're likely totally wrong.
But here's what to look out for as your kid grows into one of the natives.
1. They’re already beer enthusiasts in the making
Photo: DPA.
They’ve been coming with you to the beer garden since before they can remember, sipping on ‘Kinderbier’ and munching on pretzels. So perhaps you've started to see the signs for some time now.
"They pretty much live off of Schnitzel and Pommes and are counting down the days until they are allowed to drink beer," as one reader told us on Facebook.
2. They’ve picked up the local phrases (probably better than you have)
You may find yourself envious of how quickly and seamlessly your kids seem to pick up a new language and phrases. Maybe they should be your German teachers...
3. And they start to correct your German
But it's also a bit annoying when a four-year-old starts reminding you of der, die and das.
Two simple words in, and my little nephew, with shaking head, says my German is terrible. Family keeps you grounded, right? #ExpatProblems
— Lydia Shoup (@lydiashoup) May 5, 2016
4. When their accents speaking English no longer sound like your own
You know ur kid has fully acquired #German when she yells "We DIDNT do it IN ZEE CLASSROOM" -and isn't joking. #bilingual #expatproblems #L2
— kari martindale (@kariloguekari) April 20, 2015
At least you can be thankful they haven't picked up your poor German pronunciation.
5. The way they greet people is different from how you were raised
They may not be as comfortable with certain greetings as you were as a child.
6. When they love the same children’s shows you did growing up - except with different words
Shaggy, Scooby and the gang in German is seriously messing with all of my childhood memories of Saturday morning cartoons #expatproblems
— (((magpiedays))) (@magpiedays) January 24, 2014
And maybe with slightly different character names, like Bob der Baumeister or SpongeBob Schwammkopf. You might start to question if it's even the same show.
7. And if you move back home, you may feel a patriotic duty to have them brush up on some things...
Just realized my former #expat kid is about to start 4th grade as the only kid who doesn't know the pledge of allegiance. #ugh #repatproject
— kari martindale (@kariloguekari) August 20, 2016
But no matter how German they become, you know there’s still a glimmer of you in there, no matter how small.
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