Q:
Shall I use books, tapes, videos, etc. to prevent my daughter
from losing her native language?
A:There is one specific problem I would like
you to be sensitive to. Please be sure that these activities (Russian
songs, chats, games, etc.) are really a pleasurable experience
for your child. The native language in post-institutionalized
children may be associated with bitter feelings of pain, discomfort
and anxiety. Very often these are unconscious feelings resulting
from deprivation, hunger, abuse that these children had experienced
in their early years. Unfortunately, this is a more common situation
than is usually understood, at least in my clinical experience.
