Punk 1 Strikes Again

So Punk 1 has once again become a bit reluctant to speak German, at least as long as The Husband is around. I think it’s because she’s gotten herself convinced that saying things twice, once in English and another time in German is unnecessary since we all understand English, and she has decided to try to get away with speaking it more these days. The good thing is that when The Husband is not around, she continues to speak German with me. As a given, and without complaining or whining or anything.

One of the consequences of this is, however, that Punk 2 who tends to follow her lead in everything he does unless it’s time to whack her over the head or steal her toy again, also speaks more English with me. Sometimes he says something to me in English, and rather than repeating it in German as per my request, goes to find The Husband so he can repeat whatever it is to him in English. He sometimes does this even if it really is a question or comment for me. I try not the let this drive me nuts, but it can be pretty frustrating.

Similarly, the sibling language continues to be English, so it always seems to me that the use of and need for German is rather limited in all of this.

But then one night over dinner a few days ago when I asked Punk 2 to repeat something in German he had just said in English, Punk 1 helpfully chimed in:

Punk 2, Mama doesn’t understand English! You have to say it in German! Otherwise she’ll just say “Huh, what did you just say??”

It still find it really odd that she would say something like that. I’m sure she knows I understand and speak English since I do it all the time when the kids are around, at daycare drop-off and pick-up for example. Or with The Husband. Other than jokingly, I have also never pretended to not speak or understand English (too late for that now anyway). And she is usually in favour of Punk 2 speaking English and frequently even translates what I’m saying to him in German into English (even though he understands German just fine).

I’m a bit confused by it all. I don’t think this was just another translation job on her part, simply because it was more instructional in tone and she added the bit about me not speaking English. Usually when she translates for anyone, she actually translates and doesn’t editorialize. I find it really weird, though of course I’d love it if she helped bring up the German content in the house more regularly.