Speaking in Welsh to my baby

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So I'm first language English but a fluent Welsh speaker. DH doesn't speak Welsh beyond the absolute basics. DD is 8 months and I'd like to speak more Welsh to her but it just doesn't come naturally, and when I do manage, half the time DH (who is WFH) comes in and I end up switching back to English. Any tips? Is this just will-power (not sure I have any of that left - it's all used up trying to stop her eating gravel, dirt and beetles)?

I do go to Ti a Fi with her and she has some lovely Welsh books which we read together (though any suggestions for more lovely Welsh books gratefully recieved!)

I think it is willpower I’m afraid! I had good intentions of speaking Welsh to DS (both DP and I are English but live in Wales and I had enough Welsh to teach on Anglesey at one point) but never really did!

I agree, it's willpower, and the more you do it, the more naturally it will come to you. Speak Welsh to her all the time when you're alone, fine to switch back to English when your husband is there. Kids work it out!

Would it help to have some Welsh cartoons to watch together? Or a playlist of Welsh language nursery rhymes?

I just put Sam Tân into the search bar on YouTube and they've got all of season 1 on there.

I would do everything possible to help your child to be bilingual. I would speak to her only in Welsh when it's just the two of you. She will not be confused when you speak English around your husband. Little children handle two languages very, very well.

Please persevere.

My Dad's first language was Welsh and my Mum only learned some at secondary school (so understood quite a lot but never had the confidence to speak it). I feel quite sad that we never grew up with any Welsh - more and more so the older I've got. I'd love to be bilingual.

Keep going with it!

I am born and raised in Wales, I am not fluent, I can speak, read and understand the basics!
Ex Dp is fluent and has never spoke to DC in Welsh- for 10years we moved and lived on the Welsh border and at school, the DC learnt the very,very basics.
We moved back to our home county and the DC attended the 85%Welsh speaking schools(Aged 10 &6 at the time) ,both DC now late teens, can understand A good amount of Welsh, the 2 yourger Dc we have since had, both born here (3&6 now) will be fluent when leaving school.
Me and Dp don't speak Welsh at home though and I do regret this!

Going against the grain (as someone who was raised English speaking by Welsh speakers) ... Use the language that comes most naturally. It may be a hybrid and you may need to build in specific times of Welsh only, but if your first language is English, the Welsh you use with your child will never be as rich, or spontaneous as your English.

We really like Sanau Cadno (Fox’s Socks in translation) even though around here a fox is really a llwynog.

Thanks all, some good advice for me to ponder here. And she loves Hide and Seek Pig, so Sanau Cadno sounds like a good idea.

I am trying to learn Welsh alongside my kids so have loads of books and try to watch TV in Welsh too.

Cyw on S4C is really good, they have lots of songs for babies and toddlers. If you go to YouTube and search 'Caru canu' they are all on there.

My two year old loves a book called 'Arwel Yr Arth, Amser gwely', it's available on Amazon, the publishing company is called Dref Wen who make lots of other lovely Welsh books.

I used a picture book called "first 1000 words in Welsh" and put post it's all over the house labelling things in Welsh to improve my vocabulary. I had taught myself phonetic pronunciation so would read Welsh story books to her. I would try to tell dd the Welsh word for things and gradually referred to most objects in Welsh in front of her. She was also in a Welsh language creche while I worked ft so her first language was definitely Welsh. We are in the north though so very definitely Welsh medium cylch & primary. Your library will definitely help, Welsh books council website is useful and there are Welsh language bookshops eg: na-nog and palas in Caernarfon where you should be able to browse online.

My husband is first language Welsh and only speaks Welsh to our children, even when I'm around.

Over 20 years I have picked up enough to know what is going on.

We live in England, so their speech with him is the only contact they have with the Welsh language - they all understand everything, but only the eldest has any reasonable spoken fluency. I would say that if they moved to a Welsh speaking area they would pick it very quickly.

I think you should be really proud of yourself for trying. Any little bits you do will be beneficial 🙂
Caru canu on youtube is ace. Also amser stori atebol. Google “Cymraeg i blant” and your area. They run some lovely little baby groups to encourage using welsh.
Bilingualism is very good for the brain. We are a bilingual household and I’m amazed at how my kid have been able to differentiate and switch between both languages so easily.

Pob lwc!