Bilingual- one parent one language, still not speaking!

[Livingmagicallyagain]

We have raised our son, 3.5, bilingually since birth. DH speaks only German to him, we speak English or German together, and I speak mostly English to him with some German. Preschool is English.

He could clearly understand everything in both languages from a young age. He started speaking in full sentences in English towards the age of 3. So far he doesn't speak German, maybe the odd word.

His older sister wasn't raised bilingually, just a little German on holiday as I didn't meet my DH til she was 5, so she speaks English with him.

I understand productive skills can come later than receptive skills. And I have a PhD in bilingualism, but it's different raising your own kids!

What are others' experiences in real life? Dh starting to wonder if he'll ever speak German/should he insist (I think not to!).

Ps DD, 10, doing well with learning German slowly now and understands lots.

We have raised ours bilingually OPOL but English is dominant as we live here and it's our joint language. DS who is 5 has never spoken in full French sentences, in fact now he is learning to read in french it's the first time I've heard him say full sentences! His syntax is English with code switching French vocab. He understands everything said to him in either language.
I'm told this is very normal, especially where siblings are involved with whom the main language is the other one. For young children, language is a communication tool, and he knows he is understood in English so why change.
I would suggest introducing some purely German environments like a German playgroup if such a thing exists. But also don't worry, this is so normal and the passive language is clearly there, you've done a great job! It is likely he'll produce more German as he gets older.

we live in a German speaking country, my son goes to German Kindergarten. I am English with only basic German, so 90% + communicate with my son in English.

At the beginning my son preferred English words, now at age 4 He mixes both German and English together ... sometimes in the same sentence.
He understands both languages.

Just keep on keeping on and don't make a big deal of it. IME they tend to use the language of the country they are in, especially at nursery, school etc. But they are still absorbing and understanding. Once you are travelling, spending time with extended family, they start using their other language (s).
It is so worthwhile because they pick up new languages easily.
My ( now adult) dc have 5 languages between them and it is so useful.

definitely keep at it.
maybe (if possible) holidays with relatives in germany or geeman summer camps.
lots of getman children's tv (kika, mediathek etc)

In the same boat. DD1 also started speaking at 3yo and in english, since we live in the UK and she was going to nursery.

I always speak to her in portuguese so she understands it fully but answers/translates in English. I didn't insist when she started speaking that she spoke in my language because of the delay. Now I should start teaching her how to answer me in Portuguese, I suppose. Her younger sister is doing better

Thank you all. Some great tips and reassurance here.

We'll keep going. DD's receptive German is getting better so we can have full evenings with one German now. And we can switch many movies to German. We just need a holiday there now when covid allows!