Hi my name is Dorota and my husband is Nigel. We have a daughter who is 2 years and 8 months old and her name is Joules.
Before we had Joules, I searched everywhere. I couldn't find any Polish groups. So I decided to approach a children's centre and we created a Polish group.
I always wanted to raise Joules speaking to children who speak Polish and it's much easier to learn a language when you are connected to the culture. So I thought of the group as being the base for her to see the other children getting to know each other and playing together.
For Joules, it's very amazing to have so many new aunties (ciocie) who she can speak to and she can be part of this huge family, which I tried to create. We have a parachute, which we play peek-a-boo with. We have some puppets and Polish short rhymes.
I love seeing how children get excited about our group and I feel that they are really looking forward to having the time when their favourite song comes out.
I think nothing can be done if it's not natural to the parent. I really wanted to give her the opportunity to be part of my culture. It's so important for children's development to be part of who their parents are.
Dorota explains how starting a Polish-language parent and baby group has helped her daughter and others to learn Polish and about Polish culture.
Why not see if there is a group in your area that speaks your second language? Or if not, you could think about starting your own.
Image caption, Parent and child groups in different languages are a good way for children to hear lots of that language from adults and other children.
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