What a great question ... and how cool, that you are in the position to be thinking about this!
The grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins etc. will all be very excited about their new relative -- when the time comes that Junior can speak anything more than baby talk, it will be very sweet for the family, if they can converse.
Also, I have heard (and it makes sense to me) that it is a real advantage for a child to grow up bilingual. Lots of children grow up in families like yours, with different first languages for the parents. They don't seem confused -- or maybe better, working through any confusion just helps them to be better thinkers.
It's coming to me that I read something about this in the past year. I think it was recent research showing that children who are raised with two languages do better on certain tests of problem solving, than similar children raised in one language. If I can find the article, I'll send a link.
Of course, when your son is maturing, he just might take an interest in his Russian background, and if so it will be a big help to have at least some of the language. It will also help that he wasn't born in Russia, so he won't have to worry about getting drafted there when he's a young man.
Why would you not teach a child with a Russian mother Russian? You already know the answer to that.
What you should not do is to teach the child what you have been doing - making up lies about other people. "Don't do that," is not enough. Children do by example. He will do as you do and not as you say.
I wonder what lies Danny has made up on his fellow Australians? I can see Danny now in Russia, making up lies of their narcotics use. I know Americans will not take it. He will not dare do what he does in front of anyone I know. Only Australians can take it, I guess. Putin and his thugs are on the loose, recruiting more thugs. Danny will not survive.
Danny's question here is whether or not to teach "his kid" Russian. Now he says he hopes to live in Russia. He hopes to live in Russia and he questions whether or not to teach the kid Russian?
I think most of Danny's posts are BS too. So many different stories over the past 3 years Ive lurked here plus the name changes and multiple personalities he controls and posts under.
ANYWAY, on to subject matter,
Its OBVIOUS the child should learn Russian. For them its easy and not confusing. By 2 years old they figure out some people speak English and some speak Russian. Initially, they may even use combinations of both in same sentence using the words easiest for them. For example, my neighbor's 18 month old will say "no" instead of "niet" and "da" instead of "yes". Their 4 year old boy now can speak Russian and English depending upon who he is speaking with and go back and forth in mixed company without confusion. Also, another neighbor's kids speak Russian, English and Italian because mother is Italian, dad is Russian and we all speak English together as its common to all of us. Both my daughters speak English, Russian and Spanish and my 16 year old son speaks English, Spanish and French.
Kids learn fast and its in their best long term interests to be multi-lingual as more opportunities exist in our globalized world
Rick,,, danny claimed to be teaching the baby to talk by day 12!!! I myself don’t know when babies start talking,,, but I know it’s not by day 12!!! But, I can understand how danny could be confused,,,, the baby has already exceeded his own abilities!!!!
It is obvious for anyone to teach their baby the native tongue of both parents. If danny has a baby,, you just have to feel sorry for it! The baby needs to learn: English, Russian, Australian, and Duntstralian!
So tell me DUNT,,, did these “experts” come from your home town or from where you went to school????
They say English is not a problem??? So what’s your excuse???
Kiwi and durak seemed to think it was okay to teach your make believe bastard son both languages?!
While we are all here,,,, what else do you need help with??? Do you need any other help from strangers on raising a kid?????
DUNT you pathetic idiot,,, using a kid,, real or imaginary,, to fight your battles on the forum!!!?
A new low for the lowest!!!!
You’ve used everything in your life to try and give it some importance!!
You know, I have only just recently came back on this forum after an 8 year absence and its the same stuff just different people. danny42 made a thread for a discussion and out of the blue people attack him. He stays civil and is active in avoiding the negative and sticking to the subject of his thread. If you have a problem with him make your own thread and state your business with him there,this bullying is tiresome to shift through all the drama cry baby bullshit to read relevant comments. If you think he is something, or dont, or have a problem, either keep it to yourself or create a new thread, don't degenerate someones thread out of emotional vindictiveness, its rude, childish and wrong.
My step sisters are Filipino who never learned there native language, and I have Mexican friends who can not speak Spanish and from both they have a regret they never learned and blame themselves. Heritage is a big deal and something to be proud of and probably more so with a Russian blood line, they are a proud and strong people and it would be a good thing for your son to learn. Also it will be easier for him to talk to his other half of the family and not feel so out of place when he visits. Your wife is doing the right thing, teach him the language of the country his is not currently living in first, your child will learn the local language from friends and at school. I lived in Italy when I was younger as a military brat, my younger brother was 2 years old and by the time we left Italy was speaking it really well, after moving back to the states he gradually lost it all, an now can not speak a word of it so my suggestion would be to reinforce Russian if he is in Aus. and English when living in Rus.