Consistency and perseverance

Some keys to making the plan work

Make sure everyone knows what is happening

Make sure the whole whānau know what's going on and what you are trying to achieve. Do this by getting everyone to sit down and complete the family language plan together.

This way no one can use the old 'I didn't know' line as an excuse for not giving it a real go. It also allows every family member, regardless of how young or old, the chance to keep everyone else in check and remind everyone of their family's commitment to the reo and your reo plan. It puts the responsibility back onto the whole whānau rather than on a certain individual or few within that whānau.

Make everyone else aware of your family's Māori language commitment

A great way to stick to your commitment when whānau and friends are over is to let them know that your family has decided to become a reo Māori speaking family and that you would like their support. They may have questions and seek reasons for why you are doing so. It's really good to get your wider whānau and friends involved and discussing this so that you can make them aware also of the issues facing the health of the language and so that any Māori language learners and speakers amongst them can offer your whānau additional support by only speaking to you in te reo Māori when they see you. But if you don't ask or tell them how are they meant to know that that is what you are doing. By letting the wider whānau know it also means there are more people to keep you and your whānau in check and on track with speaking te reo Māori as they can also serve to remind you of your commitment.

Be consistent

Once you make a decision and everyone knows what it is, stick to it. The worst thing that you could possibly do after that is deciding that it only happens when you feel like it or when it is convenient. To change the language of your household is going to be hard work, but it is going to be even harder if the whānau think that they only have to do it when they want to. Be consistent, when you make the decision to make dinner times reo Māori times, regardless of how much hard work it seems, stick it out, it will get easier the more you do it.

Also if you feel like there are times when you have to break the rules, like you might be having guests or friends over and you think that they might feel uncomfortable speaking or being around te reo Māori make sure that the family is clear that on some set occasions the rules will change, but on all other occasions te reo Māori will prevail.