Social pressures and peer norms influence language choice. Children may feel embarrassed or want to sound like their peers, leading to a rejection of the home language in public.

“When I speak to my six-year-old daughter in Arabic, she says, ‘Mom, I am an American girl; I don’t understand you.’” Mariam, from Algeria

Parents, teachers, and clinicians fear that using the home language will set the child back in learning English and fall behind.

A lack of need or opportunities can reduce heritage language use over time.

In some cases, the language is simply "crowded out" by the dominant, more frequently used language  “When their grandma passes away, I fear that my children won’t feel the need to speak Pashto anymore.” – Nasira, from Pakistan

The emotional stakes are high when parents unintentionally pressure children.

Excessive pressure from parents can make the child feel that speaking is a high-stakes, stressful, or "risky" task, causing them to shut down.