On trying to raise a bilingual kid (and some Urdu specific links). Part 2

I shared some thoughts on encouraging your kid to learn and speak a second language earlier and this post is a continuation of that one. I believe that it is our job as parents to make the second language seem fun and exciting for our kids and that can be done through age appropriate material for them. It is a little hard sometimes to find time and resources for this but totally worth it in the end. And I also feel that to encourage our kids to be comfortable speaking Urdu, we ourselves have to own the language. Today, I wanted to share some Urdu specific resources that I particularly like. Hope these will help:)

If you haven’t already, read Part 1 here.

TV

- ToffeeTV is great resource for stories,songs and poems. The beautiful hand-drawn illustrations are adorable and the slow-paced images make them perfect for younger kids. For older kids they also feature stories, activities etc. They also have apps for Apple and Android gadgets which is a huge plus. One of Anya’s earliest favorites was Baadal Garje by them.

- Sim Sim Hamara is the Urdu version of Sesame Street and I absolutely adore this series. Kids love Elmo so they will be attracted to this. The songs are so catchy and even I don’t mind listening to them over and over again.  Each episode focuses on a word which is explained in different ways. I was heartbroken that the series was discontinued. But thanks to YouTube, one is still able to enjoy the series. Some favorite songs are Meesha Shafi singing Ghar and Strings singing Hum but pretty much all of them are awesome.

- Once your kids are a little older, classic plays like Tanhaiyan, Ankahi and many others are also beautiful to watch as a family.

Music/Audio

- You don’t have to stick to material aimed at children only. Anya loves a song that played on Coke Studio called Koi Labda (it is actually in Punjabi) and she will make me play it over and over again in the car. Some older songs specially those by Nazia and Zohaib Hassan are so catchy and I know a friend’s girls’ loved listening to them. I just try to make sure that the lyrics are kid-friendly, in other words steer clear of those popular Bollywood songs, :p

- Sohail Rana's songs are all on YouTube and I recently started putting them on in the evening while I cook and she colors or is busy with another activity. Anya just recently picked up Dosti aisa naata from it. I don’t know about others but my sister and I grew up listening to these songs thanks to my mom, and they have a big nostalgia value for me.

- I love humming songs in Urdu to Anya at bedtimes. If you’d be interested, Nindiya re by Kavish , and Soja Re by Uzair Jaswal make for perfect lullabies. 

- Some classic songs from old Indian movies are adorable and I have another playlist for Anya on YouTube of those, including lakri kee kaathi, rona kabhi nahi rona, chal mere ghore etc.

- Kassette Kahani is also available online if your kids would be interested in it. Anya is still too young for this, but this favorite of many from our generation that grew up in Pakistan might be interesting to older kids.

Books

- On my recent visit, a relative told me about Oxford University Press and that they have a great collection of Urdu books. I was pleasantly surprised at the adorable little books we found. The illustrations as well as the stories are just so loveable (you can see a glimpse in this picture above). Even their Urdu qaidas are the best I have seen around. Oxford University Press has stores in many cities across Pakistan and you can find one close to you here.

- Another current favorite that was gifted to us, is a Beaconhouse School System Readers series of short simple story books. Anya loves 'Na gudda na gurya' from this series.

- BookGroup also has great little Urdu books with original stories. Their sets of books for different age groups can be bought online too. I have a few of their books but plan to order another set or two soon.

- I discovered this adorable board book on Amazon which would be awesome for brand new readers, Bulbul Ka Bacha, based on a popular Urdu poem.

- Biloongra is another exciting bilingual series I came across while writing this post. The stories and illustrations are adorable and you can read excerpts to your kids here. They are available in Karachi or you can email them for the PDFs. 

Because Anya is still young, we have only focused on the speaking part. I am trying to introduce her to the Urdu alphabets and I know my husband would love for her to be able to read and write Urdu. Because the alphabets and reading are similar to the Arabic for Quran that she will learn iA, I hope that that part wont be that hard if we decide to do that.

If you have any other interesting Urdu specific resources to share, I would love to hear about them in the comments below.

Thanks and much love.

Inspiring reads for moms.

I have noticed that for me, being inspired is so important in my role as a mother. I find it much easier to have perspective, and enjoy the everyday moments that make up my days with my baby girl when I am feeling inspired.

Since becoming a mom, I have read so many books about moms and their journeys, about what is important while raising these brand new people. These books have made me look beyond the everyday chores that being a mom brings, and at the bigger picture. They have made me think and ponder, and try to be a better person. They have made me think of what's to come ahead,  of what is important to me to teach my daughter and just more inspired in this journey as a mom.

I thought I’d share some of my favorites with you.



1. 10 Habits of Happy Mothers by Meg Meeker M.D. I finished this on my kindle while we were in Pakistan and I got so engrossed in this book towards the end. This book focuses on mothers and how to find happiness for ourselves and within ourselves.

2. Cinderella ate my daughter by Peggy Orenstein. I knew I had a bit of an aversion to this growing ‘pink/princess/girlie-girl’ culture in the US and pretty much all around by now, and this further aggravated my fears. She has done so much research on this topic, discussing most major companies that market products to young girls and their effects. Herself the mother of a daughter, Peggy talks from a personal point of view and that makes me want to believe her even more. I think this is a must-read for all moms of daughters.

3. Raising Happiness by Christine Carter. I’m still reading this book and I agree with most of the things it covers. I like how she talks about having a good relationship with the kids’ father, marriage and family in raising happy kids. Every parent’s dream is to raise a happy kid and I think this book does a great job in covering the topic.

4. Bloom by Kelle Hampton. One of my most favorite and most inspiring bloggers wrote this book and just like her blog, this book has a way of inspiring you get over the challenges you face and just enjoy your babies and make memories with them. Accompanied with beautiful photos by Kelle, the hardcover version of this book is almost a coffee table book, its so beautiful!

5. Happiness Project and Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin Not exactly books for moms, but I think very important in getting yourself in the right frame of mind for better parenting. I am still reading Happier at home, but I feel these are both must reads for any mother.

6. Great with Child by Beth Ann Fennelly. I found out about this book via one of the blogs I read and it is a beautiful poetic voice of a mom to a mom-to-be expressed in the form of letters. So beautifully she shares her insights and feelings on being a mom and many of her letters almost made me cry, thinking of my own baby girl.

7. Happy Chaos by Soleil Moon Frye. Beautiful random account by a used-to-be child actress on motherhood and how imperfectly perfect it is. I took a while to read this book because it is such an easy read. But overall I enjoyed reading her views on motherhood.

Some others which I am eyeing to read but haven’t yet are Bringing up Be’be’ and The Honest Life.

Have you read any of these already? What are your thoughts?

Thanks for stopping by!

{love is the strength of our commitments}

“Instead, I hold that day deep within myself, as a reminder that love is the sum of our choices, the strength of our commitments, the ties that bind us together"”

“But maybe that’s what it all comes down to. Love, not as a surge of passion, but as a choice to commit to something, someone, no matter what obstacles or temptations stand in the way.”

from the book love the one you’re with by emily giffin

Collage I made today!

So today's looking like one of those creative days and that makes me happy, REALLY happy:)! and who would have known, the sun's managed to find its way through the clouds too and the day is turning out better than it started.

Here's my work from today. The quote's from Judith McNaught's 'Almost Heaven'. I love all her books. They're such sappy romantic reads, the kinds that manage to give you butterflies(lol). If you're into chick literature and haven't read her books, I'd recommend them any day!