The Parenting Out Loud

What drives your kids to learn Cantonese? Here are my personal insights into my daughter's Cantonese learning journey and the invaluable lessons I've learned along the way.

My daughter's Cantonese4Kids Podcast, where she records her stories and book reviews in Cantonese.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cantonese4kids/id1731196790

In this episode, we will practice 5 Cantonese positive affirmations you can use to love yourself more everyday.

IG: Cantonese4Parents

This is a kid-friendly story. On the 3rd day of Lunar New Year, it is called cek3 hau2, usually people stay home as it is believed that people would easily get into arguments. Here's a story I read online a few years ago. I hope it puts you in the mood for a relaxing and happy day.

This story happened on a bus. The bus was full except for one empty seat on a double seat by the window. A young man was sitting next to it. At the next bus stop, a man carrying bags of stuff boarded the bus. He signaled to the young man to move over to the window seat, but the young man refused. Then the man said, "I am so happy." I overheard it and was puzzled. Why would this man be happy when the young man refused his request? Then the man tried to talk to the young man again, saying, "I am sad." Inside my mind, I was thinking, what is going on here? A second ago, you said you were happy, and now you are sad? But then the young man heard it, and he moved over. A while later, I finally figured out. The man was telling the young man that he gets off soon (Cantonese homophones), and it's hard for him to pass over to the window seat.

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IG: Cantoense4Parents.com

In this episode, we'll be doing a quick practice on the Lunar New Year greetings with numbers. For those who prefer visual aids, I've shared a post on Instagram (IG: Cantonese4Parents), and I've also made these into digital stickers for you

1: [jat1 faan4 fung1 soeng6] Wishing you that everything goes smoothly.

2: [ji6 lung4 tang4 fei1] May you receive many promotions in your career.

3: [saam1 sing1 gou1 ziu3] Wishing you fortune, success, and longevity.

4: [sei3 gwai3 ping4 ngon1] May you stay safe throughout all four seasons.

5: [ng5 fuk1 lam4 mun4] May five blessings (longevity, wealth, health, kindness and peace) come upon your house.

6: [luk6 luk6 daai6 soen6] May you have all the best throughout

7: [cat1 sing1 bou3 hei2] May the seven stars shine brightly to guide you

8: [baat3 fong1 loi4 coi4] May fortune come from all directions

9: [gau2 gau2 tung4 sam1] May you be in harmony together forever

10: [sap6 cyun4 sap6 mei5] May everything be perfect in every way.

This is a kid-friendly story. On the 28th day of the lunar month, known as [nin4 jaa6 baat3 sai2 laat6 taat3], every household engages in a thorough cleaning of the entire house.

Some believed that the reason for cleaning on the 28th day is because the pronunciation of "28” in Cantonese sounds similar to "easy fortune."

Others believed that in some years, there isn't a New Year's Eve on the 30th, only on the 29th. If the major cleaning is scheduled for the 29th, it wouldn't provide enough time. Therefore, scheduling the major cleaning on the 28th, 1 to 2 days before New Year's Eve, is the most suitable.

Here is a fun short story to brighten your day as you are doing the housecleaning to prepare for the Lunar New Year.

You can read the script of this story or the vocabulary list on IG: @Cantonese4Parents

Disappointment is a natural part of life, but helping our children understand and cope with it is crucial for their emotional development. Today, we'll talk about a scenario and explore disappointment from both the parent's and the kid's point of view. We'll also discuss practical scripts you can use to navigate this situation. All in Cantonese.

Get your journal here:

https://cantonese4parents.etsy.com

"Disappointed" on p. 117-121