A true mother's story: From chaos to finding rhythm in her study-along journey

真實媽媽故事:從混亂到找回節奏的陪讀旅程

We recently received a particularly heartwarming message from a second-generation immigrant mother living overseas.

She herself grew up between Chinese and English, and can not only speak, but also read and write, which is very rare for second-generation language learners.

But after becoming a mother, she truly felt that "passing on Chinese to the next generation" was much more difficult than she had imagined.

Her husband speaks English, and the family's language is mainly English, so the Chinese environment they can provide for their child is limited.

Her eldest son is 7 years old, which is the age when he rejects Chinese, and he has already shown obvious signs of "resisting learning Chinese".

💬 This is what Mom said:

"I thought I could handle this task. But I lost myself amidst the busyness of life and the emotions of my children."
Sometimes I just want to tell a story, but it turns into a lecture. The children don't find it interesting; they just want to run away.

She listened to one episode of our podcast. Stephanie's Story(An American mother living in Thailand helped her child progress to being able to read Harry Potter within four years), which made her see possibilities again.

???? Stephanie's StoryIt gave her new hope:
Even in a non-native language country, without a Chinese-speaking spouse or the help of a Chinese school—
With the right methods, and with love and rhythm, children can still fall in love with reading.

But she also mentioned:

  • Life is too busy, and I often can't spend consistent time with my family.
  • Older children are easily distracted and can't sit still.
  • Young children need professional assistance for their language and motor development.

She discovered that the problem wasn't that the child "didn't want to learn."
Instead, adults need to calm down first.

Start with storytelling, not lecturing.
Let's start with "sharing time," not "checking progress."
Start with "the child's pace," not "the adult's expectations."

🎧 On Lele Podcast, we've always wanted to reach more families:

✅ You are not the only parent who feels confused and frustrated.
✅ Chinese education is not limited to "sending people to Chinese schools".
✅ Every child can find their own connection with language—with your gentle guidance and companionship.

💛 So dear parents, if you've ever doubted whether you're doing enough or whether your child is falling behind:

We want to tell you: You are not alone.
We see your efforts. The child can feel them too.
You don't need to be perfect, you just need to keep persisting in love.

📬 Want to hear Stephanie's Story?
Listen here Podcast 🎧 >> Click here to listen Lele Talk

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You can also write back and share your story with us.
We've always been there for you on this journey of Chinese language learning 💌


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