The Multilingual Family Hub

🌟 It’s finally happening… the Multilingual Family Hub membership is now live!

Over the past few months, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I can create a more supportive, interactive space for multilingual families — somewhere we can connect, share experiences, ask questions, and learn from each other in a more personal way.

So I’m very happy to say that the MFH membership is now officially open on Patreon 🎉

Here’s what’s inside:

⭐ Membership starts from just $3/month
Includes:
– access to my video library, ad-free!
– 20% off my online store (for you AND your friends & family — forever!)

⭐ The main community tier is $10/month
Includes everything above PLUS
– access to our exclusive community group chat
– invitation to a monthly live video Q&A / meetup with me
– a space to connect with other families on the same journey

Our first meetup is provisionally scheduled for Friday 17 April at 7pm UK time, and it will go ahead even if only one member joins 😊

⭐ There’s also a Guiding Star tier
Includes everything above PLUS
– a monthly 1-hour 1:1 call with me (coaching, language planning, or personalised support – or even language lessons!)

If this sounds like something that would support your multilingual journey, you can join here:

👉 www.patreon.com/cw/KaYee_MFH

And as always — if you have questions, just comment below or message me. I’d love to hear from you 🌱

2 months ago | [YT] | 3

The Multilingual Family Hub

A quick update from me (and the future of MFH) 🌱

Hi everyone! Just wanted to pop on here with a quick update… because things are shifting a little behind the scenes 👀

If you’ve noticed fewer long-form videos recently – you’re not imagining it!

I’m currently rethinking how I create content so I can support you better (and more sustainably long-term).

⸻

💡 What to expect going forward

Instead of focusing primarily on long-form YouTube videos, I’ll be sharing more bite-sized, practical content, in the form of YouTube community posts and Instagram posts.

And I'll continue to send out my monthly newsletter, so feel free to subscribe!

👉👉Newsletter: www.multilingualfamilyhub.com/newsletter

My long-form videos have not been performing too well recently and I just want to experiment with new ways of engaging with my audience.

So plsssss follow me on Instagram!!

👉👉 Instagram: www.instagram.com/kayee_multilingualfamilyhub/

⸻

🤝 Something new I’m working on…

If you've been reading my newsletter, you'll know that I’ve been planning to launch a Patreon / membership space 🎉

A place where we can:

✔️ Have monthly live Q&A / meetups
✔️ Chat more directly (not just through comments!)
✔️ Support each other as parents on this journey


🚀 Want to be part of it?

I’m currently building a waitlist to gauge interest.

If this sounds like something you’d genuinely benefit from (no pressure at all!), you can join here:

👉 preview.mailerlite.io/forms/946659/175381635951232…

⸻

Thank you so much for being here – whether you’ve been following since day one or just found this channel recently.

I hope to connect with you in my community/ membership program soon!

Ka Yee 💛

P.S. Haute Dolci is THE BOMB. Thanks to my hubby for treating us to a Mother's Day dessert feast!!!

2 months ago | [YT] | 7

The Multilingual Family Hub

📚✨ Big news (And LIMITED OFFER) for families who’ve been asking about my books!

Over the past few months, quite a few of you have messaged me saying you couldn’t get hold of my books on Amazon in your country.

So… I’ve finally done something about it. 🙌

🎉 PDF EBOOK versions of our popular My Everyday Life bilingual picture book series are now available in my online store!

That means you can now:
✔️ Download the books instantly
✔️ Read them on your tablet, phone or computer
✔️ Print them at home if you prefer physical pages for your child

No shipping delays. No regional restrictions. Just instant access. 📖✨

And to celebrate the launch (and to encourage a little language reset in your home this month – more on that in an upcoming video 👀)…

💥 I’m offering 20% OFF everything in the store.

Use the code:

🎟️ RESETMARCH2026

This discount applies to ALL purchases across the store.

But don’t wait too long – I’m only running this promotion for a short time!

🛒 Browse the ebooks here:
www.multilingualfamilyhub.com/store

If you’ve been wanting a simple, fun way to build your child’s vocabulary in your home language, this is a great place to start. ❤️

And as always — thank you for supporting my work and this little multilingual mission of mine. 🌏🗣️

#bilingualkids #multilingualparenting #raisingbilingualkids #heritagelanguage #bilingualbooks #multilingualfamily

3 months ago | [YT] | 3

The Multilingual Family Hub

In a Chinese school, this birthday card might score 3/10 📝
…but in our home, it was a 10/10 moment 🥹💌✨

It was my mum’s birthday, and my children made her a card. They agreed (yes, it was my idea 🤣) to write their message in Chinese.

Now, let’s be honest. The handwriting wasn’t exactly the work of a calligraphy master. In a rigorous Chinese school setting, it might score… let’s just say not very highly 😅 But that’s not the point.

When my mum opened the card, her reaction said everything. She was so proud that she later made a whole photo collage of our celebration – and made sure the card was PROMINENTLY featured (bless her!). That slightly wobbly Chinese handwriting meant something to her. A lot.

And it made me think about all the conversations we’re having right now about AI (BTW, AI has basically taken my job as a translator but that’s a whole different story).

People are asking: is learning a second language still worth it? Is raising a bilingual/ trilingual child still worth the effort?

Yes, AI can translate instantly.
Yes, it can ‘write’ Chinese and generate perfect Chinese calligraphy.
Yes, it can help us communicate across languages more efficiently than ever before.

But can it recreate that moment of pride on a grandmother’s face when her grandchildren write to her in her own language by hand?

Can it replicate the feeling of being spoken to directly – not through an app, not through a device – but through effort, intention and love?

For me, for grandparents around the world, the answer is… no. I truly believe that.

Are we perfect? NO WAY! My kids’ handwriting resembles that of a first-grader. Their spoken Chinese is filled with delightful ‘bloopers’ and endearing mispronunciations. There are moments of resistance and frustration.

But we’re trying. We haven’t given up. And that EFFORT itself carries meaning within our family.

In an age where technology can do so much for us, maybe the real question isn’t whether AI makes language learning ‘unnecessary’. Maybe it’s whether we’re willing to outsource connection to technology.

Because some things are meant to be imperfect. A handwritten card. A slightly mispronounced phrase. A child searching for the right word. Those imperfections are part of the intimacy.

If you’re raising bilingual or trilingual kids, keep going. And even if you’re not focusing heavily on language, but you’re honouring your family heritage through food, traditions, celebrations or stories – that matters too.

These small, intentional acts build bridges across generations.

And sometimes, all it takes is a birthday card written with love. 💛

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3 months ago | [YT] | 4

The Multilingual Family Hub

🧧🥟 CNY Reflections: Traditions, Food, Language – The Many Ways To Help Our Kids Navigate Between Cultures 🏮✨

I just want to wish all my viewers a Happy Chinese New Year🏮🐴

(I’m not going to say ‘gung hei fat choy’ 🤣🤣 Check out my ‘viral-for-me’ YouTube short to find out why!)

Last Friday, we had an early-than-planned CNY dinner at our local Chinese restaurant with my parents and the experience led me to reflect on what it means to raise not just ‘multilingual’ but ‘multicultural’ children.

Yes, our kids speak Mandarin, but their food preferences are shockingly ‘British’ – the only food my daughter would eat at the restaurant was… plain boiled rice 🫠

And in fact, as a family, we’re pretty lazy when it comes to embracing traditional Chinese festivals like Mid Autumn Festival (nevermind the more obscure Dragon Boat Festival😅).

In contrast, many of my British-born Asian friends have been hugely successful in passing on their traditional customs and food preferences, their children happily devouring dimsum and Peking Duck.

It made me realise that there are MANY ways to pass on our heritage to our children in some way.

All of these threads form part of the tapestry – though each family weaves them in differently:

🥟 Food
🧨 Traditions
🗣️ Language
❤️ Family
🌏 Identity


Language is powerful.

But it’s not the ONLY way we pass on heritage.

Food, family celebrations… All these things will create lifelong memories for your children that tie them to their roots and heritage in some way.

Even if you’re not actively raising bilingual or trilingual kids, you can still honour your roots.

You can still give your children a sense of where they come from.

Through recipes.
Through stories.
Through festivals.

And there’s absolutely no shame in that.

Language is one component of helping our kids navigate an increasingly interconnected, multicultural world 🌍

But culture lives in so many different forms

Also – quick THANK YOU for the love on my recent YouTube Short… it’s gone a little bit “viral” (well… viral for me 😆).

Wishing you all joy, warmth, and good food this festive season – however you choose to celebrate ❤️

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3 months ago | [YT] | 4

The Multilingual Family Hub

🧠📖 Teaching Emotional Awareness Through Chinese Reading (And Expanding Vocab at the Same Time!)

This week’s Chinese reading session turned into something really special.

We were reading a story about a boy, 小飞, who desperately wanted to be the choir leader.

Then came this line:

👉 “心一下子跳得很快。”
(His heart suddenly started beating very fast.)

Instead of just moving on… I paused.

I asked my daughter:
💬 Why do you think his heart started beating faster?
💬 What do you think he’s feeling?

And suddenly, we weren’t just reading anymore.

We were exploring emotions.

Together, we unpacked words like:
🟡 担心 – worry
🟡 焦虑 – anxiety
🟡 嫉妒 – envy
🟡 紧张 – Nervousness
🟡 不安 – Insecurity

All from ONE sentence.

She even drew a little picture to represent Xiao Fei’s feeling… Maybe we can call it 百感交集 (loosely translated it as ‘having an overwhelming mix of emotions’） 🤣

This is what I love about reading in the target language. It’s not just vocabulary building. It’s:

✨ Emotional awareness
✨ Emotional regulation
✨ Perspective-taking
✨ Deeper comprehension
✨ Real-life language

When we go beyond “What happened?” and ask, “How do you think he felt?” – we’re building emotional intelligence alongside literacy.

And honestly?

In today’s world, knowledge alone isn’t enough.

Being able to recognise your feelings, name them, regulate them, and understand others? That’s a lifelong advantage – in friendships, in work, in leadership.

And the beautiful thing is…

You can teach it alongside formal language learning.

Right there during story time. 📚❤️

We had such a lovely reading and writing session that day.

—

🧧 If you’re celebrating, Happy Chinese New Year! 新年快乐 🎉

Because of work commitments and school holidays, I may not be able to publish my usual weekly video for the next two weeks – but I’ll be back very soon.

Thank you for being here. I’m so grateful for this community. 💛

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3 months ago | [YT] | 5

The Multilingual Family Hub

How do we turn the target language from CRINGE… to COOL? 🤔✨

This post was inspired by two completely unrelated moments that somehow clicked together in my head.

⸻

📰 Moment #1: China is having a moment

First – my stepfather handed me a newspaper article he’d cut out by hand (bless him 🥹) from The Times.

It was written by a Chinese journalist, talking about how Chinese culture is suddenly… COOL.

Think:

🥢 Chinese food


🧋 Bubble tea

📺 C-dramas

🎶 Mandopop

🌶️ Even the iconic Chinese chilli oil Laoganma

Apparently, China is having a real moment online.

And honestly? Ten years ago, who would’ve predicted that?

Back then, when it came to “cool” East Asian culture, it was all about 🇯🇵 Japan and 🇰🇷 Korea.

Now?
✨ Chinese culture is EVERYWHERE.

⸻

🗣️ Moment #2: When a language flips overnight

The second moment came from a conversation with another bilingual educator.

She told me how her son – now a teenager – used to be reluctant to speak English when he was younger.

Fast forward a few years…
➡️ English is now COOL.

So cool, in fact, that he’s started INSISTING on speaking to his mum only in English in front of his friends – even though Italian is the majority language where they live 🇮🇹

She joked that English had officially gone from CRINGE to COOL.

And it made me smile… because it’s also incredibly revealing.

⸻

🧠 Here’s the key takeaway

Kids’ language preferences are NOT fixed.

They shift.

They evolve.

They’re shaped by identity, culture, trends – and what feels socially “cool” at that moment in time.

⸻

📸 Which brings me to this photo…

👆 My son.
📦 A giant box of mochis (a souvenir from my mum’s recent trip to Taiwan 🇹🇼).
😍 His favourite Chinese snack.

For us, leaning into the culture behind the language has been powerful.

🥢 Chinese food he loves

🧋 Bubble tea

🍡 Mochis

Little things – but they create positive emotional associations.

⸻

💡 So maybe the real question isn’t:

“How do I force my child to speak the target language?”

But instead:

“How can I help them discover what’s cool about it?”

Because CRINGE today… might just be COOL tomorrow 😉✨

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4 months ago | [YT] | 6

The Multilingual Family Hub

Today’s reading session turned out to be one of the most meaningful moments I’ve had with my son since he was born…

Which is why I felt compelled to write this post.

Today, we had our usual morning Chinese reading and writing session before school. We were reading the final two pages of a book called 知了的一生 (The Life of a Cicada) – a book I’ve previously read with my daughter before, so I already knew that the ending was very poignant and would be deeply emotional for me.

The final page talks about the cicada’s final day on Earth from his perspective, as he reflects on his experience of life above ground – all the beauty of the world: the serene moonlight he so adores, and the regret he feels at not having had the chance to see the leaves turn red in autumn. It tells the story of how he moved from the small, dark home he had as a nymph to this glorious world above ground. In the last paragraph, the story ends with how, at the light of dawn, his body – light and dry as a dried leaf – falls to the ground.

As we finished reading this page, I could feel strong emotions welling up in both our hearts. I let the moment simply be… Resting my arm over his shoulder, we shared this moment of deep connection, each of us lost in our own internal emotional landscape, but nonetheless intensely connected by this shared experience of a fictional story of a cicada that also serves as a metaphor for life – the journey through life of every sentient being on this Earth.

But this was not all!

As we re-read the pages together to consolidate his vocabulary, we came across a sentence that read: 他的一生没有白过. He asked me, “What does 白过 mean?”

(This conversation took place in Chinese, but for the purpose of this post I’ll narrate everything in English.)

I clumsily explained to him that… well, imagine if you spend all day just eating, drinking, and scrolling on your phone, and then one day you get hit by a car and die – you might have 白过了一生 (loosely translated: wasted your life / lived your life in vain). But imagine if you work hard every day, look after your children, and then one day you get hit by a car and die… then, well, you haven’t lived your life in vain, because you’ve given life to your children and looked after them.

At this, my son – aged 9, a “cool-dude”-type pre-teen who doesn’t typically display very strong emotions, let alone talk about them – started tearing up.

I started tearing up.

His tears wouldn't stop – I could tell he was trying hard to hold them back, but he was so overcome with emotions that the tears just kept flowing down his cheeks as he reached for some tissues...

I hugged him close and told him it’s okay, that whatever he’s feeling, it’s okay – it’s okay if you’re feeling sad, or moved, or something else.

We held each other and simply sat with our feelings, enveloped by the profound emotional connection that held us together…

Somehow, a reading session turned into a conversation about life and death, and the purpose of our existence.

This was NOT expected.

We didn’t get to do any writing in the end, but what we gained was something far, far more precious. Something indelible in my memory. How often, in our busy lives, do we get to connect with our children in this way? How often do we get to confront our deepest human emotions?

Sometimes, it takes a beautiful story and some quiet time with a loved one to unlock this rich inner world.

Sorry, this is not my usual “5 tips for raising a bilingual kid”-type post, but I felt I had to share this personal story with you to illustrate the power of reading with your child.

It’s one of the most precious gifts we can give – not just to our children, but to ourselves as well.

Lots of love,

Ka Yee xxx

4 months ago | [YT] | 6

The Multilingual Family Hub

We’ve had Netflix for 21 days now… has it helped improve my kids’ Mandarin? Read on to find out 👀🇨🇳

Confession time.

I’ve always been a bit resistant to using TV as a language-learning tool.

I’m pretty old-school.
Books over screens.
Reading and writing over apps and TV.

That said… I’ve never believed TV is completely useless. I’ve always seen it as something that might play a supplementary role – if used intentionally.

Until recently though, we didn’t even have Netflix.

We tried it briefly years ago. Cancelled after a month!

Fast forward to a few weeks ago.

We decided to stop paying for a TV licence (we don’t watch the BBC at all) and thought… maybe we’ll give Netflix another go.

With one condition.

Some of what we watch has to be in Mandarin.

Enter: Mandarin Monday (yes, purely because Monday + Mandarin sounds nice 😄).

In reality, it’s not just Mondays.

Most evenings, the kids watch Netflix for half an hour or so – and at least some of that has to be in Mandarin.

We found two kids’ shows with Mandarin dubbing:

– Brainchild

– A show about a girl working at a koala sanctuary (saving koalas, big hit 🐨)

And honestly?

I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

What I’ve noticed so far 👇

1️⃣ Vocabulary growth
These shows use words we don’t normally use at home.
In Brainchild, the kids were exposed to words like “social media” in Mandarin – words I’d never naturally introduce in daily conversation.

2️⃣ Motivation through great content
The content is genuinely engaging.
So engaging that my kids are willing to “put up with” Mandarin just to watch it. That matters more than we sometimes realise.

3️⃣ The moment that made me laugh out loud
One evening, I overheard Alexi responding out loud in Mandarin to a question asked by the presenter.
Then he turned to Alina and said:

“This show is making me speak Chinese.”

Imagine my surprise!!! 😱

But here’s the important bit – my takeaways 👇

🔹 TV alone will NOT create fluency
Passive watching doesn’t magically produce bilingual kids.
Fluency only happens when exposure AND need exist in everyday life.

🔹 TV works best as a supplement, not the main tool
If your child is going to watch TV anyway, switching some of it to the target language is a simple way to increase exposure.

🔹 Engaging content = motivation
And sustaining motivation in kids is half the battle.

🔹 Watch together when you can
Even occasionally.
Pause. Explain words. Talk about what’s happening. Make it interactive.

So no – Netflix isn’t a magic solution.

But used intentionally?

As part of a bigger system?

It can absolutely support language development.

Curious – have you tried TV or Netflix in your family’s minority language?

What’s worked (or totally failed) for you? 👇

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4 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 10

The Multilingual Family Hub

📘 Teaching new vocabulary (and abstract concept) IN CONTEXT and APPLYING IT immediately

Yesterday, I was reading a book called 小丽做娃娃 from the excellent 小羊上山 graded reader series. We came across a new word:

乐观 (lè guān) → optimistic
Actually, she must have been exposed to this word in daily conversation before but it’s not a word we use a lot in real life (huh… maybe I need to ramp up my optimism 🤣🤣🤣), so she couldn’t recall its meaning.

My first reaction was to simply tranlsate it: 乐观 means “optimistic”!

But that seemed to draw a blank as well 😱

Maybe the concept itself is too abstract for a 7-year-old?

So I approached it differently…

I explained the word in context, and in the target language (Mandarin).

I linked it to something real and familiar and say:

👉 如果你是一个乐观的人，下雨了，你还是觉得明天会更好。
(If you’re an optimistic person. Even when it rains, you still think tomorrow will be better.)

And the next step is crucial: test understanding in context.

I follow up with a meaning-based question in Chinese:

👉 如果你是一个很乐观的人，你觉得明天会是美好的一天，还是很糟糕的一天？
(If you’re an optimistic person, do you think tomorrow will be a good day, or a terrible day?)

Alina answers immediately:

明天会是美好的一天。

(Tomorrow will be a good day.)

Phew.

That’s when I knew she actually UNDERSTOOD the true MEANING of the word.

⸻

💡 Takeaways you can use at home:

✅ Explain new words in context, not with definitions
Show what the word looks like in real life instead of translating it abstractly.

✅ Use one clear, relatable example sentence
Weather, school, emotions, everyday situations – anything your child already understands.

✅ Ask a follow-up question that tests meaning, not memory
If they can answer appropriately, they’ve understood.

✅ Keep it conversational
You’re not “teaching vocabulary” – you’re having a meaningful exchange in another language.

This is how vocabulary moves from passive knowledge to active language.

✨ What word are you introducing next?

4 months ago | [YT] | 6