4 Steps for Teaching Your Kids Hmong

1. Get Hmong children's books and Hmong flash cards.

There are more and more products being created to help children learn the Hmong language. If you can't afford the products, you can also check out a local library if you live in a community with a large Hmong population. For example, the Saint Paul Public Library has a growing Hmong children's book collection :)

2. Read Hmong children's books to your kids daily.

Children (and humans in general) learn best through repetition. Make it a normal part of your daily routine with your children to read to them Hmong children's books. Every night before I put my daughters to bed, I read to them. They not only expect it, they look forward to it!

3. Have your kids watch Hmong YouTube videos.

I know for a fact that your kids are watching YouTube. That's ok! We live in a day and age where technology is all around us. But we can teach our children to use it as a tool to learn. One thing I encourage my children to do is to watch Hmong videos so they are exposed to the Hmong language more often. Having more opportunities to hear the language will help them develop an ear for the Hmong tones (which is what makes learning Hmong so hard to learn).

4. Persist and don't give up!

Learning anything new will have it's rough moments. Your kids might get bored. You might get bored. Your routines might get disrupted because of work or sickness. Regardless of what happens, don't give up! The Hmong language is worth teaching to your kids and when they grow up, they'll be so grateful that you took the time to teach them :)