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Manderin chinese speaking mums in north London

51 replies

CinnabarHill · 19/05/2012 23:06

I'm a mother of two girls aged 7 months and 4 years old respectively. My older daughter speaks fluent manderin Chinese and I'm very keen to get to know mums with children of similar age so that they can play together. Do anybody know if there is a chinese playgroup in north London? Also would love to meet mums with younger babies too!

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ashleey2012 · 22/05/2012 14:14

Cinnabarhill, I know there is a group of Maida Vale Mums talking about getting together and doing something. I just moved to the area, am not fluent, but got in touch with them since I want my almost 3yo to learn Mandarin. Whereabouts do you live?

Are there any in the Swiss Cottage area where I believe there are Mandarin classes for kids?

We're new to the country/city, so sorry I dont' know too much.

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starray · 01/06/2012 02:18

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

CinnabarHill · 03/06/2012 23:13

Hi ashleey and starray, thanks for your responses. I live in muswell hill and as far as I'm aware there aren't any playgroups in n London. I've tried 2 Chinese weekend schools as well but unfortunately they use mainly English to teach. It's really difficult to provide the kids with a Chinese speaking environment! Maybe we can start a playgroup ourselves if we can get some more to join?!

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petithamu1980 · 18/06/2012 17:39

Hi there,

I have a 3 1/2 month old baby girl and I am trying to find a Mandarin playgroup to join as well. I also live close to Muswell Hill area but happy to travel to Highgate as well. I'm from Taiwan myself and I am fluent in Mandarin but since my husband is not, I only speak Mandarin to my parents when I call home or when I'm in a Chinese restaurant! I'd like our baby to hear the sound of Mandarin more than once a week...I am definitely up for starting/joining a playgroup. Hope I hear from you guys!

Tiffany

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BeeMum · 20/06/2012 02:45

Hi I am from Taiwan and I have 2 daughters aged 4.5yrs and 22m. A mum of my students told me about this thread.
I am running Yu Hua Chinese Saturday School, Bethnal Green. We have 3 classes - for 6m to 3yrs playgroup; 3-5yrs for beginners and Mandarin speakers. We speak mainly Mandarin for playgroup and Mandarin speakers class. We are in East London and very closed to tube station - Bethnal Green (central line, zone 2). You are very welcome to come to have a trial or I am willing to help for advice if you want to start your own ones. I couldn't find any Mandarin playgroup and started mine 4.5 yrs ago. I start the Bethnal Green branch because I don't have any Chinese school from Taiwan (only 5 in London) in my area, lots from HK and China. Get in touch if you are interested.
yuhuachineseschool.org.uk/

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petithamu1980 · 20/06/2012 13:31

Hi BeeMum! Thank you for getting in touch! Bethnal Green is a bit far out for us and I am really having a hard time finding one in North London! How do I start one? Can you tell me which Chinese schools are from Taiwan in London? I don't want her to go to a HK/China one either...

Can you email me privately @ [email protected]

Thank you!
Tiffany

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CindyLi · 14/07/2012 00:37

Hi petithamu1980 and CinnabarHill, I am very excited that I found this post. I live in Muswell Hill as well and I have a 4 year old son. We are a Chinese family speaking mandarin. It would be great if we could meet regularly to teach the kids mandarin as my son starts to dislike Chinese now. Recently he drew a car and asked me to write the word below the picture. He said: write car, not qi che mummy!

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BeeMum · 06/08/2012 05:47

petithamu1980, just sent you an email.
CindyLi, don't get disheartened. It is very hard for the kids keep speaking Mandarin. I heard it will get worse after they get older. My older one seems fine maybe because I am teaching Mandarin, so she has very strong and possitive feeling towards it. Having a 2nd kid helps a lot too. There is more conversation going on.
The main thing is really to let them feel they are not the only one speaking Mandarin. There are other Chinese kids or more and more kids learning to speak Mandarin.
Best of luck to you all.

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kate201111 · 18/10/2012 23:16

hi, i am a mom who has 11 months old boy and i really find very difficult to find a mandarin baby playgroup in north london/(winchmore hill), at last i put my baby in the normal english one and my baby absolutly love it. i would like to meet any moms who speak mandarin and have baby at the similar age, i think that will be great for making new friends and also will be very good for our baby to pick up chinese. my email is [email protected]

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Melody2010 · 06/11/2012 20:09

Whilst I don?t know of a Mandarin-only playgroup, we run the next best thing on a Wednesday and Thursday, 09:30-11:30am, at Cholmeley Church, Highgate which is a mainly English speaking playgroup with a few Mandarin speaking children (and parents/carers) who play with each other. Guess a ?Mandarin group? would work if all Mums wanting a Mandarin speaking-group in North London came at the same time. There is scope for us to do a Mandarin song-time or something similar, for those children who want. Regards, Melody.
P.S. My mother tongue is Mandarin.

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blueblackdye · 29/11/2012 20:23

Good evening Ladies, I am so glad I found this thread. I am in West Hampstead, have a 4 yo boy and would really like him to start Mandarin. I am originally from VietNam but Dad was Cantonese and my Mandarin is more than rusty. I'd love to join any Mandarin playgroup in the neighbourhood.

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swcheong · 31/12/2012 11:33

Hi,

did you all ladies set u[ any play group in North London ?I'm staying in Bush Hill Park Enfield and trying to look for a mandarin or cantonese play group for my son who is 2 years old.

Any recommendation ? Thanks.

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BeeMum · 25/02/2013 03:14

Hi all,

There are 2 schools from Taiwan in North London.
London Overseas Chinese School( 倫敦華僑中文學校 ) , at Colindale NW9. It's good but seems no class for under 5's. Check on internet.
Hua-Shia Chinese School, at swiss cottage. Not my style and no further personal comments.

Our school is looking for venues in north London to open new playgroup/ classes in September 2013. Possible closed to primrose hill or marylebone station. email me at [email protected] if you are interested in. I don't check this thread and I am not making adver?isement here.

Do try to get your own playgroup if you can't travel to other places. Or at least try to get gather together with other Taiwanese families closed to you. I am very fortunate to find 3 others closed to me and we meet every Friday morning. We just chat and play together, no structured play or singing like in my own Saturday playgroup. Great for kids and us parents as well. There are not so many Taiwanese in London but you might have your luck that they are next to you. I found one Taiwanese mum by talking to her kids in market when I heard them speaking Mandarin. Found the other who is the daughter of another Chinese teacher. She found another Taiwanese father through internet.

It is so important not to give up and it will be even of great benefit of your child speaking Mandarin that is our/ their heritage and the next international language of their time.

Good luck to you all.
W

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Minimimimi · 27/04/2013 05:00

Hi ladies,

I have recently moved to North London and am keen to provide a greater Chinese exposure for my children.

My DS is 20 months and I have a newborn who is approaching 3 months. Prior to my move and during my first maternity, I had set up a baby mandarin group in our local library, funded by the local council. With the help of fellow mothers, we were able to conduct weekly sing song and story times in mandarin. Am keen to possibly start something similar in North London, or just equally as happy with coffee or play dates.

My DS attended weekly mandarin classes when he was 6 months a Hua Hsia- but it's quite difficult commuting such a distance, now that I have two little ones, especially that parking is awful in Swiss Cottage.

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Babala53 · 28/04/2013 21:22

Hi there,
My name is Barb (chinese=Babala), and I also live in Bush Hill Park. I used to live in China and speak some mandarin which I would like to speak more...did you ever get to find a group for your child?

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Babala53 · 28/04/2013 21:28

HI again, this is my first time to post a thread...I sent the above message I thought to swchenong in reply to her message last year....

What Minimimimi says is great....where do you live? It would be great to get something going in North London along the lines that you mention.

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Minimimimi · 30/04/2013 08:04

Hi Barb,

Im in Southgate. Is that convenient from Bush Hill? (I'm new to the area)

How old are your little ones?

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daffodildodo · 02/06/2013 19:08

Hi minimimimi, I'm based at Southgate too! I have a 6mth old daughter, and I would like to meet up with more chinese mums, so that she can be exposed to chinese speaking enviroment!

I think its about 10min drive from southgate to bush hill park, not too far if you have a car.

Very impressive that you have set up your own chinese baby group before, maybe we could do something like this together! or at least we can go for a coffee / walk around the parks

Do you have weibo/weixin?

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germom · 23/06/2013 15:05

Hello, I came across this thread when I was looking for Chinese play groups, the thread is a bit old but I hope someone is still interested in possibly forming a Chinese playgroup in north or nw or central London, we are based in Islington N7. Or if one already exists we would be very interested in coming along some time.
I myself am not actually Chinese and also do not speak the language but my husband is and speaks both Mandarin and Taiwanese and would like to speak Chinese with our 5 week old daughter and we would love to provide a Chinese context for her.

J.

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Thisisjessie · 04/07/2013 15:08

Hi I live in new barnet area and would love to help to set up a mandarin play group, can Minimimimi suggest how to start? I think barnet council is quite resourceful in terms of child care, I'll check with my health visitor to see if she has any info as well.

Before the group is set up, anyone interested in meeting up and having coffee?

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Minimimimi · 11/07/2013 13:28

Hi Germom and ThisisJessie,

We're actually in the process of setting something up in North London. We just need to finalise venue and prepare the song sheets. Hopefully we can kick start everything by mid/end of July.

How old is your little one- ThisisJessie?

Germom- 5 weeks- awe- enjoy these new born days.

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Denise2001 · 11/07/2013 19:36

Hi, I live in Hampstead and my daughter has been learning the Chinese class and Abacus in Hua Hsia Chinese School for 2 years. They are really good in teaching and motivating the kids. My daughter just participated in a Multilingual movie project organized by Hua Hsia and Goldsmiths University. She will be join the summer camp next week for Chinese culture classes and it is just £50 for a week!

They have a range of courses for different ages, even babies. I am sure your kids will be happy to learn Chinese in the school.

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Thisisjessie · 12/07/2013 13:11

Hi, my boy is 13 weeks now, I've just got pm from daffodiledodo about the group. As I don't drive now, can we set the venue close to public transportation? Thanks a lot!!

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Minimimimi · 12/07/2013 14:34

Hi thisisjessie- It's very close to public transport. Yes- lets do coffee next week?

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Thisisjessie · 12/07/2013 17:46

Sure, I've just pm you my contact info!

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