Arabic for Babies

As a mother to an almost-one year old, I am always looking for ways to incorporate Arabic words, lettering, art, to further expose her to the language and encourage a bilingual atmosphere. I've also worked to incorporate reading Arabic children’s books, and I hope that as she learns to read independently we can continue that to further her comfort with the language.

One of the challenges is that I primarily speak English, and since she was born, I’ve been trying harder to speak exclusively Arabic with her, but as she grows older and our conversations more complex, I’m always nervous that I’ll lapse back into my lingual comfort zone.

I know I’m going to have to keep trying to become more comfortable speaking it often, but in the meantime, I’m having fun finding ways to incorporate the letters and words into imagery in her room and around the house.

What are some things you’ve tried to preserve your native language with your children?