As Arab parents living abroad, we are all faced with the same dilemna. As much as we could take a bite out of our little ones when they come home with a French, British or American accent, our heart aches that they will never know everything they are missing out. Singing Hal Sissan with your teta, running to the furn when you hear the school bell for a hot man'ouche extra.

Arabic story books and Arabic bed time stories are a must! However there are many more things we can do!

Here are a few tips and tricks on how to make sure that our children grow up loving their country as much as we do:

1. Start early! Sing them Arabic baby songs before they go to bed!
2. Learn with Food! Incorporate new tastes in your weekly menus!
3. Visit Cultural Festivals and Museum Exhibits around you!
4. Incorporate Traditions in your every day life! Pancakes on Berbara are a must!
5. Educate with Books! There are so many Arabic children’s books that they would love!
6. Show them the classic movies.
7. Have full conversations in Arabic. This one is not an easy one if they’re not learning it at school, but all the more reasons to try harder at home.
8. Explore Your Family Tree.