It’s not every day that a message lands in your inbox that completely brightens your perspective on the work you do.
This was precisely the case when Christopher, a Canadian dad-to-be living in China, reached out to me after discovering my content on YouTube and purchasing my book, Bilingual and Trilingual Parenting 101.
What made this interaction even more special was his inquiry about whether I offered a coaching service.
While I do list coaching on my website, it’s not something I regularly undertake, and I was initially unsure about how to proceed.
However, Christopher's trust and expectation in me encouraged me to support him fully.
The Preparation...
I sent Christopher a questionnaire to better understand his needs and arranged a video call a few days later. I spent considerable time preparing for our session, aiming to address all the concerns and challenges he anticipated facing in his unique family situation.
The Call...
The day of the call, I was nervous but excited. Turns out I need not be nervous—Christopher and his beautiful wife are the friendliest, warmest people you could hope to meet!!
What's more, our conversation turned out to be one of the most fulfilling I’ve ever had.
We spent 50 minutes exploring our language journeys and our shared love for languages. I listened carefully and answered all his questions about his family’s situation, helping him formulate a concrete action plan.
In addition, we discussed the beauty of learning alongside your child—Christopher aims to improve his Chinese as they raise their child to be bilingual in English and Chinese.
We also touched on the emotional connections we have with languages—French for him, and Shanghainese for me, a language I hold close even though I don’t speak it.
It was a beautiful dialogue, where I shared my experiences and offered guidance to an expectant parent.
Gratitude for the Experience
Just two days after our call, Christopher’s son was born.
I’m incredibly honoured to have played a role in shaping this family’s linguistic journey at such a pivotal moment.
Amidst the chaos of first-time parenthood, Christopher took the time to write a heartfelt testimonial, which touched me deeply.
Here’s an excerpt that highlights our session’s impact:
“Ka Yee Meck’s coaching session was transformative. She brought both expertise and empathy to our discussion, particularly in understanding my emotional connection to French as a heritage language.”
I am profoundly grateful for this experience and look forward to supporting other parents through my book, my videos, my free resources, and perhaps more actively through my coaching services.
Reflecting on this experience reinforces how powerful and meaningful connections can be forged even across great distances—all through the shared love of languages and the desire to pass that heritage on to the next generation.
NOTE: Also, to anyone interested, Christopher Gray 🚢 also has a newsletter on Substack where he shares his insights on teaching, language learning and multilingual parenting!: https://substack.com/@kitgray
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