Every parent teaching Punjabi at home knows the moment: you speak in Punjabi, and your child answers in English. It can feel frustrating, but it’s normal. Children naturally lean toward the majority language they hear at school, from friends, or on TV. The good news is, there are simple strategies you can use every day to keep Punjabi alive and active in your home.

Why Kids Switch to English

• Comfort zone: English becomes the default once school starts.

• Peer pressure: Kids want to fit in with classmates.

• Effort factor: Answering in Punjabi feels like extra work.

This doesn’t mean your child is rejecting Punjabi. It’s simply easier for them. Your role is to make Punjabi equally easy and fun.

5 Strategies That Work

1. Stick With Punjabi (Even When They Reply in English)

If your child answers in English, keep the conversation in Punjabi. Over time, this sets the expectation that Punjabi is part of family communication.

Example
Parent: “ਤੂੰ ਖਾਣਾ ਖਾ ਲਿਆ?” (Did you eat?)
Child: “Yes.”
Parent: “ਚੰਗਾ, ਕੀ ਖਾਧਾ?” (Good, what did you eat?)

You’re not scolding, just modeling consistency.

2. Create Daily Punjabi Routines

Link Punjabi to specific times of day. For example:

• Breakfast = Punjabi only

• Car rides = Punjabi songs

• Bedtime = Punjabi story

These little routines add up and make language use automatic.

3. Use Prompts, Not Quizzes

Instead of asking your child to “say this in Punjabi,” try using natural prompts.

Try this at mealtime:

• “ਆਲੂ ਕਿੱਥੇ ਹਨ?” (Where are the potatoes?)

• “ਕੀ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਪਾਣੀ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ?” (Do you want water?)

These feel like real conversations, not tests.

4. Make Punjabi Playful

Children learn best when they’re having fun. Use toys, songs, and playful tools.

• Act out actions: ਦੌੜਨਾ, ਛਾਲ ਮਾਰਨਾ, ਹੱਸਣਾ (run, jump, laugh).

• Sing classic rhymes in Punjabi.

• Use screen-free interactive toys like the Punjabi Pad or Babbu the Punjabi Elephant to make language practice feel like play.

5. Celebrate Every Word

Even one Punjabi word in an English sentence is progress. Praise it. Over time, single words grow into phrases and full sentences.

Final Thoughts

Language isn’t learned overnight. It’s built through small, joyful interactions repeated every day. If your child answers in English, don’t worry, just keep Punjabi alive in your routines, in your play, and in your heart.

And if you’d like a helping hand, explore our Punjabi Pad and Babbu the Punjabi Elephant : playful, screen-free companions designed to keep Punjabi alive at home.