Do you have an upcoming family-friendly event that you want to be included in our listings? Maximize the reach of your event and promote it on beijingkids!

Let us know by leaving your message in the comments section below or by emailing us at webeditor@beijing-kids.com. Follow us on WeChat (ID: beijing-kids) or join our family events WeChat group by sending us your WeChat QR code. Please note that readers should confirm with each organizer if events are canceled or scheduled as planned. For more events that may not be included in this list, please check our Events page. 

The Jingkids International School Expo 2019 Beijing, Feb 23-24
The future is full of uncertainties, and the future of education will also not be exempt from these challenges of an unforeseen world. With what is sure to be a constant overhaul of learning as we know it, how can parents concerned with preparing their children stay informed of these innovations gradually being introduced or even be prepared for the changes of tomorrow?

Direct access to the educators who have their sights on tomorrow as well as today, is exactly what we will be providing at the Jingkids International School Expo 2019 Beijing, coming to Kerry Hotel Beijing, in CBD, on Feb 23-24. Our school expo not only provides an excellent opportunity for parents to learn about nearly 100 schools spanning both the K-12 and preschool categories, it’s also a forum for parents, teachers, and administrators to discuss the future of learning for our children.

We will also be hosting other events around Kerry Hotel that you absolutely cannot afford to miss. This includes
– In-depth lectures from the leaders of international education in Beijing
– Parent forums
– The Jing Youth Entrepreneurship Competition
– Food and family fun

Swiss School Beijing Open House, Feb 26
Swiss School Beijing is organizing an open house for families of children aged 3 and over. Participants will have an opportunity to visit the school, led by their elementary school Principal, Swiss School representatives, and admissions staff. Adults. Free. 9.15-11.30am. Swiss School Beijing. 10 Laiguangying Donglu, Chaoyang District. (Email: info@swiss-school-beijing.ch)

BSB Baby and Toddler Group, Feb 22
The British School of Beijing (BSB), Shunyi continues holding their invaluable baby and toddler play group sessions at their Shunyi campus. Families with little babies ages 0-18 months can come to this group to meet other expat families, enjoy playing with age-appropriate toys, creating seasonal crafts, singing songs, and more. This event will provide drinks and snacks and is open to foreign passport holders only. The baby must be accompanied by his mother or father and not an ayi (babysitter). Age 0-18 months. Free. 9-10.30am. The British School of Beijing (BSB), Shunyi campus. 7 Sanlitun Beixiaojie, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区三里屯北小街7号(8532 5320)

Three weekly events for young kids at British School of Beijing (BSB), Sanlitun, Feb 20-22
The British School of Beijing is holding three weekly free events (except holidays) for young kids at their Sanlitun campus. All activities are for foreign families only.

Baby Dance Classes
Families with little ones ages below the age of two can come to BSB, Sanlitun’s baby dance class to meet other expat families and enjoy singing and dancing together every Friday. Age 0-2 (14 seats only). 9.45-10.15am.

Baby Play Group
The British School of Beijing, Sanlitun is organizing a weekly group every Wednesday, where they will host families with little ones aged two and below to a fun-filled morning of supervised play, promoting social interactions and providing stimulating play opportunities for young kids through songs and storytelling. Age 0-2. 9.45-10.15am.

Baby Book Club
Introduce your kids to the world of reading with BSB, Sanlitun’s Baby Book Club, held every Tuesday at the Li Building. All babies must be accompanied by one or both parents and not an ayi (babysitter). 10-10.30am.

The British School of Beijing Sanlitun campus, 5 Xiliujie, Chaoyang district. (8532 5320; receptionsltey@bsbsanlitun.com) 北京英国学校（三里屯）朝阳区三里屯路西六街5号 (Email: receptionsltey@bsbsanlitun.com. )

The Art of Tea-making at Beijing Mandarin School, Feb 21
Beijing Mandarin School is holding a tea-making activity for all levels of tea-making ability. If you are interested in Chinese tea culture or have no idea about where to start, then you need to check this out. Adults. RMB 150. 1:00-2:30pm. E-Tower Beijing Mandarin School. For more information you can scan the QR code on the poster. Room 904, E-tower, Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District. (6508-1026)

Tangyuan Culture Course at Beijing Mandarin School, Feb 19
Come and join this Tangyuan culture course at Beijing Mandarin School to learn the origin of Lantern Festival and why Chinese people tend to eat Tangyuan on this special day. All ages. RMB 150. 1-2:30pm. E-tower. Rm 904-905, 9F, E-tower, Guanghua Lu,Chaoyang District. 朝阳区光华路12号数码01大厦9层904-905室(10 6508-1026)

Chinese New Year celebration at Black Sesame Kitchen, Feb 23-24
Black Sesame Kitchen is organizing family-friendly activities this month to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Kids Dumpling Cooking Class 
This is a kid-only dumpling cooking class being held on February 23, where participants will be divided into two groups according to age and make Jiaozi (dumplings), Guotie (pan-fried dumplings), and Tangyuan (sweet dumplings). Kids. RMB 200. 2-4pm.

Family Dumpling Cooking Class
This is a family-friendly dumpling cooking class on February 24, where parents will make Jiaozi (dumplings), Guotie (pan-fried dumplings), and Tangyuan (sweet dumplings) alongside their children. All ages. RMB 380 (one adult and one kid), RMB 180 (additional adult or kid). 2-4pm.

The Courtyard Institute. For more information or reservation, please contact this email. 28 Zhonglao Hutong, Dongcheng District. 东城区中老胡同28号. (136 9147 4408; Wechat: BlackSesameKitchen.)

Street dance classes at Sunshine studios, Feb 20-24
Sunshine Studios is organizing two alternative street dance classes – regular classes and dance team courses – for different levels of dance ability. For regular classes, you can choose from four sessions costing RMB 130 per hour. For dance team courses, attendees can get four hours of training a week leading to a performance, and need to pay RMB 280 per week. Their rehearsal program will be available to the public for free on Wednesdays and Sundays. If you are interested in hip-hop dance and aren’t sure how to get started, or if you want to improve your dance skills, then check them out. Adults and ages 4-6. RMB 130 per hour, RMB 280 per week. Western Academy of Beijing (WAB). Email: Enquiries@sunshine-studios.co.uk. 10 Laiguangying Donglu, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区来广营东路10号(03330 883328)

Tea for Two at Pauline’s Cuisine, Feb 24
Join Pauline’s Cuisine for a fun Sunday at East Hotel, and learn how to create the ultimate afternoon tea: scones with clotted cream, homemade jam, chocolate mousse, and finger sandwiches. All ages. RMB 420. 10am-1pm. East Hotel. For more information or to register, please scan the QR code in the image. 22 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区酒仙桥路22号. (8426 0888)

Indian food cooking classes at Sarika, Feb 23
Come and join this cooking class to learn how to make Indian food including Medu vada, Masala dosa, Poori and Sabji, samosas, and coconut, tomato, onion and green chutneys. Adults. RMB 400. 10am-noon. Sarika. Shiqiaoguomao Tower. For more details, please scan the QR code in the image. 16B Dongshanhuan Zhonglu, Chaoyang District.朝阳区东三环中路乙16号。(Wechat: Sarikadhami)

Becoming a Man Whisperer, Feb 18
Are you wondering how to have better communication in your marriage? Come and join MOPS to learn communication skills in cross-gender relationships from Shaunti Feldhahn, who graduated from Harvard University and is a social researcher, bestselling author, and popular speaker. This event is for foreign passport holders only. All ages. Free. 10am-noon. 21st Century Hotel. 2F, Rm FA 201, 40 Liangmaqiao Lu, Chaoyang District.（Emai: mops@bicf.org）

Skiing at the Olympic Forest Park, Feb 14- Mar 3
Get skiing without having to hit the slopes out of town. Head to the JF-Dry Ski Resort at the Olympic Park to experience their 16,000sqm of trails catering to various skill levels. The slopes are open for three sessions a day and last until March 3. All ages. RMB 241. Morning sessions (8.30am-12.30pm); Afternoon sessions (1.30-5.30pm); Evening sessions (6.30-10.30pm). Olympic Forest Park.

Roundabout’s Book Reading Club, Feb 17-24
The Roundabout Book Reading Club is a bilingual program which is implemented and run by teenage and adult volunteers to inspire more children to enjoy reading. The reading club is currently in its sixth term and will take place on February 17 and February 24. Ages 5-7. Free. 3-4pm. Roundabout Boutique and Community Centre, Cathay View Plaza, 2 Xiangjiang Bei Lu, Chaoyang district. 朝阳区观唐广场香江北路甲2号. (134 3998 0007)

China National Traditional Orchestra Lantern Festival Concert, Feb 19
To celebrate Lantern Festival, the National Centre For the Performing Arts (NCPA) is holding a Lantern Festival Concert with a performance by the China National Traditional Orchestra which is dedicated to performing Chinese traditional folk music at the highest level since 1960. The orchestra has toured around the world and collaborated with prominent musicians such as Christoph Eschenbach, Jean Michel Jarre, Yo-Yo Ma, and Minoru Miki. All ages. RMB 80-500. 7.30-9.30pm. National Centre For the Performing Arts (NCPA). For tickets visit this page. 2 Xichang’an Jie, Xicheng District. 西城区西长安街2号(6655 0000)

Photos: courtesy of event organizers

It was 2012, and L was expecting her second baby.

She and her family had arrived six months prior, suitcases in one hand and their near future in the other. Weekends with the family were spent like tourists—exploring hutongs, meeting new friends, and getting to know their new city. Weekdays started off more adventurously: each day with a plan to keep both her and her firstborn busy. But as the days went by, so did its excited pace, and soon she started spending more and more days at home or online, because lunch meet-ups with a toddler and a huge belly had become tiring and, frankly, sometimes unwelcome.

It had generally been fun if only she didn’t feel so isolated sometimes.

Fortunately, she found—or rather, she helped bring together—the beginnings of a community that understood.

MOPS: A Community for Moms by Moms

She decided to form a community for their specific demographic: mothers of young children from zero to pre-school. Along with three other moms of toddlers, they drafted their plan. The idea started off as a small support group where moms of young children could get together with other moms and share ideas with each other. They’d hire an Ayi to take care of the kids, allowing them to just chat away.

That’s when someone suggested chartering with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers)— an international community of mothers that’s doing exactly what they wanted to do. Suddenly. they were getting support from fellow mothers across the globe, including parenting resources and guidance. How inspiring is that!

News of their little project started spreading and bit by bit the curious asked their questions. Do you have to be a Christian to join? Do you need to be married to join? Do we need to pay?

No, the ladies answered. All you need is to be a mom who has a kid who hasn’t reached primary school yet.

Comm-YOU-nity
MOPS originally started out with a mainly expat audience, but is now also slowly gaining traction with the Chinese visitors at its Ivy School venue. I found this quite interesting considering the speakers were mostly expats themselves.

“MOPS is a community where moms can bring kids to MOPS meetings,” Emily, one of the coordinators for Beijing MOPS, says when asked why Chinese moms like attending MOPS. “Kids can stay somewhere and people can take care of them. So moms come here and feel very relaxed. And also. we learn something. and we can share something.”

Emily also adds that local parenting talks generally have a more classroom feeling, with a teacher in front talking about parenting techniques for an hour or so and then giving out Wechat articles for parents to review at home. These are paid sessions and do not have childcare.

One thing that sets MOPS apart is that its two hour sessions are divided mainly into two parts. The first hour and a half are allotted for volunteer speakers who come and share their expertise on topics ranging from personal development, marriage and relationship, to advice on practical parenting. The second part is discussion, where the audience members are asked to share their thoughts and answer questions about the topic within their respective groups. Through this interaction, moms get to share their own experiences, thoughts, and advice to the rest of the group.

The childcare bit is a hit with the parents as well. Teacher volunteers and interns assisted by ayis take charge of the children while the mothers listen to the speakers, confident that their children are safe and being well-taken care of. The mothers then spend two hours investing in themselves and concentrate on building new relationships. Finally, someone else is taking care of moms.

A Safe Place
One mom describes what it’s like to be at MOPS. “I come here and I can say what I really want to say. In my home, I can’t say this with my husband. I cannot say it with some friends (because) they don’t have kids.”

As a mom of two, I can’t help but agree completely with her. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people comment that they’re envious of my housewife status, while in my head I’m envious of the way their careers have set off. Then there are days when I’m tired and my husband goes, “oh, but at least you got to nap.”

But in a community where everyone’s a mom, we don’t need to explain that just because we’re in the same room as our children doesn’t mean we get to nap too. We don’t need to explain to our peers why our child is throwing a tantrum for no reason at all. Who best to understand you than those who know what you’re going through?

The Focus is on Relationships.
Melenie, one of the leaders of MOPs 2016, shares why MOPS is still here, almost five years after its original conception in Beijing. “MOPS is growing because we have dedicated moms who are passionate about loving and supporting other moms and bringing them into community. We’ve experienced it and want others to too.  It’s really tough to be a mom sometimes and even more so if you’re alone and isolated. It doesn’t matter where you come from, as moms of little ones, we all face similar struggles. and we can all relate to each other. I think that’s why this kind of group works.”

“We want moms to grow and be equipped. We want families to be stronger. By sharing our experiences. we can grow in community with one another in a really positive way.”

So moms with young children, here’s a group for YOU. Leave the kids with the program’s childcare, and invest in yourself. Grow as a mom. and, most importantly, meet people who know what it’s really like behind the scenes.

MOPS English talks are on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month. 10am-12pm. BICF Office, Room FA 201, 2F of the 21st Century Hotel, Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District.
MOPS Bilingual talks are on the 3rd Monday of every month, 2pm-4pm at Ivy Bilingual School, Building E, Ocean Express Campus, No. 2 East Third Ring North Road, Chaoyang District. www.bicf.org/mops

Photos: Courtesy of MOPS.

I have a quiet son.  Ever since he turned 1.5 years, I have been concerned with him reaching his language “milestones” and speaking in general.  It seemed that up till a few weeks ago all he could do was make animal-like sounds to protest, gain attention, and point out things.  He could sound out more “words” when he was a year old than he could now (at 22 months), and I wondered if he had forgotten the words, if they just didn’t register as “words” to him, or if he’s just extremely confused with all the languages we have at home and that he’s been exposed to with his grandparents.

To explain, my husband and I decided that we would share the language teaching responsibility with me focusing on English (since it’s my native language), and him focusing on Mandarin (since it’s his native language).  We speak both languages at home, and my Mandarin isn’t too shabby, but I do have an accent and my vocabulary is rather limited. A good example is how a friend had bought our son a cricket last night after dinner, and I put the little straw cage in my son’s hand and said “cricket”. Then, my husband asked me to teach him the Chinese equivalent, and all I could think of was the Disney version of Mulan and how I’m pretty sure there is a word for Cricket, but what was it again? Didn’t it have a pinyin-like name? If you wondered, it turns out they’re called guo guo (which he proceeded to confuse us with by teaching a dialect version, qu qu). This is exactly why Trish Hull from Beijing LIH Olivia’s Place Pediatric Clinic does not recommend teaching your child a language that is not your native tongue. You’re just not that good at it.

At the MOPS talk, Hull also dispelled the myth that bilingual or multi-lingual children acquire language at a slower pace than mono-lingual children–a belief I’ve always been dubious about given how how I had acquired three languages by age three.  The dispelling of this myth did mean that I no longer had a valid excuse for my son’s grunts and yelps.  Luckily, the talk did end with ways parents and caretakers can assist children in better developing language.

Takeaways on bilingualism or multilingualism:

• Multi-lingual children do not normally experience language development delays. You’re supposed to add up the words from each language to total the number of words a monolingual child can say.So, in my son’s case, by age 2 he should be able to say 50 words, but he might only be able to say 10 words in English and 40 words in Mandarin (let’s face it, Mandarin words are shorter and thus easier to learn).
• Children don’t just “pick up” a second or third language through immersion, but they have to be taught with interactive in-person methods, e.g. a play teacher rather than a television show.
• Mixing languages in one sentence or phrase is completely normal for bilingual and multi-lingual children.
  
  I can attest that it’s probably not something you “grow out of”.
• Bilingualism does not automatically mean “native proficiency” in both languages.
  
  I have been called trilingual since I was a child, but since I only “studied” two languages in school, the third language (Mandarin) remains at a pretty low level. Of course with practice, my accent has been reduced, I’ve learned more idioms, and I’ve improved my vocabulary, but it’s still not at the same proficiency level as my English and Finnish.
• The one parent, one language method (which is basically what we are trying to do) is not the only, or necessarily the best, method to teach your child many languages.  In the end, it’s more important that parents talk to children in a natural way and feel comfortable conversing with their kids.
• Families who live in a third culture should not worry about speaking the “majority language” at home to train their children.In California, for example, I have many American born Chinese (ABC) friends with parents from Taiwan who try very hard to keep the “home language” English, even though English is a second, or even third language for them.  In the end, studies show that your child benefits more from your native language, and will learn the majority language at school regardless. I, for example, took up Finnish almost completely at school (well, I had my grandparents) since my dad spoke English to me.

Once we had established that bilingualism and multi-lingualism does not cause language delays, we learned about simple tips and tricks for parents and caretakers (including your ayi) can help your child’s language development:

1. Talk to your kid–a lot! Interact with him and explain what you’re doing while you’re doing it!
2. Sing nursery rhymes and simple songs as the repeating words and rhythm and rhyme help with language learning.
3. Follow your child’s lead and mimick his language rather than trying to enforce your own.
4. Read books aloud, even if he only lets you read two pages!
5. Teach new words by pointing things out, reading signs aloud, etc.
6. Aim language at your child’s level (don’t forget to increase the level as he grows!)
7. Speak naturally.
8. Have daily routines in place and teach the words for them.
9. Be an “in tune parent” (more on this later).
10. Learn your child’s communication style (and your own) to better understand how to communicate with him (more on this later).

If you have concerns that your child is not meeting his or her language milestones, trust your gut feeling and seek out a speech therapist.  Olivia’s Place (previously called Elliot’s Corner) provide pediatric therapeutic services and educational outreach. They often host workshops and presentations for parents raising children with developmental challenges.

For me, our son returned from his grandparents with an arsenal of sign language commands that took me days to decipher. Luckily, he’s been picking up the spoken equivalent, especially in Chinese, now that he’s not confused by the various dialects he was exposed to from my husband’s family (Chengdu/Sichua/Chongqing dialect…).  He can now say at least 20 Mandarin words, and he understands when I confirm what he wants in English (he can now say “yea” and “no”).  It’s been such a relief for us since good communication means he’s a lot less frustrated, we are a lot less confused by what he wants, and it’s a lot easier to teach him new words and concepts when he’s able to communicate that he doesn’t know or understand what we’re saying (he asks “A-ah?!”)

MOPS is a faith-based community group for moms of preschool aged children, hosting international (English language) meetings twice a month, a bilingual English-Chinese group meeting once a month, and Chinese group meetings once a month.  The meetings often have speakers give talks/presentations or host workshops, followed by a discussion session in small groups, and often end with arts and crafts.  MOPS events have childcare available with RSVP and a small fee (RMB 20).

 Photos: courtesy of Olivia’s Place

Although, I have had my eye on the Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) bi-weekly meetings for at least a year, it wasn’t until I saw the topic of the meeting: “Think Your Way to a Better Marriage”, hosted by life coach, Carnisa Berry, that I finally made up my mind to register and attend.

Carnisa Berry is a charismatic speaker who doesn’t mind sharing humorous anecdotes from her nineteen years of marriage.  She shares laughable moments from her honeymoon years—how she criticized the way her husband folded shorts because she strongly believed she knew better; or how she expected him to fill up her tank because that’s what husbands do.  Berry describes the relatable challenges in her marriage and shares tried-and-tested tips that worked for her and her husband in layman terms without the professional jargon we often get with consultants and experts.

Even if you aren’t familiar with the Bible, you can still appreciate the message in the words Berry has chosen, such as the following:

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (NIV: James 4:1-3)

Berry’s central message is not necessarily in prayer, but in turning our attention within and identifying the cracks in our being for what they are: the root and cause of the troubles that strain our relationships.  Berry reminds us that positivity alone will not deliver us a better marriage, nor will our race for happiness–both are merely results of a nobler goal: wholeness.  In other words, to think our way to a better marriage begins with thinking our way to a better, more wholesome version of ourselves.

Easier said than done, right? Berry wants us to understand what the six basic human needs are, and then identify which are most important to us: (1) significance, (2) safety & security, (3) love & connections, (4) variety, (5) growth, and (6) contribution.  She describes the first three as most common, stating that if your partner feels insignificant, he will start a fight for the attention; if your partner feels insecure, he will do everything wrong to see how long before you’ve had enough of him; and if your partner feels unloved or disconnected, he will tease you and irritate you for a chance to reconnect.

Since most of us have different needs and priorities, we often neglect to recognize the real cause of another’s disgruntlement. Understanding others is difficult, and we cannot expect our partners to read our minds (or our hearts), so the only remedy is to fully understand ourselves so that we may clearly communicate to our partners what we want and need from them. As stated in the quote, you cannot have what you do not ask for.  If you do ask, and yet you don’t receive, it could be because your reasons were wrong, or perhaps your tone was off.  To improve in both identifying problems and communicating them to our partners, Berry recommends reading Gary Chapman’s “The Five Love Languages“, or at the very least, taking the free love language test to determine what you and your partner’s love languages are.

In addition to knowing and improving ourselves, Berry cautions to recognize that expectations ruin marriages.  She reminds us that some expectations are so deeply ingrained from childhood, or from media and culture, that we don’t realize they’re unnecessary.   As such, we should discuss expectations prior to marrying and during marriage if new ones should be discovered.  We should question where our expectation comes from, and whether we need to hold on to them, or if it’s something we had internalized and merely assumed as natural.  Are our expectations even achievable? Are we being reasonable and realistic? While Berry reminds us that expectations are demands that should be reworded into expressed needs to create opportunities for satisfaction, I believe it is also important to apply such introspection to the expectations we might have of ourselves in the marriage roles we’ve adopted (e.g. what do we expect in a wife?)

A close friend of High-Expectations is Comparison.  Berry tells us straight up: there is no such thing as a perfect marriage. There are no perfect husbands or wives–anyone we perceive as perfect is faking it or hiding something, so we ought to stop comparing what we have to what others have. Instead, let’s compare our relationship to a previous check point, and build a vision of a better marriage together.

Berry advises to have an annual review to discuss what we would like our upcoming year to look like in order to ensure we are headed in the same direction. As marriage takes hard work, we must be intentional about nourishing it by scheduling weekly date nights and conversations for a chance to bond, voice grievances, and reconnect with each other. After all, a strong healthy marriage sets the atmosphere for our family lives and provides our children with a good sense of security.

On April 30, Carnisa Berry will be joint-hosting a wellness retreat, A Journey to Wholeness, with yoga instructor, Hannah Northcott, in Shunyi. You can purchase her book, Think Your Way to a Better Marriage on Amazon.

MOPS is a faith-based community group for moms of preschool aged children, hosting international (English language) meetings twice a month, a bilingual English-Chinese group meeting once a month, and Chinese group meetings once a month.  The meetings often have speakers give talks/presentations or host workshops, followed by a discussion session in small groups, and often end with arts and crafts.  MOPS events have childcare available with RSVP and a small fee (RMB 20).

Photo: Courtesy of Carnisa Berry