London, September 2025 \u2014 In a quiet living room, the smell of freshly cooked parathas filled the air as A., a grandmother in her seventies, called her grandchildren to the table. \u201cEat while it\u2019s hot,\u201d she urged. Between bites, she told them stories about growing up in a village many miles away, where food was cooked on open fires and children ran freely through fields. \u201cThey must know,\u201d she said later, \u201cotherwise, these memories will die with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Across London, Pakistani grandparents like A. are playing an important role in passing on traditions to younger generations. From cooking to storytelling, from teaching Urdu phrases to sharing moral lessons, their efforts are keeping cultural identity alive in an environment that can often feel far removed from \u201cback home.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stories that travel across time<\/p>\n
R., a grandfather who moved to the UK more than forty years ago, gathers his grandchildren once a week. \u201cThey love hearing stories about my school days,\u201d he laughed. \u201cI tell them how we studied by lantern light, how we walked long distances. They are shocked because they cannot imagine a world without buses and screens.\u201d<\/p>\n
For R., these sessions are not about nostalgia. \u201cIt teaches them gratitude. They see how much easier their life is, but also how strong we were.\u201d<\/p>\n
Teaching through food<\/p>\n
Cooking is another way grandparents connect across generations. S., a widowed grandmother, spends weekends teaching her granddaughter how to make traditional sweets. \u201cI say, don\u2019t just watch, use your hands. Smell the spices. Taste the sugar.\u201d She paused and smiled. \u201cThese recipes are not written anywhere. If I don\u2019t teach her, they will vanish.\u201d<\/p>\n
The granddaughter admitted she sometimes finds the process \u201cslow,\u201d but appreciates the effort. \u201cWhen my friends come over, they love the food. I like saying, my nani taught me this.\u201d<\/p>\n
Language and values<\/p>\n
Language lessons also remain central. F., a retired worker, insists his grandchildren speak to him in Urdu. \u201cThey complain, but I don\u2019t mind. If they don\u2019t practise, they will forget. One day they will thank me.\u201d<\/p>\n
He explained that along with language comes values. \u201cWhen I teach them to say \u2018jazakAllah\u2019 or \u2018shukriya,\u2019 it\u2019s not only about words. It\u2019s about respect.\u201d<\/p>\n
Challenges<\/p>\n
Yet the role of grandparents is not without its challenges. Younger generations often juggle busy school schedules, extracurricular activities, and digital distractions. A. admitted: \u201cSometimes they are glued to their phones. I cannot compete with that. But if I tell them an old folk tale, they slowly put the phone down.\u201d<\/p>\n
S. agreed: \u201cIt takes patience. You cannot force them. You must wait until they are ready to listen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bridging the gap<\/p>\n
Despite these difficulties, the bond between generations remains strong. For many families, the presence of grandparents provides stability. R. reflected: \u201cParents are busy, always working. We fill the gap. We tell stories, teach prayers, remind them of who they are.\u201d<\/p>\n
F. added: \u201cIt is not about controlling them. It is about guiding. They will live their lives in this country, but our culture is like roots. Without roots, a tree falls.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking ahead<\/p>\n
As London\u2019s Pakistani community grows older, the voices of grandparents are becoming more valuable than ever. Their experiences, resilience, and traditions offer younger generations a sense of identity in a fast-changing world.<\/p>\n
For A., the motivation is simple: \u201cI don\u2019t know how long I will live. But if they remember one recipe, one story, one prayer, then I am still alive in them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u062a\u0641\u0635\u06cc\u0644\u06cc \u0627\u0631\u062f\u0648 \u062e\u0644\u0627\u0635\u06c1<\/p>\n
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\n\u0641 \u0627\u0631\u062f\u0648 \u0628\u0648\u0644\u0646\u06d2 \u067e\u0631 \u0632\u0648\u0631 \u062f\u06cc\u062a\u06d2 \u06c1\u06cc\u06ba \u0627\u0648\u0631 \u0628\u062a\u0627\u062a\u06d2 \u06c1\u06cc\u06ba \u06a9\u06c1 \u0632\u0628\u0627\u0646 \u06a9\u06d2 \u0633\u0627\u062a\u06be \u0627\u062d\u062a\u0631\u0627\u0645 \u0627\u0648\u0631 \u0627\u0642\u062f\u0627\u0631 \u0628\u06be\u06cc \u0645\u0646\u062a\u0642\u0644 \u06c1\u0648\u062a\u06d2 \u06c1\u06cc\u06ba\u06d4<\/p>\n
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London, September 2025 \u2014 In a quiet living room, the smell of freshly cooked parathas filled the air as A., a grandmother in her seventies, called her grandchildren to the table. \u201cEat while it\u2019s hot,\u201d she urged. Between bites, she told them stories about growing up in a village many miles away, where food was …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-57134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-top-stories","category-sci-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57134"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57134\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":57135,"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57134\/revisions\/57135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tehqiqnama.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}