An order comes from an authoritarian parent and that may cause rebellion.  To ignore the careful moulding of children to the right path is the slack caused by a passive parent and that is being negligent.  Where does a caring yet conscientious mother draw a balance?  Below Sister Reminder does some creative solution seeking.  As a pro-active and assertive parent she’s got it down.  See if you like her technique …. maybe draw some inspiration from it and hit those sunnah targets this Shawwal.

Sister Reminder blogs

Scene 1: My angelic son is sitting at his bed reading his Quran, I approach him the night of Eid, and ask him to fast for the 6 days of Shawwal. ”Our Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu ta’ala alayhi wa aalihi wa Sallam) has said, ‘whoever fasts the month of Ramadan and then six days after Eid, it is like fasting for the entire year’…so son, you should try to get the maximum reward…” he looks at me with a broad smile, “Of course Umi, I already planned to do it- InshAllah!”

Scene 2: “NO! NO! NO! I’m tired of fasting! I fasted all 30 days already and that’s enough!” He yells at me over his domino game with his little brother. “Come on it’s only 6 more days. Think of the reward…” “No! I’m getting sick! I’m getting my allergies again!” He sneezes to prove his point. Sigh…Here comes the boot camp method… “YOU WILL DO IT! IT’S ONLY 6 MORE DAYS!” I slam the door, and I panic. Did I do the right thing? Should I force my kid- even though he’s now 14 years old?

Sometimes, I have got to play tough because my boys tend to pluck at my “mom’s heart”. But I can’t help to think what happens to that Ramadan feeling after Eid is gone.  I begin to wonder how I can keep the feeling alive for the next 6 days. So I have decided that I need to create a plan- a Survival Guide for 6 (More) Days of Fasting. Check out the template: Shawwal Fasting Chart

• Place ” Shawwal Do the Math ” up on the fridge for the kids to see and remember the reward of Shawwal
• Create a menu plan made up of their favorite suhoor and iftar
• Make the chart for each child so they can keep record of the days they fasted
• When they break their fast they get to read behind the flap on the chart for their surprise treat or keep a point system
• Brainstorm a charity act that they will accomplish in the month of Shawwal
• Create a small scrapbook just for the month of Shawwal.
• Have a very special reward after fasting the 6 days. It could be a simple lunch outing at a restaurant, or a free chore day, a sleep over at a friend’s or a special gift they really wanted.

Globe Girl blogs

Prayer Mat      – check

Compass        - check

i- pod             - check

Headphones   – check

Sunscreen      – check

Camera          -  check

Sigh ……  what more does a girl need?  Especially one bitten by the travel love bug.  To travel by moonlight on a swaying camel, to taste spices in the markets of Marrakesh, to decipher colorful maps on the London tube, pray in the blue mosque in Turkey and then come home and scrap book about it all as you savor the memories.  This girl is one happy camper.  For those of us who couldn’t make it all around the world in one night …. here’s a chance to celebrate Eid with all those who did so in their own countries.   One God, One Book, One Faith.  One globe.  One very big smile

Umm Professional blogs

Eid is finally here …. Bringing with it a sense of renewed hope of what we as a family can achieve.  Having read shelves and shelves of books on how to raise a healthy family, I feel grateful that my faith has  built –  in practical steps to do just that.  What am I talking about? ….well there are lessons for all during Ramadan.  We are programming our children for success as they live and breathe Ramadan.

• When my child accompanied us to Taraweeh salah this blessed month, she learned sabr.  The whole ambiance was so breath taking that she made a conscious effort not to make a sound, and to follow the Imam as much as her little body would allow her
• While she plays with her friends, I often find her role playing the part of the Mu’adhin by calling out the adhan
• The lollipop on my pillow was a surprise treat from her.  My child learned to be considerate
• As the mails full of family photographs and nasheeds fill my in-box, she has learned that as a community we network and support each other with the most beautiful greetings
• As she watched the men hurry off to the masjid and the women multi task so as not to miss any time in ibaadah, she has learned how important time management is
• Each day as iftar time neared, she would responsibly hand out equal number of dates to each family member. She understood the meaning of sharing
• When my child helped wrap Eid presents for less fortunate Muslim children, she learned to be grateful for what Allah has blessed her with
• This morning, when she gave up her Eidee to place instead in the masjid Zakah box. I was moved and teary eyed at her generosity and selflessness

In one month my child has had a comprehensive course in all the things that are most meaningful in life. She has understood our cultural strengths, she has witnessed the virtue of punctuality, the importance of anti- immediate gratification, learned to share her blessings with others and above all,  she is excited about her Muslim identity.   There cannot be a bigger gift than this.

And now it’s time to party…….EID MUBARAK EVERYONE!!!!

Busy Baby Mama blogs

I wanted to make yummy cookies for all our kind neighbors for Eid this year. What better way to get my child involved, excited, busy…and do a bit of dawa while at it! I found this website…I wish I could have found more interesting shapes that were Islamic related. But here is what’s out there:

http://www.astrolabe.com/eid-cookie-cutters-set-of-6.html

While I prepare lots of cookie dough…you check this link out!

Sr Alif blogs

I’ve been searching for some good (and educational) Eid gifts for my little neice and nephew. I stumbled upon this website….

http://www.desidollcompany.com/

http://onlineislamicstore.com/muslimdoll.html (For US buyers)

I thought these dolls were really cute!  You have a choice of a bi-lingual doll or a Muslim doll. The bi-lingual dolls come with language cartridges, and the girl doll speaks many more languages than the boy doll. I thought it would be way cool to get my neice and nephew one that speaks Arabic.

The Muslim doll is a good choice too. The doll recites surahs and is loaded with Islamic manners!!! “Achooo….Alhumdulillah!!” How adorable is that? I have found the perfect Eid gift….but now which one do I get??!

Busy Baby Mama blogs

Iftaar party for kids is a wonderful and educational event, but that depends on how much stamina I can muster during the last week of Ramadhan.  Party games can be modified to give an Islamic edge to them, but keeping the numbers manageable, finding playmates your child gels with and getting the child involved with party preparations is key.

www.silverenvelope.com is a wonderful site for Islamic party materials and stationaries for busy moms like us. It makes party hassle free and kid friendly. My favorite part in this site is the DIY that shows you how to make these party essentials simply beautiful!

I never imagined that simple clip art can make a world of difference in creating a cup cake decor, party favors, and napkin holders!

DIY cup cakes!

    

DIY napkin holders!

Artsy Ummi blogs

Baking – We got a gift a few months ago that we didn’t have time to use.  Baking sets with interesting cookie cutter shapes, sprinkles and shaped baking trays can be fun …. And you can use them for iftaar too.

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Play doh -  Although my child gets plenty at school, I haven’t brought any home for a good year or two. Endless possibilities for young minds.

This time around I bought a pack that has colors that resemble food.  When she was younger I made simple shapes like sausages and balls and flat circles.  This time around my strategy is to give her a cooking set she hasn’t played for in a year and let her make veg’s and interesting food shapes.  The child may need you to demonstrate the first few times to understand what could be made.  Once she gets the hang of it my daughter can cook it for all my little stuffed toyed grand-children. Here is another cute idea: http://crafts.kaboose.com/play-doh-activity.html?source=tok&kw=shoppe19aug09

Oh and just in case the play dough food is very tempting to bite into- try making some edible play dough for some care-free fun! http://www.familycorner.com/family/kids/crafts/edible_play_dough-2.shtml

Paints large surface/outdoor – I went out and splurged on new paints and rolls of paper.  I’ve dug up all old crayons and paintbrushes.  Usually my child has a book with white and colored paper at her disposal.  This Ramadan I got her large chart paper.  If you live in a warm place a balcony, garden or open space is best.  If not, washable paint and non –spill pots with an old bed sheet spread out might be good.  It’s no fun if you get stressed out over what the paint may go on.  The plan is to let them go wild with paints as long as they understand that it’s meant just for the paper.

Busy Baby Mama blogs

I like to hit all my goals. It’s amazing what our generation is capable of – Alhamdulilah! Just consider the fact that women no longer have to rise at four in the morning to fetch the water … with the convenience of modern – day amenities we can now put that time to better use. If you are like me, you might feel a little twinge pain when you cannot always study surahs without feeling that the kids need to be suitably occupied also. I can be accused of using the telly as a baby sitter on occasion and we may all feel like parenting can sometimes feel like a one man show now and again, but this Ramadan this mama has a few systems put into place to give me peace of mind.

…. I’d like to share my Ramadan list with you:

Morning Hour of Audio Surah – This is one of my favourite times of the day. My child and I have been practicing spending about an hour just listening to a c.d. of the Quran. At first I was skeptical that we could manage to squeeze in that time together, but it’s working well for the both of us. I ‘home school’ my child in the morning, so with our hectic schedule I wasn’t sure we could do it. It is a very soothing time when I sit down with a hot cup of tea after breakfast and just cuddle up with my daughter on the sofa. Sometimes I hold the Quran in front as I follow the words but not always. I thought a small child would get fidgety after a while and I would have to turn it off but I’ve found the opposite. After our time is over she will sometimes go turn it on herself while I’m in the shower. http://www.jebril.com/

Harun Yahya – Renown scientist/Daaee has a children’s selection of c.d’s that have plenty of animals and cute cuddly creatures. Always a hit with kids. While the narration and choice of clips isn’t exactly Disney quality, the concepts are meaningful and thought provoking. I like to sit a couple of times and watch my 5 year old before leaving her to watch them on her own. We sometimes chat about what we think while we watch, …I’m happy because it’s good healthy watching.

http://en.harunyahya.tv/productCat/Lang/4/CatId/53/FOR_CHILDREN

Adam’s world – This may depend on child to child but for those of us with kids who like silly slapstick, puppets, and funny voices this is a nice choice. Be careful not to over do it …I’ve been saving Adam’s world for Ramadan … as in I don’t really give my 5 year old the same c.d’s to watch all the time. Out of sight is out of mind …. Where as too much repetition can mean your child may not want to watch it when you need time to study or rest during Ramadan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9I2aCrH9-M&feature=player_embedded#t=19

My Knowledge Companion - My 11 year old  and I watch these 3 minutes quick Tafseer of  Surahtul Mulk given by different scholars. We talk about it, and I was surprised that although he is so young, he comprehended the lecture so well that I decided to base my homeschooling using this website - Got Mulk?

Artsy Ummi blogs

My 14 year old son took these pictures when he was sitting on our house roof. (My landlord will have a fit!) I have to admit that I was tickled not only for his interest in photography but that he took a picture that appeared to say Allah in Arabic. How many times I must have passed by Allah’s beautiful creation and missed His Signs all together…Subhan-Allah for our children who capture what we are too busy to see!