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.