Growmama Picks is a collection of fun, interesting, and inspiring links that we share with you at the end of every month. Enjoy! 1. We are now in the Islamic month of Shabaan, only a few weeks away from Ramadan. Here are some tips on what we should be doing in this month. 2. A well-written reflection on becoming a father from a Muslim perspective. 3. There were some fascinating articles on parenting and motherhood this month: see this one... Read more
Alhamdulillah summer has begun! Unfotunately one of my children, ruptured his ear drum. So this summer, we have to come up with exciting activities that do not include water slides, pools and squirt guns. Here are some of our ideas and we hope you will join in with more of your brilliant thoughts. Science club: InshaAllah, once a week I am planning to invite some of my children’s classmates to enjoy one hour of fun science experiments followed by an... Read more
Are you a smartphone user? Is there one smartphone app that is a must-have for you and your family? One that keeps you organized, entertained, updated or in touch with someone you love? Read on for some GrowMama tips and share your favorite app with us today! T shares: Skype: It may not be a typical “must have” for moms, but it has definitely helped me keep my son in touch with my family around the world. I love that... Read more
It’s fajr time, and for today at least I have kept my resolve not to dig back under the covers. I take a deep breath, a long sip of coffee, and enjoy the peace of silence―a sound that has become almost alien since the school year has ended and summer begun. I make resolutions all the time. Today I’ll start reading a whole juzu’ of Quran a day, and I’ll walk an hour on the treadmill. I won’t eat any... Read more
As Muslim parents, we always look for ways to build positive characteristics in our children. In America, the problem of homelessness and hunger – while it is an issue – is not as obvious as in other parts of the world. For many children, the problem of hunger is hidden – something they can’t see or experience. Sometimes our children ask for material items – more games, more videos, etc. – and cannot relate to the fact that some children... Read more
On May 23, 2012 my daughter Kay graduated from Pre-K from the on campus school where I attend college and I celebrated her graduation with a cake and special present from her father and me. I wanted her graduation to be special, not only because she finished Pre-K but because Kay had finished three years at my college. She started out going to daycare as a 2-year-old all because I wanted to pursue my dream of completing my degree. My... Read more
A colleague of mine recently told me that her friend has passed away. It was heartbreaking news, even though I didn’t know her friend, only because lately the news of people with serious illness, diseases, and amounts of deaths have been overwhelming. It’s like a wake-up call to the fact that we don’t live forever and the purpose of why we are on this earth to begin with. The day after my colleague’s friend’s funeral, I was hit with even... Read more
This past year Maryam has been transitioning from a toddler to a preschooler. This past year I came to appreciate how easy toddlers are to deal with. With her opinion becoming more audible, our daily activities involve striking some deal or another. “Maryam we need to brush your teeth, it’s almost bedtime.” “No! I want yogurt!” “Okay, we’ll eat yogurt first but then brush your teeth, deal?” “Deal.” We are each practicing the art of negotiation, but it gets extremely... Read more
Growmama Picks is a collection of fun, interesting, and inspiring links that we share with you at the end of every month. Enjoy! 1. Learning to deal with babies in the masjid. It’s a two-way street. 2. With the change of seasons comes the “great clothes swap.” Here is one blogger’s advice on swapping summer clothes for winter clothes with less organizational wrinkles. 3. A writer reflects on the dilemma of being Muslim, young, educated, female, and single. 4. The... Read more
I had a neighbor a couple of houses down that I only rarely saw going to and from her car. She must have been retired and didn’t go out much, because I could count on my fingers the number of times I saw her though I’d lived next to her for almost two years. In addition, I was a stay-at-home mom, so I either was home, outside on the front yard or just looking out my windows quite a bit.... Read more
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