As parents, one of our deepest, most powerful desires in life is to raise our children to be God-fearing, principled, and successful in every sense of the word. Perhaps that is why motherhood is one of the most guilt-ridden jobs on earth. The sight of spoiled lettuce in the fridge or dirty fingernails is enough to make you feel like the worst mom ever. You just can’t escape the guilt—and when you do, you will find it in another’s eyes... Read more
As a working mother (though currently on maternity leave) and a devoted wife, making time for family used to feel rushed and forced. We were just too busy with everything else going on around us. We would leave the house without breakfast and go to bed each at different times. It was clear we had to make some changes, but not so clear how. Over time, I’ve found the following to help us a great deal, and I hope inshallah... Read more
Abu Yusuf ‘Abdullah ibn Salam said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, ‘O people! make the greeting common practice, provide food, maintain ties of kinship and pray while people are asleep and you will enter the Garden in safety.'” [at-Tirmidhi] After hearing this Hadith, I realized that the one thing our Ummah is losing and needs to hold on to is the act of feeding people. I see this Hadith in... Read more
Growmama Picks is a collection of fun, interesting, and/or inspiring links that we share with you at the end of every month. Enjoy! This post breaks down empathy into four steps so it is teachable to young children. Two bloggers give a personal, heartfelt glimpse into the challenges that mothers of special needs children face in navigating the Muslim community. Read this post on attending an eid celebration and this one on dealing with the preconceptions of quick-to-judge individuals. Ten ways... Read more
I have been struggling for a while with my little girl. She cries everyday when I leave her for Kindergarten. In fact, she cried all summer at the thought of starting Kindergarten. Since birth, spending time away from mom has been very hard on my daughter. She worries about things that many young children don’t seem to think about. For example, this year, on the first day of school she asked her brother, “Are there lots of hard tests in... Read more
Flipping through a copy of Parenting magazine, I came across an article in which staff, readers, and a handful of writers were asked, ‘What is the one life lesson you want to pass on to your child?’ The question made me think about my life and what I have learned, and the ways in which I learned them. Life lessons are often learned through mistakes, far too often our own. I am the type of parent who loses sleep worrying... Read more
We asked some of our mamas, “How do you teach your child to pray?” Following are their inspiring answers. Please share with us what has worked with you! SM writes: I’ve always encouraged the kids to join us for prayer. Even if they just come to sit and play with a toy. At around 5 yrs old I actively start saying the words of salah during play time, bedtime, or in the car. Especially the tahiyat. That seems to be... Read more
I was recently listening to a series on great women in Islam, and was struck by the great names among scholars who were raised by single moms. Al-Bukhari, Imam Shafi’i, and others set off on their paths of greatness because of decisions made by their mothers. These women were so focused and hardworking that they resolved not to remarry in order to instead devote themselves entirely to their children. They are the silent makers of history, who took little credit... Read more
We all have our moments. You finally get a chance to go to the bathroom and no sooner do you close the door than you hear a little fist pounding on the bathroom door, “I have to use it.” You remind your “strong-willed” 12-year-old to put away his basket of clothes. “I’m not doing it,” he responds. When our children do things or respond to us in ways that make us want to lash out at them, that’s... Read more
A new unscripted show about a handful of Muslim families from Dearborn premiered on TLC this weekend. Like many other American Muslims, I waited anxiously for the show “All American Muslim,” hoping it would put a more human face on our community through a mainstream media outlet. I watched patiently as one Arab family after another introduced themselves and tried to highlight how their multiple identities shaped their everyday lives. Just a few minutes into the show, my Facebook and... Read more
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