You poor dears. Bored of meetings in spare office spaces instead of play dates. You sit on my knees while I type emails and I bribe you with Sunmaid raisin boxes and cheerios for a few more minutes to finish up this or that. You become resigned to my requests for “five more minutes,” and so often I realize I take advantage of a toddler’s patience. As a MAS Youth worker, I get fellow activists without children sometimes coming up... Read more
I wish all my dishes, spoons, forks, and cups were disposable!! I wish they could invent disposable pots too. These are my wishes every time I go inside my kitchen and see the mountains and hills made by my dishes. Every day I wash the dishes then use them, then wash them again. I say Bismillah and start to wash the dishes. I remember the few times I go eat out, looking at the waiter take the dishes for someone... Read more
A sister posted this quote from the O website on another group. “Parents who neglect to love themselves raise kids who don’t show themselves self-love, either. They don’t treat themselves the way you treat them. They treat themselves the way you treat you.” This quote opened up a flood of emotions in me. This was my response to her post: I think that the single most important thing that we as mothers can do for our children is to give... Read more
The Quran is filled with many stories that teach us valuable morals. It’s nice when parents can be creative and diligent in connecting the lessons and beauty of the Quran to children. In our family, we look for “teachable” moments to share and explore Quranic lessons. A few weeks ago, I had an interesting car ride… I was driving my 5 year old son to school and he said to me, “Mom, I’m nervous about my presentation today.” I paused... Read more
What makes parenting so scary? It seems like a question with an obvious answer considering all the responsibility linked to the tiny title of ‘parent’; however I ask this because I think this fear is a new phenomenon. When I look at my own parents or my parent’s parents and speak to them about the roles of a mother or father, they are so calm about it. They take the role seriously yet have also demonstrated ease in relation to... Read more
Who would bring meals through sunshine or rain, Who would bring meals through comfort or pain, When you’re down with something called morning sickness, You vomit so much you’re almost insane? Only a sister. You’re so heavy you can’t even walk, You can’t bend down to put on your sock, Doctor said you can’t leave the house, Just sit quiet as a little mouse, You know how hard that is, Doc? Who would cook for you in a state like... Read more
As I drove back home after the daily drop-off of my kids, I finally got a chance to listen to the news. After hearing the latest, however, I almost wished I hadn’t turned off my son’s favourite CD. In a span of 24 hours, there had been one attempted and one actual abduction of children in the Toronto area. First, a 9 year-old boy was kidnapped on his way to school, taken to a house and repeatedly assaulted for four... Read more
As I rush to catch the elevator, trying to get to my office, I wonder, why am I so tired? The day has just begun, and here we go again, another bustling morning. And now, late as usual, my aching body struggles to start a new day. But why am I not renewed, refreshed with the birth of this new day? How can I as a pediatrician promote health to children and their families without being healthy myself? I come... Read more
“Mama, you remember Mo’min don’t you?” Zayd asks me with wide eyes one night before we pray ‘Isha. “Yeah,” I nod as I recall the image of the well-mannered, pleasant boy who was Zayd’s friend in elementary school. He moved to another school after a couple of years and we only saw him and his family occasionally after that at local community events. “Well he goes to my high school now but Mama, he’s different now. I mean really different.”... Read more
We adults are well aware that we’re getting older and that we’re changing-in more ways than most of us would like to admit-but most of us don’t really think about the number of our age. At least, we don’t talk about it. On the rare occasion that someone might ask about my age, I often have to consciously bring up the information. I remember once a friend asked me how old I was. I couldn’t remember! Am I 26 or... Read more
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