Friday, July 20, 2012

Ramadan for Mommies :)

Get Ready… Get Set… GO!!!

And we’re off! Ramadan is here! It is actually here! Aren’t you excited? I know I am. I was very nervous at first because I have gone four years without fasting because of being pregnant and nursing back-to-back. And it’s not just the fasting. I felt kind of resentful because I knew I wouldn’t be able to curl up with the Qur’an and other Islamic materials and just read and relax throughout the day. I have a 1 year old and a 3 year old. There will be no peace.

So okay, then I thought- why not embrace the crazy excitement that the kiddos bring into this whole thing? You know, the old saying, “If you can’t beat them, join them!” I can’t lock myself in a closet all Ramadan to read and pray and peacefully exist in serenity. It’s just not my reality. And I certainly do not have a nanny. Therefore, I decided to get the girls really involved. It’s a little more challenging when they are so young, but that makes it even more fun.

My first step was to arm myself with Islamic DVDs, books, CD Roms, and craft ideas. I went to 52nd street here in Philadelphia - where I will be spending this Ramadan InshaAllah. Between 2 Islamic stores, I managed to get a couple Adam’s World DVD’s, a great little book called, Allah Made This, a cute pink hijab for Ruqi, and a replacement CD of I Look I See (which I play in the car nonstop and they never get tired of it!). I also bought a DVD called: A is for Asad (Lion) which teaches the Arabic Alphabet.

If you take nothing from this post at least take this: Never underestimate your children! Ruqi is picking up on the concepts of Arabic and Ramadan so quickly and little Saja dances to the songs and throws her hands up whenever she hears “Allahu Akbar!” Children will learn what you allow them to learn and they are very adaptable. They watch your every movement and listen to your every word. This Ramadan, let’s be the best examples we can for our children and all the youth who are looking to us for guidance.

Ramadan Mubarak!!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Yep! We mother's with young ones can't do ramadan peace and serene style so we have to do whatever way suits our home.
I can't go to the masjid to prayer Tarawih so I pray at home and I've being that since I became a mom and I prefer doing that so I can pray at my own pace without losing concentration.
We love Adam World dvd's and we dig I look, I see too!
May our month be a beautiful one that brings us all closer to Allah in this world and the next ameen