Parenting is a truly fun and adventure. The inner child that probably be in slumber for all those years, yawns and wakes up once you hold your child for the first time. That’s exactly what I personally experienced when i had my son in my arms. From his early days until he’s a toddler i had the most amazing activities with him. I started to observe things more in depth, i started to examine all the nooks and corners of the surroundings. Hence, i had few discoveries that I wanted to share.
As a Muslim I wanted my child to learn the existence of Allah SAW. I decided to say the word Allah Hoo or Allahu Akbar. Alhamdulilah, his first word happened to be Allah (SAW). The second target was to attain his attention towards the prayers. Fortunately, my husband say Azaan in front of Muhammad Ahmed so he quietly listens to it. This we had begin when the baby was just a few months old. By the time of his first birthday he’s now able to copy and raise his hands towards his ears to copy Azaan.
I read a report on children’s learning and behaviours that explains how a child develops personality by the age of 8. That made me very cautious of my daily routine. What we communicate to adults and then forbid children not to repeat it. For a child his parents are his hero’s. No matter how weak or strong you are. No matter what’s your profession. It’s all about how to manage to deal with the different consequences. What i have observed in some parents is they develop an ambiguous personality of children. At home when the adults backbite about others. Sometimes children either misbehave in front of those relatives/acquaintances or they admit their hatred since their parents never actually liked them. Not just a source of embarrassment but the first sense of dislike begins from here.
I met this little girl who was playing hide and seek with her siblings. Her cackles were so loud that she was out of breath. Seeing her i was smiling out of my control. Until an adult came and told her if she keeps on laughing a “Baba” monster will come to eat her. At once the kid became quite and pale. This is the first fear that us adults seed in a child’s memory. Especially, the night times when either children are forced to sleep so monsters don’t come or when they don’t eat. Journey of nightmares begins and it keeps on until the child is reaching teenage.
Never lie to your children! I have noticed often children are tricked with the names of their favourite family members or any of the candies hidden in the palm to call them over. This is the first step of teaching a child lie and trick. Remember, children are very emotional. Though, they cannot express as adults but they keep everything in memory what they learn or practice every day. Address the children affectionately and with respect. They’ll continue is for the rest of their lives. Children are mirror of their parents and they can be the doors of Jannah for us if we spent quality time with them and preach them the basics of Islam at an early age.
By:
Mardiya Sultana