Melissa Barreto

Many of us grew up in systems where nearly every aspect of our learning was decided for us. We didn’t have to pick which core subjects to study, which curriculum we would use, or what progression we would follow.

When I first began homeschooling, I thought I knew exactly how I wanted it to be. 

When I first saw Ramadan Around the World by Ndaa Hassan, what stood out to me was not the smiling moon, nor the hanging lanterns, nor the ethnic diversity of the children. What caught my eye most was the Muslim boy sitting front and center, and happy in his wheelchair.

We all recognize the blessings of this month, its miracles and its rewards, Alhamdulilah. Yet it’s also important to recognize that for mothers working inside and outside of the home, the added activity and expectations can often feel more like a blur than a magical time of year.

When my first-born child was about 6 years old, he started asking a lot of questions about our family. 

My children have had to face more death at their young ages than I ever had to. It’s the will of Allah. I used to think such loss would devastate them, break them into tiny pieces. But I’ve learned that when lovingly supported, children can be incredibly resilient.