As a mother of three teenagers, I continue to learn about child development in real time, and surprisingly, just as much about myself. I observe their behavior patterns and often find myself reflecting on my own teenage years.
A leader must be a follower. A leader must have strong Iman. A leader leads himself and others in faith and practices of ibadah. A leader must be disciplined. A leader has taqwa – self-restraint and God-consciousness.
Hasanah heard the front door swing open and the thunder of shoes piling into the hallway long before she could close her math notebook. As salaamu alaikum the children said in unison, Abdul-Rahman burst into the living room first, backpack half-unzipped, cheeks flushed with excitement.
As Halloween decorations fill the streets with pumpkins and ghosts, Muslim kids might feel left out of the celebrations. Their friends might be planning to go trick-or-treating or attend a costume party, and Muslim kids are stuck wondering why their family chooses not to celebrate.
One afternoon during our after-school pickup runs, one of my children asked, “Are ghosts real?” It was Spooky Season – the days leading up to Halloween – and neighborhoods were decked out with ghosts and goblins, pumpkins and witches, and creepy, crawling spiders, webs, and skeletons.
Parents may lie to their children thinking they are protecting or preserving a child’s mental health. However, the National Institute of Health found children who are routinely told untruths by their parents experience a higher incidence of emotional difficulties, damaged trust in the paren