The website that “saves” me!

I love this website! It truly is a lifesaver for me as a homeschooling and college student mom.

On the days I just have too high of a workload I use this. She gets to do her work with minimal interference from me and it also gets graded, gives her quizzes and even break/play/rest time. It includes reading; social studies, science, and math assignments. I love that it grades her so I can see if she’s having difficulties with any subjects and go back and teach it to her again.

Another thing that I love is that you can select up to three grade levels for it. So for example: she’s advanced in science and reading so I have her on 6th grade level work in those subjects. She’s a little behind in math so I have her at the beginning of 4th grade level work and all her other subjects she is right where she should be. Which is 5th grade work. This allows her to revisit what she needs to learn while still challenging her and allowing her to succeed. It also doesn’t punish her with boredom by being stuck in Grade work that she is already ahead of.

The website is
http://www.time4learning.com

I think they either have a free try out, or a referral program where you could try it for cheap for the first month or something? if they do and you decide to try it out to help your children with their school work, to practice more, or to homeschool tell them Holly Garza sent you.

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Priorities and “Falling apart” when we NEED to keep it together Part 3

For Part two click here

Asalaamu Alaikum waramatluahi wabrakatahu (May the peace, the mercy, and the blessings of Allah (God) be upon you).

Buenos Días (good morning or good day) y’all! =)

In sha Allah all is well WONDERFUL LADIES.

AlHamdulilah  all is well around here  and I’m even extra happy to get a message saying you are reading and enjoying the blog. Sometimes I wonder if I’m talking to myself and it’s good to get feedback. I’m grateful that you are able to relate and find benefit here.

 

 

In continuing with the series, which really could go one forever, we shall tackle self-improvement and peace with ourselves.

 

• Self-examination
• Gratitude
• Creativity
• Commitment

 

Okay, I know those are some big words but have no fear in implementing and trying to strive for the tips in post one and two. These can easily be added to our goals as well. I know I have repeatedly told you all to be kind to yourselves, to be patient, consistent and forgive yourself for lack of perfection however that doesn’t mean I am calling us to stay unmotivated, and unfulfilled.

*Self-examination.

“Bring yourself to account before you are taken to account (on the Day of Judgement),” and, “Weigh your deeds before your deeds are weighed.” (“Hasibu anfusakum qabla antuhasabu, wazinu anfusakum qabla antuzanu.”) – Umar ibn al-Khattab

This is most recently, one of my favorite reminders ma shaa Allah. Who else can be a better critic of us than ourselves? Who can tell me what I need to do and when better than me? I’ve recently been more contemplative of this and trying to add more productivity to my own life. However, it doesn’t need to be a burden and can actually be quite interesting or even fulfilling.

As the quote says “I’m in this for life, not a life sentence” Author unknown

Sit down and get yourself a notebook or diary, in it write down what Good you found in your day, from the most innocent, trivial thing to the most important. Write down your school or work accomplishments or your homeschooling accomplishments. Write down what good eeman boosting or Islamic things you did and what you strive for tomorrow. This will be private so be as brutally honest while kind with yourself as possible and strive for improvement.

Not only is this great for goal setting, feeling accomplished and encouraging for us- it’s also something that was practiced by the salaf (predecessors) of our Ummah. Many of the sahaaba would make up the account for themselves at the end of each day, repenting for the wrong they did and determining to do better the next day. So you’ll be seeing all you do, get the reward of that, revive a sunnah 🙂 and goal set ma sha Allah

Hasan al-Basri (rahimahullaah) said, “You will never meet a believer except that he brings himself to account.”

This I find extremely helpful because it’s useful in boosting my mood (When I see all I truly do instead of feeling like a failure)

This helps me improve my self in character, spirituality, self-improvement and all things. It’s helpful to see everything on paper.

 

*Gratitude- When you aren’t used to always being grateful or if you live in an argumentative environment be it home, work, school, etc it’s hard to know where to begin doing this. I mean, sure we’re grateful, right? I mean we say thank you to people for ALL they do for us, we thank Our Lord non-stop for all of our blessings…. or we try to anyhow.

Imagine walking with no hands, no vision, no legs. Some people have these pebbles in their road yet are more grateful than us! SubhanAllah May Allah guide and forgive us Aameen

“My sin burdened me heavily. But when I measured it against Your Grace, O Lord, Your forgiveness came out greater.” – Imam Shafii

There are literally countless things to be grateful for. From the most trivial, like a good drive somewhere to the best Guidance in sha Allah. There can be thousands of things in between those two that we alone know best which blessings move us the most.

And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.’ [Quran, 14:7]

From a great nights rest to a child homeschooling with us, obedient children, a loving mom, a patient husband, eye-sight the list is endless alHamdulilah  Sit down, write at least 10 things down that you’re grateful for at the beginning of your day and watch yourself have a brighter, happier, peaceful day in shaa Allah .

Gratitude is one of the best and quickest ways to regain our focus. Many times when we feel stuck it means we’re giving too much attention to things that stress us and aren’t showing gratitude to the stuff we can do and we have. Remember we are by default going to have anxiety about certain situations. That’s okay but still try to keep in  mind gratitude.

Indeed, mankind was created anxious: When evil touches him, impatient, And when good touches him, withholding [of it]. [Surat Al–Ma’arij: 70:19-21]

If you’re anything like me, now you’re feeling a bit neglectful. Like perhaps we are very grateful- but we’re realizing we could have been so much more. Don’t despair.

O son of Adam, as long as you call upon Me and put your hope in Me, I have forgiven you for what you have done and I do not mind. O son of Adam, if your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky and then you would seek My forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, if you were to come to Me with sins that are close to filling the earth and then you would meet Me without ascribing any partners with Me, I would certainly bring to you forgiveness close to filling it. [Hadithi Qudsi]

 

* Creativity –

I remember once reading a book (I think) and there was a quote that stood out to me so I wrote it down. It was a way to give myself forgiveness for not being touched by the “creative/feminine/decorative” gene. I really don’t have it y’all, Not a drop! It takes lots of reading books, and google with Pinterest to come up with ideas in homeschooling. Anyhow the quote also made me remember how when I’m inspired to actually write a post or do something I’m usually busy at that exact moment. The quote said ” Creativity is not designed for fitting into a mother’s busy day nor is it convenient”  I’m sure there was more to it but it looks like I trailed off in my notebook (ADHD rears its ugly little head) But yes, I know I just said to call ourselves to account however this doesn’t mean when and if you find inspiration to write, paint, knit, sew, etc you just ignore it. Being a woman, a whole person it’s okay to do enjoyable things in life as well. We can’t be rules and rigidity all the time.

 

* Commitment –

Be committed to yourself above everything! You alone will feel the joys of accomplishing all of these life changes we have discussed in the last few posts. However, the beauty of self-improvement is it usually makes us a better person which enhances everyone’s life around us which in turn comes back to enhance our lives ma sha Allah alHamdulilah. When we take steps to be content our mood improves and we’re kinder to others and a joy to be around. When we de-clutter our minds and our homes we are more productive, thus less stressed and not overwhelmed ma sha Allah

When we clean, re-organize and smile while trying to be a good example not only do we feel better but we become better and it can be a means of attaining good ma sha Allah. Remember Abu Huraira quoted Prophet Muhammad as saying: “Removing a harmful thing from the way is also Sadaqah”.

I hope this series has been helpful to you =)

 

Priorities and “Falling apart” when we NEED to keep it together Part 2

Part ONE-Click HERE

 

Asalaamu Alaikum waramatluahi wabrakatahu (May the peace, the mercy, and the blessings of Allah (God) be upon you).

Yes I know, I’ve been “away” for a while. I was supposed to be writing how to stay productive and I couldn’t write about something I wasn’t doing.

After the deep freeze of which we are still in by the way. The move, brrr I DON’T Ever want to move in Winter again! Add unpacking, homeschool and part-time work I just couldn’t post. That and I’ve always been bad about being consistent with blogging so that’s me. Besides, I figure real life, home, people and homeschooling is more of a priority than the net.

Anyhow things have FINALLY settled, my place looks more like a home (yay!) and I finally petitioned Facebook to start looking into why my homeschooling Muslimah Mommies page isn’t showing up.

I figured now that I have more time I could finish this blog series on prioritizing, de-cluttering and adding structure our lives and time in sha Allah (God Willing). For part One Click here

On to ways to keep or get the ball rolling on being a better, happier you, here are other things I learned, had to do, try and fail before trying again.

* Confidence

* Relaxation

* Perfectionism

First things first Don’t forget to be nice to YOU!

“The Merciful One shows mercy to those who are themselves merciful (to others). So show mercy to whatever is on earth, then He who is in heaven will show mercy to you.” (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi)

* Perfectionism –

So you’ve been reading these and now instead of falling apart you’re obsessed with cleaning, learning, cooking, etc etc….(I’m not, but you may be ;p I don’t have that in my DNA)

We’re sure everything we’re doing can be better or might even all be wrong! How, how on earth can we get out of this mentality? We are responsible for our homes, children and all and what a blessing it is ma shaa Allah!

Ibn Umar RA said that Rasulullah saw said: “Each of you is a guardian, and each of you will be asked about your guardianship. The leader is a guardian, and the man is a guardian over the people of his house, and the woman is a guardian over her husband’s house and children. So each of you is a guardian, and each of you will be asked about your guardianship.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

But how do we avoid falling into the magazine-like home keeper in which no one can make a mess? Or how do we keep our-self from assuming we have to be that way?

Remember to tell yourself “I am a good woman/person/daughter/wife/mother, I will NEVER be a perfect one”

“I asked Allah’s Messenger ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) which deed was best.” He (the Holy Prophet) replied: “The prayer at its appointed hour”. [Sahih Muslim]

Now I’m not calling us to continue our lazy ways nor to be content without goals but it’s okay to know we’ll never be perfect. We fret so much at times thinking everything we’re doing is wrong. We’re so insecure that everything we do as a woman is bad or reflecting on other women, Muslims, daughters or our kids. We’re totally neurotic at times about this so-called perfection we seek. We are Human beings, we are NOT perfect!

“In the sight of Allah, only piety puts a person above another”

The Prophet ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) used to seek refuge in Allah subḥānahu wa ta’āla (glorified and exalted be He) from laziness that he used to mention it daily in this dua: “O Allah, I take refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from being overpowered by men.” [Sahih Bukhari]

*Confidence– Be confident in yourself ladies! No, not arrogant not “look good” I mean confidence in your capabilities and that your Lord made the best you that you can be. Now arrogance is NOT from Islam and the believers are called to be slaves of their Lord and Humble.
Comprehending ones’ intelligence, looks, abilities, potentials, and building on the existing capabilities in the attempt to satisfy one’s desires and attain to the true human identity. This is in no way in conflict with the order to trust in Allah and be humble. After all, as the quote goes, “You are on a rock floating in space!” SubhanAllah …..it’s so deep, when you zoom out looking at images of the Universe you see even the Earth becomes smaller and smaller in our amazing Creators fashioned decree until it’s a speck, we are a speck on a speck….but I digress….subhanAllah It’s awe-inspiring to me.

Anyhow, There are several things that contribute to the positive conception of self-confidence. The first is to LOVE YOURSELF and be kind to you. Also comprehending oneself, one’s capabilities, strengths and weaknesses, duties, and material and spiritual assets. What is the most effective plan for using these assets? These are all points and questions that stem from the two key religious concepts: self-knowledge and recognizing one’s God-given blessings and appropriately exploiting them. Remember to implement the tips, ideas, and advice from post one and this one to help you boost your confidence. After numerous and painful tries you’ll learn to clean as you cook, do laundry before it piles up, read those 2 Arabic letters and you’ll start feeling a smile creep up on your face, that, that right there is what you use as your fuel to keep going and build your confidence in knowing you are in control of certain areas of your life and can change some things 🙂

* Relaxation– Say it with me, no, for real say it aloud and mean it. “When I take time to rest, I am not wasting time. I am enjoying it.” Now repeat. Yes, I know, there is only so much time in a day and caring for our duties, be they work, the home, school, religion, family or children take up most of it. Too often we use our free time to do household chores, homework, work (even worse!) This is NOT rest! In the quest for our self-improvement, we must not get too hung up on perfection or trying so hard to be better that it makes us grumpier. It’s unrealistic to expect to be at our very best every single day. Remember not to blame yourself when you have days that are less than your best. There are days at work/home/parenting/homeschooling that flow as naturally as laughter and you feel comfort, love, ease, and comfort in knowing that you know and enjoy what you’re doing. these days nothing interferes with that feeling Even these days we deserve a little break but much more so on the days we question our roles. Days Where we wonder why to bother and feel so hormonal or overwhelmed, we REALLY deserve a break on those days the most!

By allowing yourself relaxation time, some quiet time to make enjoy nothing, make dua, pick up your favorite hobby or just re-group you’re improving the quality of time you give to other people.

Aisha reported: The Prophet, peace, and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, gentleness is not in anything except that it beautifies it, and it is not removed from anything except that it disgraces it.”

Source: Sahih Muslim 2594

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Imam Muslim

Priorities and “Falling apart” when we NEED to keep it together Part 1

Asalaamu Alaikum waramatluahi wabrakatahu (May the peace, the mercy, and the blessings of Allah (God) be upon you).

whooo! Aren’t you tired?!?
You’re tired, you’re ALWAYS tired. Yet here you are, scrolling. You’re possibly imagining I, and other moms on the blogosphere are perfect, well-rested, got everything together and are crafty, smart and imaginative, NOT TRUE! Well, at least not in my case or half of the “real” women in my life who admit doing deep cleaning only before others come over and posting their nicest, most productive work. So, perhaps, there are ma shaa Allah some nifty, creative, beautiful well-organized women out there ma shaa Allah and may Allah allow us to be a lot more that way Aaamen but for transparency purposes, I’m not going to pretend I’m the one to look up to. I’m not. I just wanted to give you some tips, advice and a “meditation” if you will.

There are a few things I had to learn to attempt stability, organization, peace, and productivity so I wanted to share them with you all here:

*Nurturing Oneself

*Priorities

* Self-Affirmation

*Simplifying

*Expectation/Self-image

and many, many more but since I know many of you are overwhelmed we’re only going to tackle these for now in shaa Allah (God Willing) besides, I’ll let you in on a little secret; I’m overwhelmed myself. I’m in the middle of packing (which really means I don’t know where to start) since we’re moving about 40 miles away at the end of the month so I’m going to make this at least a two-part series, which honestly might be more since after moving we’ll have to get settled in.

*Nurturing oneself– I know, I know we “get ready” and take care of ourselves, heck we’re the ones who are independent, strong and keeping everything running (Give yourself a Tap on the back You REALLY are doing a lot!) but no matter how strong you are, you still need nurturing. When we start to feel like we want to trade places with our baby, child or husband it’s time to start to pamper us a bit. You’re probably thinking you don’t have time, money, ideas or desires to care to pamper yourself, you do. Just like your clothing is a beautification a protection from us the womb is for a baby and our spouses for ourselves we can use our home as a little pampering station, cocoon of sorts, a womb. Let’s make this place serve us. While the children are sleeping or outside with dad/sister/mother/neighbor etc we can give ourselves a homemade pedicure, scrub those feet and make them soft and new. We can make a special coffee or tea treat with a cookie and enjoy a few moments of silence. We give and we give and we give and this is extremely taxing on us.

Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace, and blessings be upon him, said, “Four things are part of happiness: a righteous spouse, a spacious dwelling, a righteous neighbor, and a comfortable mount. Four things are part of misery: a bad neighbor, a bad spouse, a restrictive dwelling, and a bad mount.”

*Simplifying– Gift extra items, sell stuff on e-bay or repurpose the items you aren’t using. Honestly, we don’t NEED those items we haven’t used in a year and we shouldn’t have so many garments that we have to push the clothing out the way to pull stuff out and view it. Make pillows, curtains, bags or sell, gift and donate these things. As for clutter or messy homes in which you don’t know where to begin, start slow. Pick one corner, one shelf or one “Space” and beautify it. Don’t overwhelm yourself with the whole home, you’ll just overwhelm yourself more. Pick one area a day do that space. Clean the wall spot in that space, de-clutter it, make it pretty. Look at your accomplishment, smile and pat yourself on a job well done. Repeat this every day or twice a day until your whole place looks and feels better. Sometimes nurturing you means creating a place or space where you can be alone and responsible only for you. A reading nook, a writing corner, an Arabic learning station, a craft area, a prayer corner, knitting station, etc

Always remember to ask Allah to help you feel less stress, the days you are peace, not stressed, happy or calm remember Allah. Ask Allah for His aid continuously as you work Hard on trying to train yourself to strive for doing these things.

Abu Ya ‘la Dailami and Ibn Asakir narrated: Abu Hurairah and Anas Ibn Malik said: Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Allah loves rescuing the one who needs rescue.”

Ibn Abbas reported: I was riding with the Messenger of Allah, peace, and blessings be upon him, and he said:

يَا غُلَامُ إِنِّي أُعَلِّمُكَ كَلِمَاتٍ احْفَظْ اللَّهَ يَحْفَظْكَ احْفَظْ اللَّهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَكَ إِذَا سَأَلْتَ فَاسْأَلْ اللَّهَ وَإِذَا اسْتَعَنْتَ فَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللَّهِ وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْأُمَّةَ لَوْ اجْتَمَعَتْ عَلَى أَنْ يَنْفَعُوكَ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَنْفَعُوكَ إِلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ لَكَ وَلَوْ اجْتَمَعُوا عَلَى أَنْ يَضُرُّوكَ بِشَيْءٍ لَمْ يَضُرُّوكَ إِلَّا بِشَيْءٍ قَدْ كَتَبَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ رُفِعَتْ الْأَقْلَامُ وَجَفَّتْ الصُّحُفُ

O young man, I will teach you some words. Be mindful of Allah and He will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him before you. If you ask, ask from Allah. If you seek help, seek help from Allah. Know that if the nations gathered together to help you, they cannot benefit you unless Allah has written it for you, and if the nations gathered together to harm you, they cannot harm you unless Allah has written it for you. The pens have been lifted and the pages dry.

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2516, Grade: Sahih

* Self-Affirmation– Admit it, we’ve all had days (I’ve had whole years like this!)when we are so thoroughly exhausted we almost forget we as a person exist. We look at how we feel and in turn, feel how we look. Clothes don’t fit how we want or PJs are so comfy we wear them too much then look at ourselves all disheveled, tired and overwhelmed. We get into feeling numb and robotic almost disconnected from others or the world in general. We stare at things trying to learn by osmosis (Arabic for me) and get nothing, nothing gets absorbed. You’re too tired to sleep and too sleep-deprived to function and get things done. AlHamdulilah (Thank God through it all) our heart doesn’t stop beating even if our brain feels like it’s trying to run through the mud! Enjoy the consistency of your heartbeat and take your cue from it, slow and steady wins the race. Do consistent, even if small things and you’ll get through it.
A’isha said that Rasulullah saw said: “The deeds most loved by Allah (are those) done regularly, even if they are small.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

Be kind to yourself, don’t beat yourself up for not being perfect.

Abu Ya ‘la Dailami and Ibn Asakir narrated: Abu Hurairah and Anas Ibn Malik said: Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “Allah loves rescuing the one who needs rescue.”

* Priorities–

ah this is the medicine I need most myself. NO, the Smart Phone is NOT the first thing we should grab after waking up. OUCH, phones, computers, tablets tv s etc these should be sometimes things yet are the ones that KILL all our time sadly. These are sometimes things or should be used either as a reward after everything is done OR used as tools. Yes there are many things that can aid us in our homeschooling, learning, Islam etc but are we not distracted by the OTHER stuff we do with them? I was. Facebook, candy crush etc etc start doing the biggest tasks after your morning prayer, quiet time. Tackle the things that drain you or need your brain more in the morning and feel less stressed while blogging, Facebooking etc.

Another thing, change your voicemail on your phone- Leave a message stating you are busy with family, studying, homeschooling, or work and pick a time you aren’t busy with yourself, your home, studies or others to text or call others back. WHY, why, why do we feel the need to allow something that was supposed to be for convenience to interrupt us?!? Why do we feel we have to stop everything and answer the phone when it rings or a notification goes off? Will the person calling about nothing homeschool for you? Most likely not. Necessity dictates we start recognizing our limitations. I’m not saying don’t WhatsApp, text, or use your phone. I still do but I no longer allow it to stop what I’m doing. Being a woman means we have to put ourselves first so we can put our home, spouse or children first.

In sha Allah these tips can be helpful for you ♥ remember to take it easy on yourself

To Be Continued……..

On trying to be better, do more, and have more

Sipping on my coffee the other afternoon it hit me. Peace. Calm and peace. SIGH. I found it! On any given day, I can think of many ways I might be a better Homeschooling parent to my daughter. It occurs to me that she isn’t 3 school years ahead, speak 5 languages, or well off like many other homeschooled. She isn’t on a spelling bee and we aren’t “Radical” or a number of other stereotypes homeschooled families have. We don’t have a “classroom”. I don’t own a yacht, a ranch, nor do I “stay home” baking day in and day out in the lap of luxury. We have AlHamdulilah, what we need and an amazing group of people on this ride we call life, but these stereotypes not so much.

I could go on and on. Some of these, I would love to have. Some, well some things we don’t do or have aren’t necessary. It’s very easy to become over-burdened, over-scheduled, and frazzled. It’s easy to look at 2 or 3 pictures on someone’s amazing blog and assume we have to have, need to buy, must get, or don’t have stuff. However, the other night while giggling during math review (who even knew THAT was enjoyable!?) on our dry-erase board I realized I have given her love, attention, an education even I was enjoying to get while teaching her! I noticed once I stayed home a bit more, that life slowed down. It was in the silence, in the stillness of having laundry to wash, dishes to clean that the blessings of what some may refer to as “redundancy” hit me. So many all over the world are suffering through unrest, poverty, oppression, hunger, drought, earthquakes, famine, depression, flooding, and horrid war-like zones, oppression and tyrany.

This post isn’t meant to guilt-trip us into a false sense of happiness and rainbows, no. It isn’t even to depress us. It’s just a gentle internet reminder that I’m there with you. Yes, I know the fear and doubts that creep in our heads. We all second guess what we do or don’t do with our children. There is always something that can, and yes; should be improved on and changed. However, we should also learn to enjoy the stillness of the moments. The warmth of a neck hug. The blessings of a giggling, tear inducing laughter from being silly with our children. This could NEVER come from any curriculum, program, classroom, textbook, chalkboard or buy. That moment….that moment can’t be captured by a photograph, an audio clip nor a blog. It must be lived. Go live =)

Moms Make Great Teachers

You may not have a Ph.d , or have been a teacher in a school before, but you are a mom and this should give us some confidence when it comes to homeschooling.

Why?

Alhamdulilah We know our children, and homeschooling is more than just cracking open a book and timing test. It’s about caring, understanding and commitment. Just the tools many mothers have! As mothers, we have a relationship with our children that makes us care more, care about if they are truly understanding the subject, care about our children succeeding. That is a blessing when we are educating our children. Our heart is in it more, because we want the best for our children. Sadly sometimes our children are in school, and they may be neglected in their learning, there’s many students to one teacher and it is not always easy to give each child a lot of attention. Whether we are homeschooling or not, part of our duty as parents is to educate our children and do it with love and care.

We understand our children, hey we are moms. We know when Dawud needs a break, or that Sakinah learns better visually. Alhamdulilah we live with our children, we study them, we know them pretty well mashaAllah and this gives us a great advantage in our homeschooling. I understood that my children worked better when the subjects appealed to their interest. I learned that one child needed more time to understand his lessons and he needed to learn differently than his brothers. The mommy in me, wanted him to get the lesson, and the teacher in me was ready to figure out the best ways for him to understand it. Not everyone is willing to go the distance for our children and we will alhamdulilah.

Moms make great teachers mashaAllah. We are committed. This is not a school semester we are talking about. Moving them on to the next grade and wait for the new kids to come in. This is a life commitment alhamdulilah. It is part of our duty to educate our children. It seems like hard work, and some days it feels tiring, but the rewards are worth it. The results are a blessing. It makes it all worth the wile alhamdulilah. With our children our commitment is much stronger, we are more determined to raise children who love Allah, who are good Muslims, with a good head on their shoulders alhamdulilah. I pray Allah guides and helps us in this mission ameen, because it is through His guidance it is possible. We know that with the permission of Allah we are capable of helping our children grow into intelligent, kind, human beings. It starts at home.

Some of you may say “I can’t be with my child all day long.” “I don’t have enough patience to homeschool my child.” subhanAllah, I say try a co-op homeschooling, team homeschooling may be good for you. Please do not rule out homeschooling completely. There are many ways to homeschool, alhamdulilah. We are not bound to the same rules as schools outside of homeschooling, we do not have to homeschool the same hours every day, we can take learning outside the doors of our home and really embrace the joy of homeschooling, it’s very rewarding to be a part of your child’s learning and it’s a joy inside to have first hand in that. MashaAllah mothers… may Allah bless us all ameen!

– Ameera Rahim is the mom of 5 blessings. When she is not homeschooling she can be found homemaking and baking bread. She is an avid blogger and loves to spend time with her family.

Weather and gratitude AlHamdulilah (just a “Personal” reflection)

As I sit here listening to some recordings…. I have many thoughts going through my head. The rain came hard and fast earlier and left flash floods and a 20 degree temperature drop Alhamdulillah. Now the night is still and quiet with silent lightening flashing every now and again and big fat clouds moving about overhead. Creation is so wonderful SubhanAllah.

I don’t know why it is I feel so at peace in weather that most people find annoying, disturbing, “not nice, or “blah.” I find it comforting. One could speculate that it has to do with gratitude, gratitude for the chance of making dua (prayers) gratitude for rain when so many suffer from drought right now. One could speculate many things.The truth is I’ve always loved this weather even before acknowledgement of gratitude or even before Islam. I still don’t know why I feel “at peace” in this weather. “They” used to say that some people aren’t content unless they’re in some sort of turmoil. This isn’t really me, I can be confrontational but I don’t enjoy living in disarray or confrontation. Therefore that can’t be it. Maybe it’s because ever since I was conceived possibly, I’ve known “storms?” Maybe it’s because it’s so easy to sleep and relax in this weather? Maybe it’s because I’ve loved the ultimate love and the ultimate loss??? The fast hard rains at times remind me of that fast hard cries…..*shakes off those thoughts * AlHamdulillah I’ve lost much, OH SO very much but I’ve also gained so much in this life.

I’ve gained peace through knowledge that there is better (in the full meaning, all the way around). I’ve gained Islam by Allah’s permission. I’ve gained a way to live, change, learn, grow, hope, pray, live and be. Even though I’m still relatively new (3 and a half years almost) to this I’ve learned So Much and I’m amazed at how little I actually know. I truly enjoy knowing God would NEVER punish a child for dying because of “original sin.” I take refuge in Allah’s words and His promises when the grief and sorrow starts to sting stronger. I look at the world around me and all I know, have been through and seen or know of and I know the Islamic legislation’s are sent down indeed for a reason.

I’ve been blessed with so many venues to learn from family, society, Sisterhood, websites, life, the net, my children, death, sorrow, love, loss, marriage, divorce, zakat, friendship, nikkah (Islamic marriage) and being married to a Practicing muslim man AlHamdulillah and in being a homeschooling Muslimah Latina American Mom. I never thought I’d see the day where I’d be grateful for some of those aforementioned words (experiences)
Those words could NEVER convey all the emotion, turmoils, joy, sorrow, pain, growing simply written or spoken (especially in English) The fact of the matter is unless we live through them and Allah blesses us with some understanding they could never be conveyed to anyone who hasn’t seen being a parent and loosing their child. Islam and belief could never FULLY  (at least to me, it could be different for others) appreciate, love and embrace Islaam. Even as I sit here and type I’m half smiling with a knot in my throat. may Allah protect and guide us all, may He the All Merciful fill our hearts with joy, HAMD, love, shukr, and peace. May He forgive us and guide us and may He heal our broken hearts and guide our loved ones ameen!!!

Helpful surahs and verses to aid you in teaching ( or learning it) history of creation

 

Asalaamu alaikum waramatulahi wabarakatahu I just wanted to share some of the helpful suras and ayas in the Qur’an that speak of Allah’s creation( or of His making of the Earth and all in it). These can be used alongside Islamic studies as well as “creation/History” studies. We must remember though that the descriptions of creation in the Qu’ran are not intended as cut and dry historical accounts, but rather to engage the reader in contemplating the lessons to be learned from it. For “History” I recommend the books from THIS POST alongside with any history curriculum you are patient enough to tweak and use.

I hope these are helpful to you. Please make dua for my family that Allah continues to bestow His mercy and guidance or may He guide us, JazakAllah Khayer

Allah is Al Khaliq (The Creator)

Surah 41:11, Surah 2:21,22 and 29, Surah 7:54, Surah 10:5, Surah 14: ayas 10-17, Surah 22:verse 18

Surah 25:61, 62, Surah 36:39,40, Surah 71: ayas 15-19, Surah 91:2 and 3, Surah 7:54

Surah 21:30, Surah 21:33, Surah 51:47, Surah 15:16 Surah 22:47, Surah 71:14-19 Surah 21:31

Surah 21:30, Surah 24:45, Surah 2:30, Surah  Ghafir, verse 57, Surah 39:62 Surah 51:56

Surah 18:7

(Please share some surahs or ayas I may have missed with us here as well InshaAllah)

History lessons, FUN and Interesting amazing facts and Creationism

Asalaamu alaikum (peace be upon you), hola hermanas y amistades (hey sisters & friends)

I just want to say to anyone who loves to read, to anyone who wonders why, how, or what did Muslims contribute to the world or what we believe or should we know.

History lovers, parents, students, Muslims, homeschoolers and people who go to school I completely recommend,

HANDS DOWN the following books : “Deeper Roots Muslims in The Americas and the Caribbean from BEFORE Columbus to the Present” –

Amazing book, writen by Br Dr Abdullah Hakim Quick. Learn the Truth of “3rd world” and learn the amazing facts. Learn the reality of the Size and immense donations to civilization from Africa to the world from the “Muslims” to the world.

I also recommend the book series “Stories of the World” by Sister M.A. Safia Iqbal. Geared more towards people who don’t have a passion for history yet, don’t know they love it, students, children, and/or children. It teaches REAL world History along with creationism.

Preschool aged children “curriculum”

Asalaamu alaikum waramatulahi wabarakatahu I get asked fairly often for “curriculum” for younger children. I’ve compiled a list of my own commentary as well as guidelines from the experts from books and the internet of what is developmentall appropriate for a child in this age group.

Remember these are guidelines for at the END of pre school age so don’t fret if she or he hasn’t met each developmental milestone just yet.

 

Preschool Curriculum Guide

Size

* Understands big and little. * Understands long and short. * Matches shapes or objects based on size.

 

** Real life tip from me

 

** You can use stuff around the house, grocery store, kitchen, park and even the car for this! 😉

Colors and Shapes

* Recognizes and names primary colors. * Recognizes circles. * Recognizes rectangles. * Matches shapes or objects based on shape. * Copies shapes.

 

**While in daily conversation make sure to include this in your day to day activities…i.e. “CHILD’s Name please bring mommy the yellow ball. Can you please hand mommy the black pot? Etc. etc

 

Numbers

* Counts orally through 10. * Counts objects in one-to-one correspondence. * Understands empty and full. * Understands more and less.

 

** Again daily examples…here are 3 eggs, mommy is going to boil 3 eggs to add with our yellow pasta.

 

Reading Readiness

* Remembers objects from a given picture. * Knows what a letter is. * Has been read to frequently. * Has been read to daily. * Looks at books and magazines. * Recognizes some nursery rhymes. * Identifies parts of the body. * Identifies objects that have a functional use. * Knows common farm and zoo animals. * Pronounces own first name. * Pronounces own last name. * Expresses self verbally. * Identifies other children by name * Tells the meaning of simple words. * Repeats a sentence of 6-8 words. * Completes incomplete sentence with proper word. * Has own books. * Understands that print carries a message. * Pretends to read. * Uses left-to-right progression. * Answers questions about a short story. * Tells the meaning of words heard in story. * Looks at pictures and tells a story. * Identifies own first name in manuscript. * Prints own first name.

 

**I wrote Evelyn’s name on EVERYTHING. I labeled EVERYTHING. For example on her drawings I would ask her “what is this?” Then I would write down her reply so she could start to assimilate written and spoken language and that letters form words and that words are written/read from top to bottom left to right (all this just by observing, not even drilling it in them)

Another thing is we labeled the dresser with the word dresser, the toy shelf with the words toy shelf and so on and so forth

 

Also follow the lesson plans over at www.letteroftheweek.com

to the best of your ability time wise. Another web site we loved was

www.starfall.com

Both of these are free.

 

Position and Direction

* Understands up and down. * Understands in and out. * Understands front and back. * Understands over (on) and under. 5

 

* Understands top, bottom, middle. * Understands beside and next to. * Understands hot and cold. * Understands fast and slow.

**Again this is simple and does NOT require much time, planning, spending or “teaching” on your behalf. Simply in conversation include this in your day to day life i.e “The water is running/flowing slowly let’s make it flow faster”…. “The water is hot, feel that, it’s a bit hot, now it’s cold feel that, cold.” “We are going to make salat and pray now please bring mommy the prayer rug so we can put it ON the floor” “Let’s put the shoes UNDER the bed(or OUTSIDE the door)”, “let’s save the notebook over on top of the shelf” etc, etc

 

Time

* Understands day and night. * Knows age and birthday.

** These requires simple drilling, repeating this information to her a few times a day for example tell her her full name, date of birth and address three times in a row in the morning and then repeat again 3 times in the afternoon. If you do this at least 5 days a week for 2 weeks straight she WILL memorize and retain it.

 

Listening and Sequencing

* Follows simple directions. * Listens to a short story. * Listens carefully. * Recognizes common sounds. * Repeats a sequence of sounds. * Repeats a sequence of orally given numbers. * Retells simple stories in sequence.

 

**This starts out slow, while reading to him or her repeat one sentence or a very small paragraph at least 2 times and ask the child to tell you what they remember. This not only helps her attention span and focus but trains her mind to be sharper over time.

 

Motor Skills

* Is able to run. * Is able to walk a straight line. * Is able to jump. * Is able to hop. * Is able to alternate feet walking down stairs. * Is able to march. * Is able to stand on one foot for 5-10 seconds. * Is able to walk backwards for five feet. * Is able to throw a ball. * Pastes objects. * Claps hands. * Matches simple objects. * Touches fingers. * Able to button a garment. * Builds with blocks. * Completes simple puzzles (5 pieces or less). * Draws and colors beyond * a simple scribble. * Able to zip a zipper. * Controls pencil and crayon well. * Cuts simple shapes. * Handles scissors well. * Able to copy simple shapes.

 

**Have the child play with play dough, clay “Paint”, scribble, tear paper, drawn, trace, connect the dots and simply walk, climb and play. Over time (a few months) these skills will automatically improve which prepares her for cutting, writing, penmanship, and even reading later on!

 

Social-Emotional Development

* Can be away from parents or primary care givers for 2-3 hours without being upset. * Takes care of toilet needs independently. * Feels good about self. * Is not afraid to go to school. * Cares for own belongings. * Knows full name. * Dresses self. * Knows how to use handkerchief or tissue. * Knows own sex. * Brushes teeth. 6

 

* Crosses residential street safely. * Asks to go to school. * Knows parents’ names. * Knows home address. * Knows home phone number. * Enters into casual conversation. * Carries a plate of food. * Maintains self-control. * Gets along well with other children. * Plays with other children. * Recognizes authority. * Shares with others. * Talks easily. * Likes teachers. * Meets visitors without shyness. * Puts away toys. * Able to stay on task. * Able to work independently. * Helps family with chores

 

 

I hope this list and my commentary is helpful! Please let me know if you are stuck, worried, have questions or complete all of these and want more steps! Salaam!! ~  Holly