Tuesday, May 31, 2016

5 Ways to Entertain Your Children this Ramadan - By Grandma Jeddah (From: Muslimommy)

Here are 5 great activities we can engage in with our children  that can increase our worship while entertaining them.

http://muslimommy.com/2015/06/22/5-ways-to-entertain-your-children-in-ramadan/

Grandma Jeddah is the mother of 11 children and 13 grandchildren. She has taught hundreds of students for over 30 years at an Islamic school in Los Angeles, California.She is the author of, Discipline without Disrespecting: Discover the Hidden Secrets of How to Effectively Discipline Your Muslim Child--And Keep Your Peace of Mind while at It.  Order her e-book or Subscribe to her free newsletter at --http://shop.grandmajeddah.com/  and  http://www.grandmajeddah.com/subscribe-page.html

Monday, May 23, 2016

Creating a Stress-less Ramadan (By Grandma Jeddah)

Creating a Stress-less Ramadan


Did I forget anything on the list for Iftar? What am I going to cook for Suhoor? I’m hungry, irritable, and my kids are stressing me out!


​Ramadan! One of the most blessed and enjoyable months of the year. But for Muslim sisters, it can also be a month of pressure, extra demands, and anxiety.

Many sisters have the added pressure of preparing Iftar for guests, taking care of fasting children who are restless and cranky, as well as trying to find extra time to read Qur’an and perform voluntary acts of worship. The pressures can pile up. Manage your Ramadan stresses with these sparkling jewels from Grandma Jeddah.

Jewel 1 - Read or listen to inspiring stories from Qur’an and Hadith


The Qur’an has stories of righteous women who had difficulties but remained patient and received Allah’s reward as a result. Maryam, mother of Isa, was accused of immoral acts.  In the end, she was blessed with a virtuous son who was a noble prophet. Asiya the wife of Pharaoh was tortured viciously by her husband. Allah informed her of her place in Paradise. The mother of Musa gave up her son for a period of time. Allah returned him to her and blessed him to become a righteous prophet. Through their patience, Allah blessed these women with something better than what their trials presented to them.


Stories such as these found in Qur’an and hadith are not merely for our reading pleasure. They are words of inspiration to help us through our difficult challenges in life.


During Ramadan, take 15 minutes each day to read or listen to inspiring stories from Islam.  When the stressful moments of Ramadan arise, your mind will be set with a positive outlook so you can tackle the busyness with courage and patience learned from these role models, insha'Allah.

to be continued, insha'Allah...

Mothering Doesn’t Stop in Ramadan is a collection of Grandma Jeddah’s valuable tips from articles she’s written over the years. It’s written in an easy-to-read format with ample headers and short paragraphs that make reading more enjoyable.
Ramadan is our most treasured month of the year. Use Grandma Jeddah’s jewels to help make your Ramadan less stressful. Use her solutions and guidance to help manage your kids and household better and to help with the added challenges of Ramadan.
Now, find 1 hour out of your 24, and start plucking a few jewels to add to your Ramadan treasures.

Your Sister in Islam,

Grandma Jeddah

Look for excerpts this month, insha'Allah...



Monday, May 16, 2016

Mothering Doesn’t Stop in Ramadan (By Grandma Jeddah)


Mothering Doesn’t Stop in Ramadan is a collection of Grandma Jeddah’s valuable tips from articles she’s written over the years. It’s written in an easy-to-read format with ample headers and short paragraphs that make reading more enjoyable.
Ramadan is our most treasured month of the year. Use Grandma Jeddah’s jewels to help make your Ramadan less stressful. Use her solutions and guidance to help manage your kids and household better and to help with the added challenges of Ramadan.
Now, find 1 hour out of your 24, and start plucking a few jewels to add to your Ramadan treasures.

Your Sister in Islam,

Grandma Jeddah

Look for excerpts this month, insha'Allah...



Strategies and Solutions For Handling A Difficult Child

Strategies and Solutions For Handling A Difficult Child

What is the best way to handle a "difficult" child?


https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/gradeschool/Pages/Strategies-and-Solutions-For-Handling-A-Difficult-Child.aspx

Grandma Jeddah is the mother of 11 children and 13 grandchildren. She has taught hundreds of students for over 30 years at an Islamic school in Los Angeles, California.She is the author of, Discipline without Disrespecting: Discover the Hidden Secrets of How to Effectively Discipline Your Muslim Child--And Keep Your Peace of Mind while at It.  Order her e-book or Subscribe to her free newsletter at --http://shop.grandmajeddah.com/  and  http://www.grandmajeddah.com/subscribe-page.html

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Does Spanking Make Kids More Compliant?

Does Spanking Make Kids More Compliant?

Find out here what some studies show:

http://www.wral.com/study-spanking-doesn-t-make-kids-more-compliant-alternative-discipline-tips/15676970/

Grandma Jeddah is the mother of 11 children and 13 grandchildren. She has taught hundreds of students for over 30 years at an Islamic school in Los Angeles, California.She is the author of, Discipline without Disrespecting: Discover the Hidden Secrets of How to Effectively Discipline Your Muslim Child--And Keep Your Peace of Mind while at It.  Order her e-book or Subscribe to her free newsletter at --http://shop.grandmajeddah.com/  and  http://www.grandmajeddah.com/subscribe-page.html

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Special Needs: Be Your Child's Advocate (By Grandma Jeddah)

Be Your Child’s Advocate

Parents of children with cognitive disabilities must be their child’s advocate. They must be able to overlook negative comments made by friends, relatives, neighbors and shop keepers who suggest your child is spoiled, bad, or ill mannered.  Just as some people take longer to learn to swim, read, or perform other tasks, your child with a cognitive disability or learning disability might need extra time to learn manners and other social norms. 

            Your child might talk to herself or make bizarre sounds while in waiting rooms, grocery store lines or other public places.  This might be your child’s way of calming herself down.  It takes a strong parent to side with her child when others deem the parent’s response as poor parenting. Some parents choose to explain their child’s behavior to others nearby who are offended by the child’s seemingly awkward mannerisms. In such cases something such as the following might be stated: “Excuse me but my child has special needs and she speaks to herself in unfamiliar surroundings as a calming mechanism.” Some parents have printed business cards with similar messages on them to distribute to outsiders in public who show scorn toward their child’s behavior.  And of course other parents simply prefer to remain silent and ignore the derisive stares and remarks.

  However you choose to deal with outside encounters, be aware that your child is a distinctive individual deserving of respect, in spite of her peculiar tendencies. Make it clear to your child that you are ready, willing and able to assist her in coping with her disability.


Older Kids Learn from Mistakes

When your 16-year-old daughter who has a cognitive disability spills her milk for the fourth day in a row while pouring it, or repeatedly spills the beads on the bracelet she is making, or slips when running down the steps, try to see these incidents as learning situations.  Your child will eventually learn there is a more proper way of holding the milk container and cup to prevent the spills.  She will learn a better way to bead her bracelet so that the beads don’t continue to slip off.  She will learn to slow down on the steps when she’s in a hurry. You will need to show her, on occasion, how to do things more suitably, but after a few instructions leave the rest to her.

Letting go and allowing your older child with a cognitive disability to learn from mistakes can be difficult, but it can be helpful for your child and result in less management and direction on your part . . . which means a bit of added ease for you.

Provide your child the opportunity to make mistakes.  Making mistakes offers  her a chance to learn.  How should I do this again next time?   What did I do that caused this to happen?  Your child learns naturally due to her actions. 

You don’t want to be too pushy or take over the reins if your child isn’t managing her affairs sufficiently.  Learning from mistakes is one effective way your child can learn and consequently change her behavior.   Your child will learn to be more self confident when she makes mistakes and has the chance to alter her actions accordingly to avoid errors in the future.  This pattern of learning helps her feel in control of herself and lets her know she has the ability to change for the better.  Achieving these small successes leads to self-satisfaction.  Asking "Would you like any help?" is a constructive way to determine if your child needs your assistance without being overly domineering.

Some behaviors and actions are not misbehavior, they may simply be mistakes. Misplacing a house key repeatedly, spilling food, forgetting to do a chore. Let your child know that making mistakes does not mean she’s bad, stupid or incapable. Let her know that mistakes are OK to make. Everyone makes them. When you make a mistake, let your child see you fix it. If you hurt someone's feelings, apologize.  If you forget about a planned event between the two of you, show remorse rather than arrogance—let your child know you're disappointed about forgetting your get-together date and you'll make it up, Insha’Allah. This will help her to learn that a mistake does not mean failure. If your child makes a mistake, allow her to correct it.

View mishaps as learning opportunities for your child.  Try overlooking the accidents and clumsiness. In many situations, trial and error is one of the best ways for your older child with a cognitive disability to learn life skills.   

Children with cognitive disabilities take longer to master certain abilities than the average child.  Although they may take longer to master certain skills others their age may have mastered years ago, they still have the potential to learn.  This is important to remember when your child repeatedly has episodes of clumsiness or other accidents.  Many children with cognitive disabilities have poorer dexterity and motor skills than others their age.  This makes it difficult for them to do things one would think they should have little or no difficulty accomplishing. 



If your child constantly spills drinks or drops food when preparing it, realize that it will take time for your child to improve in these areas. But with constant practice and your patience, your child should get better with activities she’s involved in. 

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