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...

Please click here to order your copy now.

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...

Please click here to order your copy now.

20% off Mothering Doesn't Stop in Ramadan - Sale ends Wednesday, June 17

20% off Mothering Doesn't Stop in Ramadan 
Sale ends Wednesday, June 17

You'll find help on how to keep your sanity while  fasting with your hyperactive child, discover less stressful ways of effectively and gently encouraging your youngster to wake up for suhoor, and gain tips on enriching your child's Ramadan. It's all inside, and more! 
This is one of Grandma Jeddah's Quick-E-Books. You can read it in 1 hour or less!

Use Code: Ramadan at the check out

99 Tips to Help Kids Fast during Ramadan (http://americanmuslimmom.com/)

99 Tips to Help Kids Fast during Ramadan (http://americanmuslimmom.com/)
http://americanmuslimmom.com/99-tips-kids-fast-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.  Subscribe to her free newsletter at --http://www.grandmajeddah.com

The Ultimate Guide to Prepare for Ramadan Stress! (By: Grandma Jeddah, From: Productive Muslim)

The Ultimate Guide to Prepare for Ramadan Stress!

(By: Grandma Jeddah, From: Productive Muslim)

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, taking care of the children, as well as trying to find extra time to read Qur’an and perform nawafil acts. Of course, the stress can pile up, so begin early and prepare for Ramadan stresses with these 10 helpful tips and ensure a peaceful and serene Ramadan, insha'Allah.


1. Read or listen to inspiring stories from the Qur’an.
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 – she was blessed with a virtuous son who became a noble prophet. Asiya the wife of Pharoah 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 are not merely for our reading pleasure. They are words of inspiration to help us through our most difficult challenges in life. 

In preparation for 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.


2. Make extra du’a and memorize them.

Remember to ask Allah  to solve your problems and relieve your stressors. He is the One who is in control of everything. In Surah Mujadilah, Allah lets one of the female companions of the Prophet know that He hears and knows of her complaints, and He responds to her worries and concerns, as well.


"Certainly has Allah heard the speech of the one who argues with you, [O Muhammad], concerning her husband and directs her complaint to Allah. And Allah hears your dialogue; indeed, Allah is Hearing and Seeing." [Surah 58, Verse 1]


We must remember that Allah  can make the difficult easy. So recite du’a more frequently to prepare for this month, and while you’re at it, try memorizing them, as well. According to hadith, the Prophet (saw) prescribed the following du’a for stress:


 "O Allah, I hope for Your Mercy. Leave me not to myself for even a wink of an eye, and set right all my affairs. There is no god but You.” [Abu Daw’ud]


Allah  wants us to seek His help and to plead to Him, so ask Him often for His assistance, especially to help you deal with the coming stresses of Ramadan.


3. Work on becoming more patient.

Make a special effort this Ramadan to intentionally work on becoming more patient and start this now. When we try to be patient, Allah will make it easier for us to continue being patient, insha'Allah.  


The Prophet Muhammad  said, “…and whoever remains patient, Allah will make him patient…” [Bukhari]. 


We should use the difficulties of this blessed month as an opportunity to build our patience.Here is a du’a from Quran we can make asking Allah to help us to become more patient: “… Our Lord, pour upon us patience and let us die as Muslims [in submission to You].” [Surah 7, Verse 126]


We all need and want Allah  to aid us and be with us. Being patient is one way of achieving this great blessing, inshaAllah. Unfortunately, patience is not always a natural character trait and the difficulty in practicing it is why it is so rewardable. This month, make a quick note in a private diary/phone app (for example, Notes on iPhone) of the situations in which you did not exercise patience or situations you could have handled better. Having our weaknesses spelled out to us is an effective way for us to actively practice Sabr when similar things happen again.


4. Appreciate an empty stomach.

No doubt, being hungry can make us grumpy and more easily irritated, but having an empty stomach can also, in some respects, make us more calm and subdued. Hunger slows us down and makes us less worldly.  People are more contemplative when fasting. Although the lack of eating can make us irritable, we’re also less energetic and we become more restrained.  We should take advantage of this unique aspect of fasting during our difficult moments. Why not fast Mondays and/or Thursdays until Ramadan begins to prepare for the physical difficulties of Ramadan.
​

5. Spend extra time with our kids.

​One of the greatest stresses we mothers experience is the misbehavior of our children. One of the most effective ways of managing misbehavior is by being proactive and spending quality time with our kids. During the first few days of Ramadan, we often wonder what to do with the extra time we have from not eating.  Some of this extra time can be spent playing with our children.We can read Islamic stories to them or even recite them from memory. How about playing Scrabble or Score Four or some other entertaining game? Or, better yet, we can search online for Islamic stores that sell children’s Islamic games and play fun and entertaining games that teach about our religion.  What about working together with the kids to design Ramadan posters to place throughout the house? Search online for creative and fun games that cost nothing at all, such as guessing games? Switch your stress from frustration to fun. (continue at top)

6. Make gifts for others.

One of the best ways for us to feel good about ourselves is to become creative.  Creating usable items that we have produced from our hard work makes us feel valuable. We can work on a quilt or make pot pourri with flowers from outside of the home. We can even crochet a kufi or knit a shawl for Eid. These are things that can distract our mind from irritated feelings and make us feel more composed. It is also a great way to engage the kids.
​
7. Give to others.

It is becoming more and more apparent to psychologists and those who work with people who have depression, that one of the best ways for people to feel content is for them to help others less well off than themselves. Women generally have the task of cooking, so it is easy to make a small extra portion  to give to an elderly neighbor. 

If you know a family that is not doing so well financially, prepare a delicious meal for them and send it over for them to enjoy.

. 
Stop by a needy neighbor's house and help clean their home for them. Shop for them, or fulfill some other need they may have.  The list of charitable deeds is endless and generally doesn’t take a lot of time to do, maybe once or twice a week. If you start these deeds now, they will become second nature by the time Ramadan arrives, and your rewards will be multiplied, insha'Allah!

8. Remind yourself that this is a special and fleeting month.

Ramadan will only be here for 29 or 30 days. Realize what an enormous blessing you have for increasing your good deeds, growing closer to Allah, and hopefully attaining a spot in Paradise. The thought of entering paradise someday with endless pleasures that only increase in their joy and have no stresses or difficulties is likely more than enough to get you through the most stressful moments of Ramadan. I wish all sisters a peaceful and serene Ramadan! 

​About the Author:
Grandma Jeddah 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. Let her show you how respectful discipline methods which encourage calmness, advising, gentleness and non-corporal consequences, can be a successful means of training your children to be Allah fearing Muslims. She is also the founder of Successful Muslim Marriage which provides Muslim wives with the wisdom and ways to stay married…through the difficult times, Bi’ithnilah. Visit her website for more helpful tips and to subscribe to her FREE newsletter: 

Link to Productive Musllim Article  http://productivemuslim.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-prepare-for-ramadan-stress/#ixzz34DPlvU6l 

5 tips to Getting your Youngster up for Suhoor

By:

 Grandma Jeddah

            It’s Ramadan! Time for early morning meals, sundown feasts and late night prayers.  You want your child to learn the rituals of Ramadan, because Ramadan is one of the pillars of faith of our religion. Why not start out by getting him in the habit of getting up for the early morning suhoor meal.  It’s full of blessings and can give your child the energy he needs to make it through the day on an empty stomach.

             Although suhoor is an important start to a day of fasting, parents sometimes have a difficult time getting their children up for suhoor. Here are some helpful tips on how to wake up your child for suhoor.

            First, make sure your child is getting sufficient rest throughout the day.  A well rested child is easier to wake up early in the morning than one who is in need of rest.  Try to ensure that he’s getting his required hours of sleep per day.  Children aged five to ten need daily about 10 to 11 hours of sleep.  Youth over ten years need about 8 to 9 hours a day of sleep. Attempt to get your child to bed on time.   It’s common to stay awake into the wee hours of the night making up for lost eating time during Ramadan, but seek to avoid keeping your child up into extremely late hours of the night. That way, waking up early will be much easier on his body both physically and mentally.       

            Second, cook a delicious aromatic meal for suhoor.  Many people will tell you how nice it is to wake up to the aroma of fresh pancakes and bacon sizzling in the kitchen.  Once your child is aroused, your food on the stove can do the rest of the work for you.

            Third, use a calm and gentle voice when trying to wake up your child.  Who wants to wake up to a harsh, gruff voice shouting at him?  All you’d feel like doing is turning over on the other side, crawling up under your covers and going back to sleep. 

           

            The fourth thing is to remove the covers from him so he can’t pull them back up.  This makes him uncomfortable so that his sleep isn’t as enticing.  

            The fifth thing is to make an incentive chart using stars as rewards for getting up for suhoor.   Place a star on the chart whenever he gets out of his bed for the suhoor meal.  After he’s earned a certain number of stars, give him a treat or take him somewhere special.  This might encourage him to even look forward to getting up for suhoor, when he lies down to sleep at night.”

            Let’s summarize the points

1.     Make sure your child is getting sufficient rest. Try to get him to bed early so he’ll be rested when it’s time for Fajr.

2.    Cook a delicious smelling meal

3.     Use a comforting voice when waking him.

4.     Remove his covers for less comfort.

5.     Use an incentive chart to encourage him to get up by rewarding him with stars for getting up for suhoor.

            But don’t forget . . .  even though suhoor is an important aspect of Ramadan, don’t push to hard if your child doesn’t have a desire to get up for the early meal. Suhoor is recommended but not an indispensable part of fasting.  You want your child to develop a joy for the month of Ramadan. Let him take pleasure in the other areas of Ramadan that he looks forward to, as well—enjoying a delicious mouth-watering meal with family and friends after sundown!

Grandma Jeddah 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. Subscribe to her free newsletter at

99 Tips to Help Kids Fast During Ramadan from: American Muslim Mom Website

It's not too late to gain more helpful tips on how to positively encourage your children to fast, insha'Allah.
http://americanmuslimmom.com/99-tips-kids-fast-ramadan

Grandma Jeddah 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. Subscribe to her free newsletter at www.grandmajeddah.com.

Developing the Habit of Fasting in Children by:Ramadan Kareem

Wonderful ways to Encourage Your Child to Fast
http://ramadankareem.blogspot.com/2011/06/developing-habit-of-fasting-in-children.html

Grandma Jeddah 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. Subscribe to her free newsletter at www.grandmajeddah.com.

Another nice Ramadan Story -- My First Fast by: Gabriel Milo

Another nice Ramadan story to view with your child. Spend time with your child to prevent some discipline problems.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75idez5Yxz4

Find more helpful parenting resources like this by subscribing to Grandma Jeddah's FREE Newsletter.
http://www.grandmajeddah.com/

Spend Time to Prevent Discipline Problems

Aliya's First Ramadan by: Shirien Elamawy-- Read by Abdullah Puppet

Spending time with your child is one way to prevent discipline problems.  Here is a sweet Ramadan story to share with your child.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwB-99-Gjag&feature=related

Find more helpful parenting resources like this by subscribing to Grandma Jeddah's FREE Newsletter.
http://www.grandmajeddah.com/