Parenting

A few years back, my daughter and I went to the hospital to visit a friend who had just delivered her first child, a baby boy.

When my eldest son was just a toddler, he used to imitate his father and I when we prayed. When the time for salah came, he grabbed a small prayer mat he got as an Eid gift and laid it next to ours.

Many Muslims are fascinated when they find out I am a foster parent. Some congratulate me and offer well-wishes. Others admonish me saying that it is an un-Islamic practice.

Everyone defines happiness in a different way. Some think that money will buy them happiness. Some pray for good health. Some ask for specific things. Ever since I was a child, I only asked for happiness. Why not let God decide how He thinks you will be happy?

At all stages of our lives, we are learning. But did you know that more learning takes place during the ages of birth to five than all the other lived years combined! The process of learning to master our bodies, acquire language, interact with others, and more is hard work.

Helping children learn new skills is a lifelong process. Some they will need - such as learning to walk and talk and some they will simply like to do - like learning to ride a bike or play a video game. In these ways they learn to negotiate and interface with the world they live in.

In a typical household setting or school environment, we often hear admirable remarks such as “great job,” “well done,'' “I'm so proud of you!”. These happen to occur when you appreciate a child for doing something good.