The importance of learning Tawheed and teaching it to our children

Tawheed is the most important aspect of our lives and so teaching our children it is very important. 

It is the foundations of our religion.

Tawheed is to single out Allah in all forms of worship and actions. Allah created us to worship him alone. It says in the Qu’ran  

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (Soorat adh-Dhaariyat:56).

There is not a chapter in the Qu’ran that does not mention aspects of Tawheed and clarification of what opposes Tawheed  - Shirk.

 

“Why Tawheed first?

Because this is the methodology of Allaah which He has legislated for all of the Prophets (‘alaihimus salaatu was-salaam).

There is no Messenger who called his nation except that he began with Tawheed – calling them to believing in the oneness of Allah without partners.

 

In the life of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Sallahu alahi wa Sallam) we can witness this calling to Tawheed.

After the revelation, Muhammad (Sallahu Alahi wa Salam) spent 13 years in Makkah calling people to Tawheed. Worshipping Allah only and not associating others in worship with him. There was such an importance of establishing Tawheed in the hearts of the Muslims that many of the other obligations that we know as Muslims today ( such as Zakat and Fasting) were not revealed until the Period after the Prophet made Hijarh to Madinah.

 

Actions are not correct without the basis of Tawheed.

There is no benefit from the Qur’aan or from the Sunnah or from the sciences – all of them – except  if we construct them on the pillar of Tawheed.

 

These are some books I would recommend for teaching your children about Tawheed.

Teaching Children about Real Food

Food is such a main part of our lives and I think that over the past 20 years real food has took a back seat to processed convenience food which has been detrimental to our health and well-being and our children are growing up with processed food the ‘norm’. 

 

We need to take back our kid’s taste buds, our kitchens and homes that have been taking over by the food industry.  The food marketing industry is huge, it is no wonder children crave and chase the processed foods. It is our job as parents to market healthy, home made food to our children. We mainly eat a North African diet which is fresh cooking but I find the more my children are exposed to processed and fast food, this is what they prefer and crave. Of course it is addictive - these food contain many additives to enhance flavour and appearance of food.

 

As a society I feel there is much disconnection to our foods; how they fuel and are needed by our bodies. A way to create children that are knowledgeable about fresh foods and how to cook from scratch is to GET THEM IN THE KITCHEN. Discuss foods as you eat and prepare them to help children understand how they are needed and are impacting our bodies.

 

When children are involved in their food, they are more likely to eat them, enjoy them and not chase the processed fast food that is everywhere! By cooking fresh and teaching this, we are all avoiding many chemicals that are packed in foods to preserve them, colour them and enhance flavour.

 

We have started making homemade tomato ketchup and oat-milk and more bread. Is great knowing what exactly your children are eating and for them to see how simple it is. We also have been re growing our lettuces!

 

        

Take your children’s favourite take away or processed dishes (burgers, pizza etc) and create them with them at home – a healthier version. 

 We have all seen the ‘eat 5 fruit and Veg a day’ campaign but in my opinion is does not go far enough.

There are 13 essential vitamins that are needed by our bodies and many minerals – each have a function and I think it is important children understand these and in what foods you can find them.

Some ideas for activities:

Make a list of all the main vitamins and minerals and draw under each one what food you can find it in. You can make this into a poster, PowerPoint or leaflet.

Make a ‘eat the rainbow’ poster. Draw foods from each colour of the rainbow and how they help our body.

Draw around a child on a big piece of paper. Label the parts of the body alongside the vitamins, minerals and foods that are used to help them function.

 

Obviously for younger children it can be simplified.

Example:

Red food such as apples, tomatoes and watermelon help to keep your heart strong.

Orange foods such as carrots and mangoes help your eyes.

Yellow foods such as pineapple help your body to heal if your have a cut or scratch

Green food such as salad, broccoli and kale helps you fight off sickness.

Blue and purple foods such as blueberries and grapes help keep your brain strong and functioning.

White foods can give you energy.

 

Not only is it important that children know how to prepare fresh food and what benefits they contain, it is important for children to think about where their food has come from.

Questions below are some that can be used as conversation starters.

Where was it grown?

How far has it travelled to get to my plate?

What impact does this have on the environment?

One idea is to get children to check the labels of where their foods have come from and them look on a map to see the distance it traveled.

Would it have come on a lorry, train, boat or plane???

 

Talk about the importance of eating locally and how this is beneficial to the environment.

 

In some countries I have visited, it is as simple as some fruits and vegetables are only available at certain times of the year when in season and they are delicious. I think we all know that strawberries in winter are not nearly as good as in the summer.

 

Some of the benefits of eating seasonally are:

The flavours are better and is more nutritious as it gets to the shops and your plates quicker.

They are cheaper.

More environmentally friendly and you support local farmers.

I am only just touching on this subject as there is so much to say, but my leaving comment would be 

Get them in the kitchen cooking from scratch 

start growing some food

visit farms

pay attention to food labels.

The Importance of Play

Today the 5^th August 2020 is National Play Day and because of this I thought it would be good to write about the benefits of play – for all ages.

 

“We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

 George Bernard Shaw

 

In our hectic modern lives filled with technology, play has taken a back seat to screens and other commitments. Because of this children and adults are missing out on many benefits associated with play. Early child development is taking a hit and physical, social and emotional development is suffering.

 

Here are some of the benefits of play:

• ·        It helps physical development – fine and gross motor skills
• ·        Play is essential for healthy brain development
• ·        It can help develop social and emotional skills – can enhance communication and cooperation
• ·        Can make you feel happy and can reduce stress
• ·        Helps nurture imagination and creativity
• ·        Can help you learn about your environment, taking care of it and caring for other people.
• ·        Can be a way to deal with difficult emotions and trauma.
• ·        It can stimulate the mind
• ·        It can improve relationships
• ·        Can reduce obesity and associated illnesses

 

Play can take many different forms from imaginary play, to throwing a frisbee on the beach or playing charades with friends. There is no right or wrong way to play and there doesn’t have to be a point to the activity beyond having fun and enjoying yourselves.

 

Play is crucial for child development but also for adults. Benefits such as stress relief, learning and connecting with others are all involved in play.

 

 Play has been lost for many somewhere between childhood and adulthood. I often observe pre-teens torn between wanting to be grown up and keeping up with the trends among peers and them wanting to hold onto to play and enjoy the pure joy of it. Peer pressure and technology definitely play a role in this but also, I believe as a society we frown upon older children playing and expect them to behave ‘like adults’. LET THEM PLAY!!!!!!

 

Incorporating more fun and play into your daily life can improve the quality of life, mood and family relationships. Make time to turn off all screens, leave your worries and to-do lists and play. Carve out time for children to be away from screens – however much they may resist at first, I believe once they get involved in play, they will benefit from the time and prefer it to being sat behind a screen.

 

Don't let play disappear, there is no age limit on play, so play with your children more, play with your friends and family and see the benefits.