Book Review: Learning to Listen, Learning to care - A workbook to Help Kids learn Self-Control & Empathy

We have been using this book "Learning to Listen, Learning to care" by Lawrence E. Shapiro, as a family to help better ourselves. It is a great Character building book. Initially, I purchased it for the kids, interesting now we have a family session where kids and I sit together and go over one question or one whole activity, then together right our responses. 

It ends up being a great writing and literacy session. This author has a series of similar books that covers many different topics on character building and helping children be better human beings. I highly recommend this book, especially for boys who are not too keen about discuss their emotions. We don't write in the book we answer the question in our personal diaries.

Here is a sample Activity lesson to give you an idea. 

Activity 7 - page 1

Activity 7 - page 2

Actvity 7 - page 3

Homestudy: Calligraphy

I have always enjoyed calligraphy, both arabic and english. I have this vision / passion /wish / desire  to have my kids enjoy the beauty of this art.

I first did calligraphy at Alhuda Canada as a student and completely fell in love with it and from there I explored it more and took a few in-person courses and online course by Omar Uddin.

The good thing about the online course is I will always have access to it so inshallah in the future my kids can also benefit from it.

Recently though I had the opportunity to take in person Calligraphy classes from an expert an Arabic Calligrapher here in Doha Qatar.

Purpose of sharing this is my hope and desire to inspire and help other moms who want to learn a new skills and tell them you  can do it! 

"Share the Khair" as a dear friend put it. Usually, I don't like talking about what I have studied/studying or what courses I have done/doing, but recently I have been feeling a need to do so to help other mothers see and reach their highest potential. If we put our minds to something and work hard with it, we can do more than we think we can. We gave birth! didn't we? So we can move mountains as well. As a matter of fact most of you already are! You are raising wonderful children interested by The All Mighty especially chosen to be under your tender and loving care. I often say the above as affirmation to myself, and yes, positive self talk has great benefit and we can keep that discussion for another time inshaAllah. I encourage you to do that the same, because sometimes we are not surrounded by the most encouraging people. And many times we are blessed with such company.

Book Reveiw: I Think, I Am!

Louise Hay is the author of the international bestseller "You can heal yourself" and also New York Times bestseller for "Heal your body". She also has a work book that goes with "You can heal yourself" called  "Love yourself and heal yourself" which has proven to help many people. She is known for her work on encouraging people to change their thoughts to positive and more affirming thoughts, despite of what they have heard about themselves.

"I think, I am" is a kids version book of her other works. It teaches children the power of Affirmation. With the help of fun illustrations and simple words children can learn how to change negative thoughts to positive affirmations. If children learn this skill of positive self talk, they can live a more fulfilling life inshaAllah.

We paired this book up with her "The Affirmation coloring book" and "Inspirational". I have always felt art to be very therapeutic just like writing. Coloring books like these have very soothing and calming affects on a person. Zentangle is a form of art that has been used to help people focus and relive stress.

Some of our completed works

This is one of those book we should have in our home libraries. Also be shore to check out Louise Hay's website.

Positive Discipline - Online Course

Positive Discipline is offering an online course in January called - Discipline with influence. Ruth Baffin is the founder of Positive Discipline, she is a woman full of wisdom and great advice. Don't miss this opportunity.

Studying online at home is a good way to learn in you own comfort zone and at your own pace in some cases. However, it comes with its own challenges, for some people it is the issue self motivation and consistence because "no one is watching". One simple solution for that is, try taking the course with other mom(s) or husband, split the cost and meet once a week for 7 weeks (or other duration) and benefit from it together inshaAllah. Doing it together in a group also opens up new topics of discussion and ideas.

Do benefit from the opportunity!

Enjoy Peaceful Parenting!

WAITING for SUPERMAN

I have been wanting to post about this Documentary for the longest time, it keeps slipping my mind. So here we are.....

Waiting for 'Superman'   Click here to watch!

PLEASE TAKE TIME & WATCH IT!!! VERY AWAKENING AND SADDENING. 

May Allah make it easy for all people in this world...for the amount of corruption being spread in the world affects ALL Muslims or non-Muslims. May Allah make all homeschoolers steadfast in their decision and may Allah swt give us ability to raise our kids for His pleasure and make it easy for us. AMEEN!

You are unique just like everyone else!

Everybody Knows:

You can’t do all things to all people.

You can’t do all things at once.

You can’t do all things equally well.

You can’t do all things better than everyone else.

Your humanity is showing just like everyone else’s.

So:

You have to find out who you are, and be that.

You have to decide what comes first, and do that.

You have to discover your strengths, and use them.

You have to learn not to compete with others,

Because no one else is in the contest of *being you*.

Then:

You will have learned to accept your own uniqueness.

You will have learned to set priorities and make decisions.

You will have learned to live with your limitations.

You will have learned to give yourself the respect that is due.

And you’ll be a most vital mortal.

Dare To Believe:

That you are a wonderful, unique person.

That you are a once-in-all-history event.

That it’s more than a right, it’s your duty, to be who you are.

That life is not a problem to solve, but a gift to cherish.

And we’ll only get what’s written for you.

May Allah Bless you and keep you safe.

by: Zakia usmani