Storytelling: Learning about senses

Assalamualaikum FKAD moms,

Alhamdulillah, the children have been learning about their sense of sight and sense of hearing through stories and various activities. Insha Allah tomorrow, they will learn the sense of touch. It's amazing when you see these kids interact with their own personality styles. They observe things and people, and they learn to know familiar faces. When I see these things, it makes me realize how much of their senses become our responsibilities as parents to make sure that they are learning the Islamic way of thinking, the Islamic way of seeing, hearing, touching, etc. Kids are able to memorize and repeat any action of what people around them did. They learn anything they hear, from Qur'an to speeches. That is why kids can learn more languages than adults because they're quick to memorize and repeat things. I always remind myself that my son is learning more than what I think he is. I have to watch what I say, even my face expressions (kids can mimic their parents' expressions, too), so that he can learn only good expressions and good actions (insha Allah).

Living in the big city, it's difficult to control what your kids see and hear. Learning about Islam starting in their early years is key, I think, so that they can protect themselves from bad influences throughout their lives and they can have a solid foundation in learning Islam. Insha Allah FKAD Usrah can become a community for parents who want their children(and themselves) to learn Islam in a fun and supportive environment. Learning Islam with other kids teaches them that these are common values that other kids have to learn. The values that they learn won't be as 'unique' or 'strange' anymore because they see other families follow the same rules and values. Insha Allah they will see, for example, that praying five times a day is not just an obligation, but also a basic need such as eating or drinking. There's a proverb that says "it takes a village to raise a child". Well, perhaps it is time to start our own "village" to raise our children, the future generation. Also, perhaps it is time to learn to be parents in an Islamic way, to give each other words of encouragements, "Insha Allah you're doing a great job. Keep it up!"

Last week during the storytelling, I heard the children say, "Allah (subhanallahu wata'ala)" after being asked, "Who gave you your eyes?" Subhanallah, it was a humbling experience.