Parenting

Do We Really Need Online Islamic Toy Stores?

This blog post was sponsored by IbraheemToyhouse.com
With Ramadan approaching, Muslim mums across the world are
starting think about what gifts they will be giving their children. 
The online market
place for Muslims is booming! Never before have parents been able to purchase
so many products specifically for Muslim children.  
Online Islamic Muslim Toy Store
Ibraheem Toy House has been featured Worldwide in the Press,
TV shows and in influential Mummy blogs; but what’s the big deal!
Why is everyone getting so excited about Ibraheem Toy house?
Why do we, as Muslim parents, even need an online Islamic
toy store?
This blog post will explain why online Islamic Toy stores
are so important, and why your children need them too!

Why should I shop at an online Islamic Toy Store?

Run by
Muslims


These shops are owned and primarily run by
Muslims.
As such, they better understand what the
Muslim consumer wants and what our Muslim children need.
As Muslims, these businesses care about
your children and about the future of our Ummah. In fact, many of these
companies were started because they felt the needs of the Muslims was not being
met by larger corporations.
As they share the same moral standards as
you, you can be confident that your money is going to support a halal business,
and none of the money will be used to support anything haraam. We hope there will be more Barakah insha’Allah.

Learning
about Islam through play


It is widely accepted that young children
learn best through play. It is through play that they learn their own
abilities, and develop confidence and self-worth; and because it’s fun, they will play for
long periods of time, helping them to develop the ability to concentrate.
Filling our home with Islamic toys will encourage
our children to develop confidence in their religious identity. Instead of
Barbie, fill your daughter’s toy box with Muslimah dolls. This will help her
view modesty and piety as normal, and encourage her to wear her hijab with
pride!
Online Islamic Muslim Toy Store
 Furthermore,
Islamic toys can teach everything from Quran, Salah,  Tajweed, to Prophetic etiquettes and Arabic;
and all this is done by playing as they naturally would.
A very important aspect of play is its ability to
bond; to bond mother to her child, or to build a bond between siblings. What
better way to develop these relationships, than through Islamically orientated
play.

Everything
Under One Roof


Before Ibraheem Toy House, shopping for gifts for
Muslim children was so hard, especially if you wanted toys specifically for
Muslim kids. 
Thankfully, Ibraheem Toy House has brought all the best products
under one roof. I no longer have to scour through 10 different websites, search
Ebay and pay for extortionate international shipping! Instead, everything I
need for my children is available from one shop. It’s like the Muslim’s version
of Toys R’Us!
Ibraheem Toy House, was founded with the aim to serve our
children by providing toys and resources that will encourage a love of Islam. 
They say,

“Our mission
is to instil the love of faith in young Muslims.
We are passionate about educating children about
the teachings of Islam and help parents connect children to their faith.
We believe children should be proud of their
religious belief and religious learning should be FUN and interactive.”

Online Islamic Muslim Toy Store


Today,
Ibraheem Toy House stocks over 200 different products from 25 suppliers around
the world including dolls, books, games, DVDs, prayer mats and more.
Nazia
Nasreen founded Ibraheem Toy House from her kitchen table whilst her two
children were still very young. She is an inspiration to all Muslim women who
dream of starting their own business, and is a testimony to the power of
determination, hard work and self-belief.
Since
starting her online toy store only two years ago, Nazia has received Awards and
international recognition for the worthwhile service she is providing to the
Muslim Ummah, as the first online Islamic toy store in the U.K.
So if you
are a Muslim woman thinking about starting your own business, I would urge to
look for inspiration from Nazia, and take the first step to making your dream a
reality.
Ibraheem ToyHouse is constantly on the lookout for new toys and products to serve the
Muslim community. 
What would you like to see more of in the toy store? Are
there any particular products you are looking for? 
Please let us know us know in the
comments and maybe Nazia can find them for you! 
We’d love to hear what toys your
children would enjoy. Please leave us a comment down below.

Online Islamic Muslim Toy Store


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In need of your duaas.
Peace and Love.

New Homeschool Mum…Don’t Give Up!

The transition into home education can be a difficult one. Many families struggle when they first start homeschooling, especially with time management.


“How can I get all the cleaning, cooking, and do everything else, as well as teach my children?
I just never seem to be able to get on top of things?
I just don’t have the time to do it all.” 





Home education does not suit every family, but before you give up homeschooling, here are a few tips that I have learnt to help a struggling homeschool mum:

1. Look for the Wisdom

The difficulties you face in your home, with your children, are no less of a trial or test than the difficulties people face at work. Acknowledge that your problems are real problems, worthy of your concern and find comfort in the fact that Allah tests those he loves.

It is narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings be upon him) said:
“The greatest reward comes with the greatest trial. When Allah loves a people, He tests them. Whoever accepts that wins His Pleasure; but whoever is discontent with that earns His Wrath.” (al-Tirmidhi – 2396)

If you are finding difficulties in your homeschool, begin by making duaa and praying Istikaraah.

2. Get Organised

Write to-do lists, get a homeschool planner, organise your homeschool material in whatever way works for your family. Not only will these things help you to get more done, but they will also help you to realise how much you are already achieving. This feeling of accomplishment and purpose should not be taken lightly. Everyone needs to feel that they are being productive and achieving something in their day.

Watch this for some Homeschool Organization tips:

If you do not feel organised now, take a week off school. Use the time to get everything ordered and planned out in a way that will make your homeschool run more smoothly. Then you can start again the following week on a more positive note.

3. Lower Your Expectations

What? Did I read that right?
Yes, you did!

I know this may sound harsh, but you have to lower your expectations, especially if you are just starting to homeschool, or if you have small children at home. You cannot expect your house to be as clean or your meals to be a spectacular (mine never were….mediocre at best!) as they were before you began to home educate your children.

Every ‘lesson does not need to be perfectly planned and executed. Many children retain more from self-directed, not teacher led, learning.  By adjusting your teaching style, you are allowing your children time to ‘discover’ things themselves and re-igniting the love of learning that they lost in school.

You are only human and you have the same 24 hours that the rest of us have. As soon as you  LET GO and stop putting pressure on yourself, the better you will feel and the happier you and your family be insha’Allah.

Just to clarify…I’m not saying you should live in squalor and let your children run wild! However, give yourself a break! Your homemaking and your school days will improve as your time management does.

4. Give Yourself Time

It takes time to adjust, establish new routines and to find your ‘groove.’ It also takes time for children to get used to the new routines.

Try to move gently, with patience, into this new phase in your life. Everything does not need to come together all at once. Give yourself the grace to make mistakes. Just learn from them …and move on.

Thank you so much for visiting us here at Our Muslim Homeschool! 

What do you think?

Should we lower our standards and just allow time to fix everything? 
How much time should be allow before we give up and send our kids back to school? 
How do you organise your homeschool?

Please share your thoughts with us in the comments below 🙂



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In need of your duaas.
Peace and Love.

Peace and Love.

Dear Busy Mum,

A little advice from my heart to yours.

After a week
of teething and difficult nights, I decided this morning to go out for a solitary
coffee. No kids, no husband, just me and my books!
Advice for busy homeschool mums
I’d be lying
if I said that I didn’t feel overwhelmed sometimes. Being with the three kids
EVERY DAY…ALL DAY is draining. Some days it’s the mess that gets to me, others it’s
the fighting, but usually it’s the noise that can get too much.
Don’t get me
wrong, my kids aren’t badly behaved (well…no more than the average kid). In
fact, I think they’re wonderful. They bring me so much joy! But we all need a
break every now and then!
As I was
walking down the road, to get to the café near my house, it was like seeing my
street in a completely new way! It was so nice to actually experience THAT
moment.
So often, as
a mum, you are busy checking you have everything for everyone, checking you
haven’t lost one of the kids, making sure everyone has been to the toilet,
eaten enough, as well as throwing in the occasional ‘educational’ tit-bit, that
you just don’t even have time to look around. There’s no time to Stop…Breathe…and
SEE what’s around you.
It was incredible
just looking at the people walking past, blissfully unaware of how ‘lucky’ they
are; not because they don’t have children … No, No, No! Lucky because that have
THIS MOMENT! So precious. So fleeting. If only they would Stop….Breathe…REFLECT!
“Verily!
In the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and
day there are indeed ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs,
revelations, etc.) for men of understanding. Men who celebrate the praises of
Allah standing, sitting and lying down on their sides and contemplate the
(wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth (with the thought):
“Our Lord! You have not created this without purpose! Glory to thee! Give
us salvation from the penalty of the fire.”” Q3:190-1.
Whether
we have children to fill our time, or jobs, or academic studies, or whatever our
worries are, remember, Dear Busy Mum, this life is just here to occupy us. The
Dunya is here to give us our provisions, and to distract us from our true
purpose…Allah.
I
am as guilty as you, perhaps even more guilty, of forgetting my Lord and
busying myself too much with my ‘life.’

Dear
Busy Mum, stop rushing…stop thinking… stop…STOP!
Look at what is around you…BREATHE….REFLECT….ALHUMDULILLAH!
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Thank you for visiting our blog! Come again soon!

Please remember us in your duaas.
Peace and Love.

You might also like:

Muslim Homeschool Curriculum Choices

Are Perfectionists Bad Mothers?

As a homeschooling mom, I spend the best part of everyday with my children. They witness and learn from my character and actions every day. But there is one problem, I am a perfectionist. What effect will this have on my children?
I have spent much
time reading and reflecting on perfectionism and parenting, and wanted to
answer the question: Are Perfectionists Bad Mothers?
Parenting as a perfectionists
The short answer to this question is: Yes, they can be bad
mothers IF they don’t do something to control it.
Of course being a perfectionist has its positive points. The
house is usually presentable, there is home-cooked food for every meal, the children
are dressed well; but underlying this outward image is an inner struggle and
discontentment with every action and every effort.
I come from a long line of perfectionists and no doubt at
least one of my children will follow me in this.
New studies have shown that
perfectionism is primarily a genetic trait, and the parenting and the
environment a child is exposed to only play a secondary role. This means that
perfectionist parents not only have to deal with their own drive for
perfection, but also their children’s too!
If a perfectionist mother has such high expectations on
herself, then it only follows that she too will have high expectations for her
children. If she cannot tolerate her own imperfections, she will not tolerate
them in her child. This inevitably leads to the child feeling that her parents
are constantly dissatisfied with her, and feeling inadequate.
Perfectionist parents often confuse their own sense of
self-worth with their child’s, feeling that if the child looks good, then I
look good. However when the child does not behave as the mother feels is
acceptable, then the mother takes that personally as it reflects badly on her.
This internal pressure can often be triggered by competition;
competition with family, friend’s children, school friends or even the children
of complete strangers. This obsession with looking ‘perfect’ in front of others
is at the detriment of the child’s confidence. 
Children learn from the way we
behave and can see when mom is trying extra hard to impress. Despite what we
say, they see the way we behave and act first.
But of course, no one can be perfect. Not mom and not her
child. That child’s inability to live up to expectations, will cause her a
long-term sense of failure, a lowered self-esteem, which may in turn result in
resentment and anger towards her mom.
Perfectionism can block communication between a mother and
her child. The child knows that she has to fine, so she pretends to be ok, even
when there are problems. She knows that admitting any problem will affect her
mom negatively, so she stays quiet.
Parenting as a pefectionist
Perfectionists spend so much time worrying; time that could
be time spent playing with their children, getting to know them and teaching
them life-long lessons.
These moms will often focus on that child’s ‘status’ or ‘achievements’
and no longer put emphasis on values like kindness, honesty, diligence. Surely
it is more important as parents to equip our children with good character than
with good grades.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“The most beloved of
Allah’s servants to Allah are those with the best manners.” (Al-Bukhari)
Perfectionists have an increased risk of clinical depression,
eating disorders, suicide, and are more resistant to treatment as they don’t
want look as though they’ve failed.

So to all my fellow perfectionist parents out there….

  • Remove the worry from your heart and find the love.
  • Connect with your children
  • Feel happiness to be with them
  • Be grateful for your children
  • Don’t compare yourself to others
  • Have fun with them and relax
  • Let your children be who they are
  • Let go of expectations
  • Relinquish the power that you feel you have and remember
    Allah.

Only He can change your state and only He can ‘fix’ that which you
worry about. 
Instead of filling your mind with stress and discontentment, focus
on filling your heart with gratitude and submission to the Will of the Divine.
You will never find perfection in this world. Perfection is
with God.
For truly, it is in the Remembrance of God that the heart
finds Peace. Quran (13:28)
Please remember us in your duaas.
Peace and Love.
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Thank you for visiting our blog!

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