Introducing A New Blog-My Autistic Muslim Child

Assalaamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu,

First, I apologize for not having time to blog recently.  Today, My dear sister emailed me the link to her new blog and I couldn’t wait to share it with all of you!

She has started a blog titled “My Autistic Muslim Child.”  This blog helps give insight into the lives of autistic muslim children and their parents, raise awareness, and provides support by the permission of Allah.

The blog is in it’s early stages, so please stop by and give her your support and if you think you know someone it will benefit by all means pass it along! : )

Check it out here:

http://myautisticmuslimchild.wordpress.com/

Ramadan Diary ’08: Week One Has Passed

And I’m not hungry. This Ramadan has been a pleasant surprise. Reading back over my diary last year, I realized that this year I have had no dizziness, no tummy ache, nothing. Yes, I get hungry the last couple of hours before time to break fast….but it isn’t that bad at all.  I think, perhaps, this is due to either a stronger effort at suhoor or the fact that my body is now trained to fast. This past year I have been fasting more of the optional  fasts. So, maybe, my body is conditioned. Although, that doesn’t mean my mind is.

This year has been a trade off. My hunger for my temper. Well, I will tell you for me the temper is a thousand times harder to fight against than my hunger ever was. The room could be spinning, my stomach churning, my head pounding and I could block it out and fast. My temper on the other hand………..takes alot more effort. It is a gigantic test of will and patience.  I am working this Ramadan rather than staying home all day. That is a big part of the equation. Alhamdullilah though.  I am gratful for everything that Allah (SWT) has given me and Allahu Akbar, Allah has promised us in the Qur’an that He (Swt)  will not place a burden on us greater than we can bear.

I have also noticed this Ramadan that I have learned to say no to things that I can not possibly add to my schedule. I have learned to prioritize. That is huge for me.

Overall, I am really optimistic that I am making a strong effort to accomplish my goals this Ramadan while at the same time hoping and praying that Allah (Swt) accepts from me.

In other news, My friend Um Mahmoud gave me a couple of great Ramadan ideas for children! Insh’Allah I will post it so anyone who wants can try it with their kids.

For Full Size You can go here and click on it to make it bigger and print it :

http://i475.photobucket.com/albums/rr117/muslimah1234/goal_calendar_send.jpg

Directions:
There are 2 parts to this email… The 1st is the calendar in the attachment, and the 2nd is the suggested goals below. Print the calendar on 1 side and then the goals on the other inshaAllah. Customize the goals to your childs ability, I only made general suggestions. So all the goals are numbered… if on Saturday they did # 10 on the goal list, they will write #10 in that square on the calendar.
 
   Explain to them that the reason they will use this calendar if for a visual for them. In this busy life of ours, days go by without us taking time out to try to do extra things to please Allah. Filling in the days of this calendar will be exciting for them to see how much they are capable of doing. This would be a great time to explain to them about the recording angels we have with us at all times and how they record the good and the bad and how we would like the Angel on our right to stay busy recording the good things. They will start to do this in Ramadan but that they should also continue to do these good deeds thru out the whole year.
 
  Parents help the younger children with their calendar and keep reminding the older children to fill in the days. And have fun with this.
 
  Print the calendar 1st and then these suggested goals, or add more, or customize to your childs age.
 
In this blessed month of Ramadan I will try my best to use my time wisely.  Even if I am little, I will try hard to fast at least some of the day & do other good things.
1.        Sleep little – eat little …I will not try to let the day pass faster by sleeping it away, and I will not eat so much at Iftar that it will make me too lazy to pray.
2.        I will learn all about Ramadan so I won’t think of it as a hard and hungry month.
3.        I will pray all of my obligatory prayers, and try to pray as many of the sunnah prayers as I can.
4.       I will try to wake up during the 3rd part of the night and pray night prayers at least once.
5.        I will memorize at least 1 surah and understand the meaning of it also.
6.       I will try to attend the taraweah prayer at the masjid at least once and pray all the way to the end with the Imam.
7.        I will not waste my time watching TV or playing games.
8.       I will surprise my Mom and clean for her while she is cooking Iftar for me.
9.       I will save some money in a special can and donate it to a worthy cause at the end of Ramadan.
10.     I will bake a dessert myself and surprise another family with it.
11.      I will read some Quran every day. I will pick a time like after I pray fejr, or right before magrib, and read at that time every day.
12.     I will ask Allah for forgiveness often.
13.     I will make more thikr.
14.     I will learn what Laylatul qadr is and its virtues and then put all my efforts in gaining those rewards.
15.     I will remind myself (for boys) my Dad and brothers to pray at the masjid every Fejr and every Isha.
16.     If I am invited to someone’s house for Iftar I will help clean before I leave.
17.     Even if I can’t go to the Masjid for Taraweah and my Dad goes, I will send some sweets or a cold drink for the Muslims to enjoy in between the prayers.
18.     If I am at the masjid and I see an old person who needs a chair to pray, I will RUN and get that chair for them and set it up in the prayer line.
19.     No matter where I am, if I see a Muslim I will say Assalamu alekum first.
20.    If I’m at the grocery store shopping with my parent, I will ask if I can buy a food item  to place in the food drive box at the masjid.
21.     If my family is inviting people for Iftar, I will ask if they will invite some single people or students.
22.     I will help my mother cook, or set the table, or clean the table after, or wash the dishes, or sweep the floor at least once a day either at Suhoor or Iftar.
23.     I will remind my brothers and sisters and friends to be their best.
24.    I will learn something new about Ramadan to teach it to my family and friends. (Look at the bulletin board weekly for new information, womens section)
25.     I will memorize at least 1duaa
26.    When I’m at the masjid I will sneak a donation into the masjid box so nobody sees me donating, only Allah and I will know.

*add more of your own goals

Charity Jars:

These can be made with empty cannisters,jars, etc decorated with paper, paint, glitter, etc. You can take a cloth and stretch over the top and secure it with ribbons,glue or a rubber band. Insh’Allah they are pretty easy. Then the kids simply fill them as they are able and at the end of the month you can decide how to donate it. Mash’Allah it gives the children such a sense of accomplishment and inclination to give back at a young age.

Here are some that the children at the Islamic Center of Arlington Texas(http://www.isat-online.org/home.htm) made:

 

Noggin To Broadcast 24/7

I recently read on the Noggin website (which my three year old frequents) that Noggin will begin broadcasting 24 hours a day beginning on December 31st.

I’m quite dissappointed in this decision. One of the things that has impressed me about Noggin is the fact that it only broadcasts from 6am-6pm. Thus, parents who like to park their kids in front of the tv only have the ability to do so for 12 hours vs. allowing them to sit there all night as well. Oh, of course, the parent’s can flip over to sprout or some other 24 hour cartoon network once 6pm rolls around. However, Noggin ending at 6pm meant that Noggin was not going to support that lifestyle. It promoted (to a degree) spending evenings with the kids.

My real issue here is probably not the fact that we have 24 hour cartoon channels for preschoolers. My issue is not even that we have television programs that essentially wake up with the children and put them to bed (yes, Sprout has a good night show to get kids ready for bed).

My issue goes back to the lifestyle we are promoting and God forbid, living. I seriously hope and pray that parents are not utilizing a 24 hour cartoon network for their children.

Many studies have proven that children need human interaction. Sitting in front of the tv all day (and now all night) does not provide this. It is no wonder that this generation of children have alarming obesity rates and social problems.

Hopping down off my soapbox now….