Slowing Down is Not a Bad Thing….

Last updated on: July 5, 2013 at 7:15 pm by Admin GrowMama

Slowing Down is Not a Bad Thing…. 2013-07-05T19:15:27-04:00 Admin GrowMama

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I spent a great deal of time with my children this summer. By time I mean one on one time getting to know them. Not the time I spend turbo driving from one summer event to another. Due to family health issues, we were not able to move about in our usual turbo speeds. Usually our summers are full of basketball, swimming, soccer, Islamic school, art & science camps, and endless outdoor play.

This summer we slowed down. A lot. For us, we spent a significant amount of time at home. Time spent snuggling, reading Quran, listening to Islamic stories, taking afternoon naps, doing Legos, Ramadaan training, and taking lessons from the Olympics. It was restful and very satisfying. In fact, it was the best summer ever for my children’s spiritual and emotional development.This summer, I saw my children grow and develop in a way I never witnessed before. I noticed a deeper sense of sibling love, compassion, parental empathy, and self-initiating chores around the home.

Sometimes, we spend so much time carting our children from place to place, we forget to spend time fostering our parent-child relationship. When was the last time, you put aside all life’s thoughts and enjoyed a board game with your little ones? They sense when we are not fully there. I notice when I give my children my undivided attention,they demonstrate more confidence in their choices and feel more secure when they are not around me. After all the books I’ve read and all the classes we’ve taken, how could I have missed this valuable lesson? It happens. You want so much to do everything for your kids, sometimes, you just do too much. In the end, everyone is worn out and the outcomes are not always what we expect.

I thank Allah SWT, for putting me in a circumstance that I was able to see the pitfalls and somewhat recover for lost time. This school year, we have decreased our extracurricular activities so that we can have some quality time together at the end of the day. Time to review Quran, read adventure stories, and just listen to each other share random thoughts. As time goes by, we may not have this luxury .

Each year my youngest child has a difficult time adjusting to school and cries often. However, this year, my little one finally had the confidence and security to give me a hug and rush off to the play area. So far, the first few days of school have been great for them. Despite illness, this summer, I think I finally did my job right. Alhamdullilah.

Now, all I have to do is get over MY first day school blues. I miss them dearly.

Sarah Ibrahim

Sarah Ibrahim is a loving mother of two budding mountain climbers. She enjoys healthy cooking, reading and finding creative ways for family exercise!

Motherhood Reflections

sarah ibrahim

Previous Post

September 3, 2012

Then and Now

Next Post

September 17, 2012 A Prayer with Wings

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Book and Movie Reviews Community Connecting with Allah Counselor's Corner Environment fatherhood five stars GrowBaba Spotlight GrowMama Picks Growmama Roundup Health Light Fare marriage Motherhood Reflections moving Parenthood Photography Poems Schooling Self-development tragedy Tutorials Uncategorized

Select a Month December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 November 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was the ruler of Egypt during Joseph's time?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Nebuchadnezzar Caesar Pharaoh Cyrus