Parents’ Talk
Name: disillusioned
Country: United Kingdom

Thanks for all involved in developing this new section of Islam online. I find the ideas here very interesting and helpful, alhumdulillah.

I am married and have young children and I always wished to give them a better foundation than I received when growing up. I find that young people are usually quite critical of their parents and families and so on, and so was I. Now I have kids of my own and I find myself so busy working to pay for their needs that really I’m exhausted most of the time I am at home. All my dreams seem to be going up in smoke. I used to dream of being able to sit with my family and learn and talk together but this is a rare occasion. I seem to be in a cycle of work, sleep etc. I hope someone can give me some ideas of how to break this cycle.

Teen Talk
Name: Ready to listen
Country: US

I really like this web site and I hope to read more and more. It is a problem for everyone these days being busy. Even us teenagers are usually busy although I know we often complain of being bored! But I think when it comes to time and especially time with family, that what is important is quality, not quantity. And to ask Allah to give us Barakah in our time together and strengthen the love we feel for each other.

Teen Talk
Name: Fatimah
Country: South Africa

Where I live the families come together and form a big community. We have iftar together a couple of times a week and the families come together. I really like it because I get to see my friends and I’m with my family too, especially my mum and sisters. We go home from these gatherings together and my dad gets us all together to pray tarawih. Even the younger kids in our family pray some rakats but if they get tired they can go and play. My dad doesn’t recite long surahs which I think is wise because if he did, I’m sure the younger ones would feel bored very quickly. I love Ramadan because my family really is together more and there is a nice feeling between us.

Parents’ Talk
Name: Abu Bakr
Country: Australia

Allah’s blessings be on all those who try to spread the message of Islam. I wanted to share a few of my thoughts about the family/Ramadan issue. When I was growing up my parents were very strict and my brothers and sisters and I simply obeyed and went along with the family practices, usually without question. When I got married and started my own family I began repeating the same patterns I’d learned when I was growing up but my wife, alhumdulillah, brought it to my attention that it is better for the kids to communicate more with us. I have to admit that I don’t really know how to talk to the kids very well. I can play with them and joke around but communication is not something I was taught how to do. What I mean to say is that I think the young people could try to be patient with their parents too. No one goes to school to learn how to be a parent and we all make mistakes. I suppose just sitting together and ‘trying’ to understand each other is the first step.