Thursday 28 December 2017
Best of Multicultural Motherhood Blog 2017
Monday 25 December 2017
Christmas as a Muslim Convert
I sit here on Christmas Eve contemplating Christmas past and present. Christmas has always been a difficulty for me since my conversion to Islam. In fact, it was one thing I worried over before my conversion; would I be able to give up Christmas?
Tuesday 19 December 2017
Jannah Jewels Books Review
One of my fondest memories from my childhood is curling up on the sofa with a good book and getting lost in a make-believe world in my head. My seven year old daughter is a reluctant reader and I felt sad that she was missing out on this experience. I longed to find a series of novels that would capture her imagination. Then I came across the Jannah Jewels series of books and thought they would be just right to persuade her that reading can be exciting and fun!
Sunday 17 December 2017
Polar Animals Activities
We attend a lot of homeschool groups and activities but our regular project group is among our favourites. We are working on an animal theme at the moment which has seen us learning about dinosaurs, microorganisms, horses, woodland creatures and much more! At our last session we learnt about polar animals, a fitting topic for this time of year.
Wednesday 13 December 2017
Infinite Mommy Breastfeeding Cover Review
Thursday 7 December 2017
How to Deal With Negativity About Homeschooling
Monday 4 December 2017
November Nature Studies
If you have read about our homeschool curriculum or follow my instagram account, you will know we are following a nature curriculum this year called 'Exploring Nature With Children'. It is a wonderful curriculum that covers different topics each week of the year. For each week, there are activities to do, recommended reading, poetry and a piece of art to study. The curriculum incorporates science, English, art and nature studies so it is really varied. You can check out the curriculum here.
Friday 1 December 2017
December Monthly Goals - Knitting
Last month, I wrote about my monthly goals as a way of sharing with you what I was up to and keeping myself accountable. Last months goals were all about striving to be more organised and productive. As the mother of a newborn baby, it has been a struggle to get things done, understandably. But I felt that I should start to get back on track and begin to organise myself better in order to be more productive.
Wednesday 29 November 2017
6 Tips to Help You Breastfeed With Confidence
I am currently breastfeeding my fourth baby who is now 8 weeks old. From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to breastfeed my babies. My mum breastfed my siblings and I so it just seemed like the natural thing to do. I never questioned my ability to breastfeed. I was never one of those mums who thought I would buy some formula "just in case" I found breastfeeding difficult. I was confident in my ability to breastfeed my babies even before I had attempted it. To be honest, I think that may have made all the difference.
Friday 24 November 2017
Response to the Proposal to Question School Girls Wearing Hijab
When I found out Ofsted school inspectors have been told to question primary school girls wearing hijab I was stunned. Amanda Spielman, head of Ofsted, is the lady responsible for this. She recently met with campaigners who are against girls wearing a hijab in school. Well, no wonder she has become suspicious of it. I guess noone in that meeting was telling the other side of the story. I would like to know why she did not also meet with women who are in favour of the hijab. Surely she must know it is important to look at both sides of the argument before drawing a balanced conclusion and acting upon it.
According to Ms Spielman, donning a hijab could be seen as sexualising young girls! What?! How did you work that out Ms Spielman? Lets take a look at what could have led her to this unbelievable conclusion.
Sunday 19 November 2017
Turning 30 - Musings on a Milestone birthday
Last week I turned 30 and it got me thinking about life, reminiscing about the last 30 years and the last 10 years in particular. The older you get, the faster time seems to go by; have you noticed that? My twenties seem to have gone by in a flash and now I enter my thirties with excited anticipation.
Motherhood
So what were my twenties about? Mainly, my twenties have been about motherhood; pregnancy, newborns and dealing with toddler tantrums. I became pregnant with my first child at the age of 21 and my baby girl was born a few months after my 22nd birthday. Although I was married at the time, I was considered a young mum and I felt this had quite negative connotations.
Wednesday 15 November 2017
Raising Children of a Different Religion
I will never forget that moment, when my parents got their suspicions confirmed: ‘She is a Muslim!’. It was almost nine years ago and, boy, was it a journey of self-search, acceptance and reconciliation.
Let me go back to where it all began… It was around 2010, when I flew
abroad leaving my family behind. It was time to leave the nest and the
relationships were strained. Plus, the studies that I didn’t enjoy, and the
lack of career opportunities helped to make the final decision.
Monday 13 November 2017
Our Homeschool Journey
Friday 10 November 2017
October Nature Studies
If you have read about our homeschool curriculum or follow my instagram account, you will know we are following a nature curriculum this year called 'Exploring Nature With Children'. It is a wonderful curriculum that covers different topics each week of the year. For each week, there are activities to do, recommended reading, poetry and a piece of art to study. The curriculum incorporates science, English, art and nature studies so it is really varied. You can check out the curriculum here.
Tuesday 7 November 2017
Imagistones Review
Storytelling is an important part of our everyday lives. We are always telling stories, whether it is to recall events or create fictitious tales. Through storytelling, children can begin to learn and understand about things they have not themselves experienced.
Children love to listen to stories being told but it is important for them to learn to tell stories themselves too. As a Speech and Language Therapist, I have often worked with children to help them learn to create narratives and now, as a home educator, I am teaching my children this skill too.
Sunday 5 November 2017
November Monthly Goals - Organisation and Productivity
Friday 3 November 2017
Pumpkin Activities
We have been learning about pumpkins in our homeschool as part of our nature curriculum, Exploring Nature With Children. I decided to take the children pumpkin picking for the first time. We have been fruit picking many times in the summer, but we had never been pumpkin picking before.
Monday 30 October 2017
Does Bilingualism Cause Speech and Language Delay?
As a Speech and Language Therapist, this is a question I often hear. In fact, it is not always a question, but a statement; bilingualism causes speech and language delay or my child doesn't speak yet because we speak two languages at home. So is this true? The short answer is...no!
Friday 27 October 2017
Ilyas and Duck Book Review
I am always on the look out for new Islamic children's books. When my eldest, who is now almost 8 years old, was a baby, they were so difficult to find and the books that were available were dull and lacked imagination. However, now there are many more available and the quality of the stories is rising.
I recently came across Ilyas and Duck books and was thrilled to be asked to review them. There are three books in the series and I was sent two of them to review. The first is, 'Ilyas and Duck Search For Allah' and the second is, 'Ilyas and Duck in A Zakat Tale.'
Wednesday 25 October 2017
My Mother and My Children: Reflections of a Muslim Convert
"Ummi, Ummi…" My 7-year-old was tugging on
my skirt to get my attention. There was a
sense of urgency in his eyes.
"Ummi, please can't you tell Grandma to be a Muslim?"
I struggled to hold back my tears as I explained to my
son that Allah is the only one who
makes Muslims and that each of us should try
to talk to Grandma about Islam and make
dua that Allah would guide her
and open her heart to accept the truth.
Monday 23 October 2017
Bilingual Language Activity: Autumn
We have been learning about autumn this month in our nature curriculum. I always try to add some language learning into whatever we are doing. I previously wrote an article about using Arabic language resources to learn about autumn, so I thought it would be good to show you how we have incorporated Turkish language learning into our homeschool too.
Friday 20 October 2017
15 Reasons to Homeschool Your Children
As a homeschooling mum of four, I am always asked why I choose to homeschool my children. Many people have not even considered homeschooling before and it is definitely not the norm. Even some who have considered it, do get put off by schools and local authorities telling them it is not a good idea.
Tuesday 17 October 2017
Mixed Faith Family According To a 7 Year Old
Whilst
pondering over what to write for this blog post, I wondered what there was to
write about. We don’t discuss religion in my family. I was brought up as an
Atheist on my Dad’s side, and non-practising Catholic on my Mother’s. If we
ever went to church it would be to a Roman Catholic Church which made me feel
uncomfortable because of the statues and the smell of frankincense. I think I
went once to a Methodist church with my paternal grandma. I liked that church
as it was small and cosy. There were no statues or pictures anywhere and I can’t
remember any incense smell. My grandma only drank alcohol at Christmas (from
what I know).
Sunday 15 October 2017
Birth Announcement and Story
On October 2nd we welcomed a beautiful baby girl into our family. She weighed 7lbs 2oz which is a similar weight to my other children when they were born. Her siblings dote on her and are constantly asking to hold her and kiss her. Delal in particular is extremely happy that, after two brothers, she finally has a sister. Riyad and Kamil are enjoying being big brothers and I have not noticed any jealousy at all from K. He seems fascinated by the baby in the house!
Wednesday 11 October 2017
6 Tips to Teach Your Child About Cleaning
Do you remember how decluttered and clean your apartment used to be before the children were born? Are you wondering how other parents can maintain sparkling clean homes AND have children at the same time? It all starts with the right mindset. Stop thinking that you can’t keep a clean home. On the contrary, be positive and believe – your home can be just as clean as the homes of other mums. And when you’ve adopted a positive mindset, time to change your attitude towards your children. Stop thinking that the kids are too young and won’t understand you when you try to teach them a thing or two about cleaning. In fact, children as young as 2 years old can not only understand your ‘cleaning lessons’, but they can help you with the household chores, too.
Saturday 7 October 2017
Arabic Seeds Language Resources Fall Bundle Review
Arabic Seeds is a company that offers downloadable resources for Arabic language learning. It was set up out of the frustration of not being able to find any Arabic resources suitable for non-native speakers of Arabic. The founder wanted to show learners that it is possible to integrate Arabic into your daily life as a non-native speaker. This is why Arabic Seeds resources are based on children's interests and daily life situations. Their aim is to make Arabic a meaningful and loved language for learners everywhere.
Thursday 5 October 2017
Christianity to Islam, Trying to Balance This Parenting Thing
“Mom, why do the other kids get to have fun
and we don’t?” A sentence I’ve heard too many times, through whines, tears and
pouty faces.
When our children see Christmas lights,
presents for other children and constant bombardment of jazzy toy ads on TV,
all they see is fun. When they see other kiddos running around melodiously
asking for candy, decked out in their favorite super heroes gear, they see fun.
Monday 2 October 2017
September Nature Studies
If you have read about our homeschool curriculum or follow my instagram account, you will know we are following a nature curriculum this year called 'Exploring Nature With Children'. It is a wonderful curriculum that covers different topics each week of the year. For each week, there are activities to do, recommended reading, poetry and a piece of art to study. The curriculum incorporates science, English, art and nature studies so it is really varied. You can check out the curriculum here.
Thursday 28 September 2017
Ali Huda Review - Muslim Netflix for Children
Ali Huda Review
Bringing up children in the technological age can be a worry. There are so many TV channels showing so many different types of programs for children, but do we really know what they are watching? Even UK channels CBeebies and CBBC, channels which are made specifically for children, can have problematic content that we would rather our children did not see. It can be difficult, as well as time consuming, to screen each and every program before we allow our children to watch it. I have not got time for that! Therefore, I was delighted to hear about Ali Huda, the new Muslim Netflix for children. I know my children can watch this without worrying about the content.Tuesday 26 September 2017
An Open Letter To My Unborn Child
To my precious unborn child,
I sit here on the eve of the date you are due, my fourth child, contemplating the journey of motherhood. As a fourth time mother, I think I know what to expect but that does not diminish the feelings of extreme excitement, anticipation and joy that I feel with each pregnancy. You are so longed for, never forget that. From the moment I found out I was expecting you, my heart filled with love for you. You must have been smaller than a dot, yet you were already my baby, my child. I made a promise then to look after you and protect you always.
Sunday 24 September 2017
Incorporating Islam into Our Homeschool
I wrote a few weeks ago about our new homeschool curriculum here, but now I would like to share with you how we are incorporating Islam into our home learning this year. As Muslims it is extremely important for us to work Islam into our everyday lives and teach our children about it. I have come across many resources to help teach our children about Islam and now I will share them with you.
Friday 22 September 2017
Daradam Games Review
Daradam is a new French company dedicated to creating educational toys to teach children about Arab heritage and culture. Set up by a multicultural family out of a mum's frustration at not being able to find toys and games for her multilingual children to learn about the language and culture of the Arab world. Hanna Lenda, the founder of the company, took matters into her own hands and began to design toys that would fulfil her vision. She had them produced and that is how Daradam began. There are three toys and games in the collection at present, with plans for more to be introduced in the future.
Wednesday 20 September 2017
Bringing Up Children a Different Religion From the Rest of Your family
I was brought up with the Catholic faith and practised it during my childhood. I went to church every Sunday until I was 16. I was baptised as a baby, took my First Holy Communion at the age of 8 and was Confirmed at the age of 14. I went to Catholic schools and even a Catholic sixth form college. Though, as a teenager, I did start to look into other religions and religious practises. Religion has always fascinated me.
Monday 18 September 2017
Homeschool Curriculum 2017-2018
Friday 15 September 2017
How to Introduce a Third Language to Your Preschooler
Many people wonder how you can bring your child up bilingually but there are also those who already have a bilingual child and want to introduce a third language. Can this be done? Absolutely! I received this question on my Facebook page recently so thought it would be a good idea to share some information about it.
Wednesday 13 September 2017
A - Z of Islamic Signs in BSL Review and Giveaway!
Tuesday 12 September 2017
Tips to Help Hearing People Communicate With Deaf People
Saturday 9 September 2017
Review of 5 Reading Scheme Books
Learning to read is a big milestone in a child's life. It is one of the things all parents feel is necessary and important for their child. Literacy is so important for future success, not just academic success but success in life. It gives you opportunities to get a job, progress in the job market, gain knowledge, improve yourself and increase your self-esteem. It is an important skill that, once you know how, you will have for life.
Tuesday 5 September 2017
How and When to Teach Your Child to Read
I always get a lot of questions from other homeschoolers asking how to teach children to read. It is a topic that most parents do not really need to think about as their children learn at school. But for homeschoolers, it can be a worry. How should you do it? When should you start? What if they do not want to read? Here I will answer these questions.
Saturday 2 September 2017
Hajj Role Play
Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is a pilgrimage to Mecca that all Muslims must go on once in their lifetime. The pilgrimage is performed every year in the month of Dhul Hijjah, the last month in the Islamic lunar calendar.
Monday 28 August 2017
Tips on How to Homeschool During Pregnancy
Friday 25 August 2017
Eid Party Crafts For Kids
Eid al-Adha is a special celebration for Muslims all over the world. It is a time when we remember the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), to follow Allah's command to sacrifice his son. As he was about to carry out this task, Allah sent the angel Jibrail to place a sheep in his son's place. Ibrahim (peace be upon him) then sacrificed the sheep instead of his son.
Wednesday 23 August 2017
How to Use Flashcards for Language Learning
Flashcards are a great resource for language learning. They aid learning by stimulating the memory by a process called active recall. This helps to consolidate information in your long-term memory. In other words, the more you see or use a flashcard the more likely that information will move from your short-term memory to your long-term memory. Things that are stored in your long-term memory you are unlikely to forget.
WordUnited Flashcards Review and Giveaway
Review of WordUnited flashcards
When I was asked to do a review of WordUnited flashcards I was thrilled because they were exactly what I was looking for to help my children with their foreign language learning.
The first
thing I noticed when I received the sets of WordUnited flashcards, was that
these are not your standard flashcards; they are much more! They are a larger
size than most flashcards which is great as it allows for the extra information
these cards contain. They are made from thick, durable material which is sure
to withstand heavy usage from children. The pictures are bright and clear
and the letters are bold, making it easy for children to see, learn and engage with them.
Monday 21 August 2017
Speech, Language, Bilingualism and Homeschooling Live Q and A 2
Is the age of 4 too late to start trying harder with bilingualism?
No, it is not too late. Children are able to acquire
another language fairly easily until the age of 6 or 7 years old. After this
age, the ease with which a child can learn another language starts to decline
and after the age of 12 or 13 years old it becomes harder still.
Thursday 17 August 2017
How to Supplement Your Child's Language Classes at Home
Many multilingual children attend language classes at weekends or after school. These can be a great way for them to improve their language skills, converse with others who speak the same languages as them, interact with children of the same multicultural background and feel part of the community. However, if you think attending one language class a week is enough for your child, you are mistaken. Once a week is simply not enough and I explored the pros and cons of weekend language schools in a recent article.
Friday 11 August 2017
Bilingual Language Activity: Learn Colours With Play Dough
Play dough is an amazingly versatile resource for all kinds of play activities. We use it a lot in many different ways. We have used it with monochrome buttons for numeracy, creating pictures and mark-making. I wrote about using play dough to keep toddlers occupied whilst homeschooling older children.
Tuesday 8 August 2017
Speech, Language and Bilingualism Live Q and A
Teaching young children a foreign language
Should you follow a curriculum?
No, you do not need to follow any curriculum. If you think about how babies learn their first language, you will know that they learn it by listening to others speaking it in their environment. It is a natural process so try to make the learning of a second or third language as natural as possible also.
Saturday 5 August 2017
Nature Journaling at Dyrham Park
As national trust members, we often go on days out to various stately homes and gardens. Dyrham Park is a wonderful National Trust property in South Gloucestershire and is one of our favourite places to visit. It has a beautiful walk down hills to the house and gardens and has herds of deer inhabiting the grounds.
Tuesday 1 August 2017
Learning About the Heart and Lungs
Tuesday 25 July 2017
Learning about Stonehenge
We have been learning about the Stone Age using our history curriculum, Story of the World. We have made crafts and built our own Stone Age den. Now it was time to learn about Stonehenge, one of the ancient wonders of the world. It is 5000 years old and why and how it was built still remains somewhat of a mystery.
There are some interesting theories trying to explain it, perhaps the most well-known being that it was a place for ritual ceremonies on Midsummer and Midwinter's day. Today it is still a place for festivities on these two days every year.
There are many legends and folk tales about Stonehenge. I was surprised to learn that one of these legends is that Merlin, the wizard, put the stones there and if you lick one of the stones you will get Merlin's powers! Apparently, people do try to do this but they are immediately arrested as the stones are closely watched and protected.
Sunday 23 July 2017
Waldorf Inspired Multiplication Crafts
Learning multiplication is one the the staple requirements of maths education. I remember, as a child, reciting times tables in class at school. I remember the challenge of learning a new times table by heart. I remember how it opened up the capacity for higher mathematical skills. Yes, there is no doubt, learning multiplication is important. However, it can be dull to simply sit down and learn it by rote. Therefore, I am always looking for interesting ways to learn it.
When I came across the Waldorf approach to multiplication, I was entranced. This wasn't just mathematics; it was art. I knew I had to show this to the children and allow them to try it out for themselves.
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