Kids aren’t mind readers, but they are capable of reading our body language.

When we hear about the tragedies in the world, or about all the people and children in the war-torn countries found all around the world, the millions of children who are starving to death or being slaughtered, we each should be much, much more thankful to our Creator for all that we have been blessed with and never, ever forget all those who are suffering in our du’a each and every day and in each of our five prayers.

Making du’a and remembering all those suffering should be a regular occurrence in our households, and with our families. Our children, here, with all the available perks in life are completely oblivious to the suffering in the world unless we talk to them about it and remind them that for all that they have there are so many who have nothing.

By the same token, we need to give ourselves a harsh reminder as well not to take things, specifically our families, for granted, as we so often do.

Our children really need us to be there for them, not just to give them lunch money or pay their allowances, but to be their rock in the shakeable and unsteady world they live in. Most importantly, we need to show them by words and actions, that we love them at every opportunity we get.

A Single Action Can Say, And Mean, A Lot.

We all have clear and concise memories of our parents, clear into our adulthood. We remember what they did, what they said, how they acted, even how they said things … and we also vividly recall what they didn’t do or say. Sometimes just a single action in a particular moment can say, and mean, a lot to a child, including and especially a teenager.

Teenagers care a lot more about what we, their parents, think, than they would like to let on. So, while they may act like they could care less, there should be no doubt whatsoever that they care immensely. Some kids, if they do not get adequate positive attention, act out with undesirable behaviour to get any attention in any way possible – even if it is negative attention from Mom or Dad. Something is always better than nothing, or not enough.

Make the Time, You May Not Have It Later.

As we live our lives and get caught up in our own dramas, we often forget that our lives here are only temporary. At any given time, Allah forbid it for us, there could be a car accident, a burglary gone bad, an indiscriminate drive-by shooting or, let’s face it – a hate crime committed against any person in our family. People pass away from household accidents every day and then there is illness, which could strike any one of us. These circumstances are all beyond our control and are real.

Because we live with such uncertainty and because we must realise and make our children also understand that they are not invisible, we must make the time to spend with our family and show them we love them; not tomorrow, but today, right now, this moment, because we may not have that time later. We all have the habit of putting things off, publicly and privately. It is easier, life is busy, and there never is enough time in a day. However, we should take notice to never procrastinate with our love. We cannot afford to take time for granted when it comes to our religion or our family. Time spent on these two vital aspects of our lives is valuable time that is very well spent.

>To be continued…