Hopes and Goals During the Quarantine

 

By Qanita Mohiuddin

Alhamdulillahi Rabbil aalameen. If something causes us to get closer to Allah (SWT) then it is certainly His MERCY, not a punishment. This thought has been constantly resonating in my mind ever since the COVID-19 quarantine. I strongly believe that it is up to us to make the best of our situation and there is khayr in everything–every “test”–that Allah(SWT) sends our way. That being said, having been relieved of my day to day outdoor commitments, here’s a list of ideas I’ve either started implementing or plan on beginning this week and next, inshaAllah.

1. Qur’an:

My 10-year-old son is memorizing the Qur’an (please make duaa for him). I’m using these days to focus on his memorization, review and strengthen the pages that he’s already committed to his memory, delve deeper into the meanings of the verses he’s memorizing, and also memorize surahs myself insha’Allah. I’ve also outlined goals for my daughters to ensure that they do not digress in their Qur’an studies.

2. Salaah:

My daughters are 9 and 6 years old and I’m taking this time to teach them the different meanings of what they say in prayer. It’s always been on my never-ending, ever-growing list of goals to accomplish and staying home has really opened so many doors, alHamdulillah.

3. Duaa:

Since the children don’t have anywhere to be in the morning (we normally have classes, sports, etc that require somewhat of a schedule) I hope to wake them up for tahajjud once or twice a week and teach them how to ask from Allah swt. This is the ultimate time to taste the sweetness of worshipping in the early hours.

4. Read Aloud:

I just finished reading aloud The Ember Ends by S.D. Smith. I’m using every extra minute I have to read aloud to my children who are of all ages.

5. Audiobooks:

My children do lots of art while listening to audiobooks via scribd, audible, and epic. Magic School Bus Videos: Yes, I’m giving myself some grace and allowing them to watch an episode or two from The Magic School Bus series on Netfllix. It’s highly educational and it gives me some peace and quiet which I cherish and NEED.

6. PLAY:

We still play board games, tag, and basketball together. Staying home frees up so much time to connect with our children and I’m drowning in gratitude.

7. Meals:

A total unexpected outcome of the quarantine is that my food actually tastes good and my children are enjoying nutritious meals for once. I love using deep conversation starters at the dinner table such as “share something that you’re grateful for about each of your siblings.” It’s priceless to hear them genuinely complimenting each other.

8. Social Life:

My children deeply miss their friends and I miss seeing my sisters and work colleagues too. I started a zoom hangout for my daughters and it’s evolved into a super-creative meeting where the girls teach each other crafts and read stories or poems they’ve written.

9. Academics:

As long as the children are reading, writing, and doing math daily, I’m a happy (and grateful) camper. Magic School Bus videos take care of Science (wink, wink), and studying about the history of viruses, the governor’s power to commandeer hotels & enforce lockdowns, etc takes care of Social Studies!

10. Spring Cleaning:

This is the time to give your children a spray bottle with diluted vinegar and some washcloths to have fun cleaning out the windows, fans, blinds, walls, doorknobs, etc. It’s also a great time to reorganize homeschool bins, bookshelves, art supplies, etc.

11. Potty Training:

Finally, my husband and I hope to use this downtime to potty train our toddler! LOL.

All plans aside; we plan, Allah plans, and indeed Allah (SWT) is the Best of Planners. May He guide us all to make the best choices for our families and communities and may He reward us all for our patience and efforts.

Author’s note: I am a homeschooling mother of six, and also serve as a homeschool teacher for Cabrillo Point Academy. If you need assistance with anything homeschool related, please do not hesitate to contact me.

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