Mayous Parenting Blog

Category: Muslim TV

  • The Isolationist Theory and Why Walls Never Work

     The Isolationist Theory and Why Walls Never Work

    It was the year 221 BCE, The Chinese Empire decided that in order to protect itself from invaders, it would build the Great Wall of China. The Wall was vast, requiring constant repairs and a massive military presence. Guards and officials were sometimes bribed, allowing invaders to pass. The Wall was effective against small raiding parties, but Mongol leader Genghis Khan (13th century) and the Manchu invasion (17th century) showed that large, well-organized armies could simply go around, breach, or overpower the Wall.

    Why Walls and Isolation Always Fail

    Ultimately, if we want to know the future, knowing the past is always a good starting point. And history has taught us that walls—and isolation—always fail. Over time, the empire grows decadent and out of touch with neighboring nations, which always leads to its collapse.

    What Does That Have to Do With Kids and Parenting Anyways?

    I see a lot of Muslim parents building a wall around their kids—through a Muslim-only community, through limitations on what they’re exposed to. Now, that doesn’t mean we should sign up for Disney and let that run all day in the house, playing princess movies to our young daughters. But the middle is always the hardest to reach, and it is always where the greatest rewards are—if we are able to navigate as parents.

    Expose to Reality, and Teach Alongside Them

    The reason why walls fail is because they are the equivalent of a shield. Instead of helping the individual become strong enough to overpower an opponent, you are indirectly telling them they are too weak to face reality and should hold a shield all day long. Obviously, in any real fight, shields—or deflecting techniques—are part of the strategy, but they are never the only component a fighter has at their disposal.

    Use Shields, but Help Them Build Strength and Techniques

    If you teach them to recognize some of the faulty values in society, TV, or books, you are helping them learn to fight back. Learn to recognize the pattern, understand its values, and decide whether they want to internalize that or not. They are not passive anymore. They are active, aware, and deciding what they want to internalize.

    The Longer Path

    Yes, it means you have to spend time with your kid and not let them be brainwashed by TV. You can limit them to Muslim TV only, but they may be out of touch with friends who talk about other Western shows they don’t know about (isolation theory again). And one way or another, they will be exposed to content that isn’t Islamic.

    And it is not just age that matters. We think of time as time. But in reality, it is the events in the seconds that make up time—not just time passing through itself. If you don’t help your kids build a thought mechanism, a mindset that allows them to interpret the data around them, then you are not helping them be strong. You are letting them stay weak and shielding them from the harsh realities of the world.

    Walls always fail eventually.

  • The Hidden Truth About Pigs: Teaching Kids the Wisdom Behind Halal Food

     The Hidden Truth About Pigs: Teaching Kids the Wisdom Behind Halal Food

    If you tell your child, “Pork is haram; we don’t eat it,” without explanation, you’re giving them a rule, not the understanding behind it. You, as an adult, reached that conclusion after seeing and learning about different things. But children are a blank slate, and they don’t see the difference. They’re not trying to be defiant toward you (although if you have teens, that might be part of the mix). They simply may not have the vision you have developed over many years.

    Building the Mechanism, Instead of Giving Them the Final Product

    The knowledge we acquire and the beliefs we hold shape how we see, understand, and interact with the world around us every day. So, we have to focus on instilling two key things in our children. The first is the belief in Allah above all, and the importance of following His commands for our own good. The second is the knowledge—or fuaad—that you help your children acquire with time.

    Is Meat Just Meat Like Any Other Meat?

    Under the carefully marketed plastic wraps of smoked bacon, you might almost think this animal is fit for consumption—it even looks delicious, especially since it resembles other meats children are familiar with, like beef or turkey. And with so many restaurants sprinkling bacon on every dish possible, you might wonder: How could something so omnipresent be that bad? After all, it looks red, like the halal stew Mom makes at home. Are parents just exaggerating? Why are they so wound up about pork? Why does Islam make such a big deal out of it?

    Returning to the Wild to Understand the Place of Pigs in the Ecosystem

    When we return to our roots, to nature, we realize that every single animal has a place in the ecosystem. Even the vicious predator that hunts and preys on the poor, innocent deer plays an essential role. Without it, herbivores would grow exponentially, devouring every last herb until the whole system collapses. So where do pigs fit into all that? We know it, but we often forget to voice and explain it clearly to our kids: Pigs are the recyclers of nature. Unlike herbivores that digest plants or predators that control populations, pigs consume waste materials, playing a crucial role in breaking down and recycling organic matter. They eat anything and everything, helping even the worst waste in nature decompose and become manure, which then helps plants grow. So, naturally, we wouldn’t want to eat the last stop in the cycle of animals.

    Two Ways to Show Kids the Disgusting Place of Pigs in Nature

    1. Take them to a farm. They’ll immediately notice how awful pigs smell, especially compared to herbivores like cows and sheep. Their poop just doesn’t smell the same, given their diet.

    2. Show them what wild boars eat in nature. You can use a documentary or a book for this. As a note, this is precisely what our book, Halal Animals and Mountain Trails, does.

    As always, you can find our books on Amazon for the price of a meal, and if you join our newsletter, you can stay apprised of free eBook promotions!