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• www.almost-news.blogspot.com – Best Group Blog

mix together milk coconut sugar n eggs
braise sojee in ghee till light pink
pour in egg mixture n cook till thick
when cool add in nestle cream n baking powder
pour in greased baking pan n decorate with almonds
bake at 200`c for 35 mins

It is the holy month of Ramadan and this means that Muslims are embarking on a month of fasting from dawn until sunset. It is a time for reflection and prayer and, although most activities are minimised, there are still many important actions that need to take place. One of these is breastfeeding. It is advised that breastfeeding women are allowed to refrain from fasting but if one is not inclined to take this route there are certain precautions that can be taken to ensure the safety of both mother and child.

It is always good to get advice from other family members or friends when making your decision, so talk to other women to find out their point of view, this is especially useful if they have gone through this before. Seeking advice from a doctor or Islamic sheikh can be beneficial too. Milk production is not hindered when cutting down on calories so there should be no harm done to your baby if you do decide to fast. Not eating for 24 hours will not change the composition of breast milk, the body adapts to the amount of calories it is receiving.

To ensure proper nutrition for yourself and the baby it is important to take plenty of liquids when you break your fast. Don’t forget to eat properly too as you need to increase the nutrient content in your body. Breast feeding can cause dehydration so be aware of this and gauge how you are feeling, if you begin to feel thirsty, faint, weak or develop a headache it may be a good idea to break your fast and drink some water as well as lie down for half an hour. If the symptoms continue contact your doctor.

The important thing is to listen to your body during this time, do not ignore warning signs and you and your baby should stay healthy.

For more advice on baby care visit the SABC Education Baba Indaba and Kids Indaba. Prayer rooms as well as private breastfeeding facilities will be available.

The Soweto SABC Education Baba Indaba will be held in view of the magnificent Soccer City in the MTN Expo Centre at Nasrec from 27-29 August 2010. Doors open at 10:00 and the show runs each day until 18:00. Tickets can be purchased at R30.00 for adults and children gain free access. Go to www.babaindaba.co.zato discover more of Baba Indaba’s inspirational and motivational ideas, special entrance price offers, as well as to subscribe to the visitors’ newsletter and receive information on special show offers and notification for upcoming expos

About Baba Indaba
The SABC Education Baba Indaba is South Africa’s premier baby, toddler and parenting expo. It is held annually in Durban, Pretoria, Cape Town and Johannesburg, inspiring parents and moms-to-be countrywide to enjoy their baby, pregnancy and parenthood. Baba Indaba brings manufacturers, suppliers and retailers of parenting products together with parents, parents-to-be and even grandparents, to provide information and show specials – all with lots of fun. From 2010, a brand new event, Kids Indaba, will run alongside Baba Indaba, catering for 6 – 12 year olds. Also in 2010, the SABC Education Baba Indaba will be held in Soweto for the first time.
In November 2009, the Cape Town Baba Indaba won the EXSA Award for Top Exhibition of the Year, while the Baba Indaba experience secured the title of Most Memorable Event. In 2008, the Durban Baba Indaba won the EXSA Award for the best consumer exhibition of the year in its category for the second time. Naude is the recent winner of the Top Gender Empowered Company in the Emergent Companies and SMME’s Category in the prestigious Top Women Awards 2009.

SOWETO AND SOUTHERN SUBURBS GET READY FOR A GREAT FAMILY DAY OUT AT THE INCREDIBLE SABC EDUCATION BABA INDABA AND KIDS INDABA!

Soweto was a hub of activity during June and July, things may have quietened down around those parts for the moment but Nasrec will soon be alive with the joyful sounds of babies and kids when the SABC Education Baba Indaba and Kids Indaba make their debut appearance in the area! For the first time since their inception, South Africa’s biggest baby and children’s expos will be delighting Soweto and Johannesburg’s southern suburbs. The show will be taking place from 27-29 August 2010.

Parents and grandparents will be treated to the wide and wonderful world of SABC Education Baba Indaba and Kids Indaba which offer everything one could need, in terms of parenting, under one roof. Whether you are looking for funky maternity clothes, beautiful baby outfits, toys, books, accessories or something new and exciting to make your life easier, it can all be found under one roof. Simplifying your life is what this show aims to do! There really is something for everyone – Kids will be entertained and educated by the many wonderful stage shows including Takalani Sesame, granny can have a cup of tea while she keeps them company, mom can ooh and aah over the beautiful jewellery and teddies while dad checks out the latest in parenting gadgets.

As always parents will have access to changing stations, private feeding rooms, expert advice in the Woolies Littleworld Speakers corner and the safety of knowing their child won’t get lost with Kiddy Tags. There will be giveaways galore, with the ultimate prize being the newly introduced Bump & Beyond competition! The show specials and competitions are sure to make even the most sleep-deprived parent beam with delight so get on down to Nasrec!

Not only does this show give all residents of these areas the opportunity to experience the vast mix of education, entertainment and products that the shows have to offer; but it also allows for exhibitors to tap into a new and diverse market. With a population of 1.3 million in Soweto alone and adding to that those who live in the southern suburbs, this is an extensive and previously untapped area that will allow for further brand extension and promotion for exhibitors.

There may be a population of 1.3 million in Soweto but add to that the large amount of young families who move closer to the city for work but who make their way ‘home’ on the weekends. According to recent research, a large number of young people consider Soweto, where they grew up, to be their actual home and they often return there to do their shopping, chores and family outings on the weekend. Don’t miss out on your chance as an exhibitor to talk to a new and varied group of people who are family oriented and wanting to find out more about your product!

The floor at the SABC Education Baba Indaba and Kids Indaba is a great place to launch a product as it offers one on one interaction with interested parents as well as scouts from large retail stores. These shows offer the possibility of planting the seed of your hard work and watching it grow while entrenching your brand in the market. On the back of a record show in Cape Town, which saw 40 000 feet through the door, the inaugural Soweto and Southern Suburbs SABC Education Baba Indaba and Kids Indaba promises to be a huge hit!

Doors open at 9:30 and the show runs each day until 17:00. Tickets can be purchased for R30.00 for adults and children get in free. Go to www.babaindaba.co.za to discover more of Baba Indaba’s inspirational and motivational ideas, special entrance price offers, as well as to subscribe to the visitors’ newsletter and receive information on special show offers and notification for upcoming expos

-Ends-
Issued By: The Lime Envelope
On Behalf Of: Baba Indaba
For Media Information: Sarah Martin / Dominique Brown
Telephone: 011 704 7770/1
E-mail: sarah@thelime.co.za or dominique@thelime.co.za

About Baba Indaba
The SABC Education Baba Indaba is South Africa’s premier baby, toddler and parenting expo. It is held annually in Durban, Pretoria, Cape Town and Johannesburg, inspiring parents and moms-to-be countrywide to enjoy their baby, pregnancy and parenthood. Baba Indaba brings manufacturers, suppliers and retailers of parenting products together with parents, parents-to-be and even grandparents, to provide information and show specials – all with lots of fun. From 2010, a brand new event, Kids Indaba, will run alongside Baba Indaba, catering for 6 – 12 year olds. Also in 2010, the SABC Education Baba Indaba will be held in Soweto for the first time.
In November 2009, the Cape Town Baba Indaba won the EXSA Award for Top Exhibition of the Year, while the Baba Indaba experience secured the title of Most Memorable Event. In 2008, the Durban Baba Indaba won the EXSA Award for the best consumer exhibition of the year in its category for the second time. Naude is the recent winner of the Top Gender Empowered Company in the Emergent Companies and SMME’s Category in the prestigious Top Women Awards 2009.

Write a story/article/list your top tips for publication on this website and stand a chance to win tickets to the expo as well as a ‘Meet and Greet’ with the shows stars.

Please note that submissions must conform to our editorial policy. For details and to submit your entry email info@muslimmums.co.za.

It’s been nine long months and you are finally able to look into the eyes of your little bundle of joy, examine each little finger and toe and be mesmerised at even the whorls of your babys’ ears. But, if you’re anything like me, you soon realise that you can only be goo-goo eyed for so long, before you have to face the fact that your life as you know it has been completely and utterly overhauled. The question begs to be asked “what happens now?”, and of course there are no shortage of answers. People will tell you all sorts of things; that your newborn is too hot or too cold, needs to bathed or fed, that your little one has colic, what you can and cant eat and will remind you of the multitude of things you did ‘wrong’ while you were pregnant. It is, of course, completely up to you whose advice you take but do remember that Allah has empowered you with intrinsic knowledge as well.

Visiting family who had just welcomed their newest member recently, I overheard the remark “he likes to be in the arms”…isn’t this a debate we know so well. Are you spoiling the baby if you carry him too much?

The first thing we’re going to do here is forget about the baby and its still rudimentary coping skills and focus on you, the well developed adult, for now. Let’s imagine you woke up tomorrow in a foreign land, no sense of belonging, you don’t recognize anyone, you cant understand what they’re saying and you really want something, anything, but you have not the faintest idea what it is. Would you imagine this situation to be a difficult one? Scary? Overwhelming even? If you can imagine this, then you have some idea of a newborns perception of this world.

So of course your baby ‘likes to be in the arms’. He only knows being carried from inception, being snug and safe held in your womb. Your baby has been removed from a small enclosed space into a massive wide world (even if it is just the nursery), everything is new and not in an anticipatory way. Do you really think a baby being carried by her mother is thinking smugly to herself ‘hah! Got the old lady to carry me, that’ll show her’. I seriously doubt it. It’s not the feeling of being carried that your baby wants, it’s the feeling of being safe. The sensation of hunger or thirst that we as adults take for granted can seem an insurmountable and terrifying experience for a baby. Your baby doesn’t know what this gnawing feeling in his stomach is, why it’s there or what will make it go away. She cant name the lethargy that comes over her and threatens to take her primary caregivers out of her sight. She cant reason loud sounds or know it will go away. And you cant explain it to her or answer any of her questions. There is one thing you CAN do though, and that is reassure her.

You see, the most important thing a child needs to learn in his/her first year is not routine or discipline. It’s trust. Your baby needs to trust that you will keep her safe, safe from all her yet unnamed feelings and sensations. Safe from herself even when she cries too loudly and cant calm down by herself. Safe from your own anger and frustration. Yes, shock horror, new mummies do get angry and frustrated-it’s natural, expected even. And it’s at times when you feel like this that you need to be able to hand over to some-one you trust and not feel guilty about it.

Another thing babies don’t know about is schedules. I once questioned what a ‘demand-feed baby’ was and was told; ‘a baby that wants to be fed whenever she’s hungry’. Well dear me, I know a few adults like that too; they eat as soon as they’re hungry (sometimes when they’re not hungry too), they don’t wait 4 hours until the next mealtime. You eat when you’re hungry and drink when you’re thirsty so why would you expect a baby to do otherwise? A hungry baby will cry, should you deny this hungry baby a feed he will be in distress too. Is it any wonder then that he cries? The next time he’s hungry he will anticipate being ignored and feeding will become an experience he associates with fear. Establish a relationship of your baby’s needs being met and she will develop into a confident child knowing that she can trust her support system. In time she can and will learn to cope by herself knowing that if she cannot get it right, her caregivers are there to make sure everything turns out just fine. If her cries are responded too, she will learn that she has value. If she is made to feel safe, she will trust and learn.

In between all the nappy changes, feeding and burping remember that your baby is learning. His weight and health will be checked regularly but it is up to you to give him a good foundation to build his psyche on. Remember that newborns still experience the world through their mothers, so make sure you’re okay too – we’ll deal with this aspect in another article insha Allah.

A special Jazakallahu Khairan to Sr Tasneem for taking the time to write this. Your contribution is much appreciated. Muslimmums.co.za

Generally speaking, children are not required to fast Ramadan until they reach the “age of maturity.” However, scholars believe that parents should train them to fast a few days or so, until they become ready to fast when they reach that age. Similar to praying, the Prophet ordered parents to train their children to pray starting with the age of seven. The question remains, how does training to fast begin? Dr. Abala Khlaiwi from the faculty of Islamic Studies at Al-Azhar University was posed this question. The reply was that children should be trained to fast gradually. They differ in their realization of the environment around them, especially parents avoiding eating or drinking due to the fact that they are fasting. If children begin to realize that, becoming aware of the advent of Ramadan, and start to ask questions, parents should answer their questions and tell them about the holy month. For example, they ask them to fast an hour or two, saying that Allah will reward you for one hour. The parents explain to the child that Allah will reward them more for each hour they fast. Then they should be asked to fast for a day and so on, according to Dr. Khlaiwi.
Simultaneously, youngsters should be asked to give or share their candy with orphan neighbors, because this teaches them how fortunate they are to have their parents around. It also teaches them that they live in an environment where they all should take care of each other’s needs. Ultimately, it teaches them to be conscious of Allah, and the feeling of community. These values usually are imprinted in the minds and hearts of children and remain with them throughout their lives.
Dr. Khlaiwi recalls when she was 6 years old, she fasted a whole day and felt so happy, so accomplished. She was proud of herself and her religion. Another important aspect of Ramadan and other Islamic rituals is that parents should involve their children and ask for their participation. Thus, children are to take part in the rituals parents are performing. When the father goes to the mosque, he should take his children with him and not leave them to waste their time watching TV and other friutless activities. If the mother prays, she also should ask her little one to stand beside her so she gets to know the prayers.
It’s also recommended that parents take their children to break the fast with handicapped children, as well as orphans. Again, it teaches them to feel how fortunate they are and to be sympathetic and understanding to the needs of others, especially handicapped members of the community.
Children should also be involved in making the Ramadan dishes so they taste the joy of Ramadan. Toward the end of the month, parents should take their children to spend Eid time with their relatives in their hometowns.

Source: everymuslim

With Ramadaan only days away, they published this article:

Scheduling your time in Ramadan

During Ramadan the demands on your time are increased. Between chores, family, kids, and cooking, your time can easily get mismanaged. In some parts of the world the days of fasting are extremely long. For a mother who is fasting it is easy to end up feeling drained and exhausted if you do not put in place a proper schedule. If there is one time of the year you should have a schedule for it’s for the month of Ramadan. Having a schedule insures that you will not miss out on the blessings of this month. Obviously being a mother and having such responsibilities does not allow you to do everything you want to do during Ramadan but setting priorities and striving hard will make a difference.

In Ramadan, everyone is always making the extra effort to do something, whether it is waking up for tahajjud everyday, going for taraweeh regularly even though they have work the next morning, finding the extra time to read Quran and the list goes on. While you may not able to do some of the things listed you need to look at yourself as an individual and see what is your capacity and how much effort you are able to put forth in striving to worship Allah. So you might wake up earlier than usual, stay up later than usual, shift some duties around, whatever it is that works for you, you need to put in that extra effort. Not everyone achieves the same goals during Ramadan, but one thing for sure is that everyone is doing more than they usually would on a regular basis outside Ramadan.

You should also take advantage of the acts of worship that are easily forgotten. Spend the time you are preparing dinner in dhikr to Allah (swt). Play Quran while you fold the laundry and recite a long. Prepare a little extra food and give it to a family that is not as well off. Teach your children about the blessings of Ramadan. Discuss a hadith a day as a family and strive to implement it together. Work on manners and lead by example. There is reward to be found in almost everything we do each day. Even if you are not able to do what you did before having children find comfort in the acts of worship that we usually deem as “small”. For small and consistent adds up quickly.

Taking this into consideration, you must plan out a tentative schedule for yourself which involves all aspects that affect you daily. Once you put things into perspective, then only will you be able work towards your goals which you have set up for Ramadan. It’s easy to feel that spiritual disconnect when you have other duties to attend to and children to look after. But remember, that if you did something consistently and are unable to do due to a particular reason, then you are still rewarded for the deed as if you are still doing it. Isn’t that just awesome?! So remember it’s not necessarily about how much you can do, but how much you are striving to do to maximize on the rewards of this blessed month.

The question now is: How will you schedule your time?

Source: Mum Loves Me

Method:
- Cube and boil potatoes
- Mix potatoes with the rest of the ingredients
- Sauté 1 sliced onion until light brown in 1 tbsp ghee and 1 tsp cumin (jeroo)
- Mix this in the corn mixture.
- Set in a casserole dish. Spread a little grated cheese on top.
- Bake on 180 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes.

Source: SANHA Newsletter

Smacking is one of many punitive options parents choose when raising their children, because it is usually the parenting style most familiar to them.

However, choosing positive parenting, giving a child what he needs to be happy and successful from the day he is born, raises children that are kind and co-operative, making smacking and the “d”(discipline) word obsolete.

Here are 10 positive parenting options that really work:

1.Children need positive attention. As parents we are quick to point out any undesirable behaviour. We criticise their actions, dress, words, and friends. Let’s rather be quick to praise our precious children. Catch them doing something good and tell them how proud you are of them. They will absolutely glow before you. Keep negative comments to yourself.

2.Children need to feel loved. Sit and hold each of your children for 10 minutes each day, and tell them how dear they are to you; how proud you are of them, and how much you love them. Even if you have four children, it will take you less than an hour to spend quality time with each child. You will see them swell with self esteem and confidence.

3.Children need consistency and predictability in the form of routine. This makes them feel secure. They like to know with 100% certainty what is expected of them at home, at school, and so forth. Collaborate with your children to set boundaries in the home that honours the needs of all family members. Give your children reasons as to why they are expected to behave pro-socially and why time management is important for the family as a whole. If the parent fails to provide structure and routine in the home, it is likely the child will feel insecure and misbehave.

4.Children need to be taught empathy, which is the ability to put yourself in someone else’s position, consider what they are feeling, and respond in a sensitive way. Empathy is not something that occurs naturally. An empathic person would find it very difficult to inflict pain on another person, whether physical or mental because they are aware of how the victim feels. Empathy is also key to high EQ.

5. Children need a reason to behave positively. Always explain to children why you require them to behave in a certain way. Even very young children will listen to your explanation, even if they don’t understand every word. The tone of your voice should be serious and reassuring.

6.Children’s feelings need to be acknowledged. “I know you don’t want to put your safety belt on. I know you feel restricted. It’s uncomfortable, but we need to be safe when travelling on the road.” Acknowledging their feelings with the same exuberance as they are expressing them, makes them stop and listen to you.

7.Children need to be motivated to behave positively. Children need to be motivated to behave positively. Be creative and find ways to motivate your child as you would motivate a complete stranger to do something you desire. Using incentives occasionally to help motivate the child is acceptable. However, using incentives all the time will teach the child to only work for a reward and not for self fulfillment.

8.Children need parents who are good role models of positive behaviour. Parents who shout, swear, hit and fight in front of their children, make their children anxious. Such children blame themselves for unhappiness in the home. Take time for yourself as a parent. Ask for help from friends and family when you feel you’re cracking up. Argue in private, when the children aren’t present. Think of ways to model positive behaviour for your children. They will copy you.

9.Children need problem solving options to increase their IQ and make them effective adults, especially in the business world. If a parent’s only problem solving technique is aggression in the form of smacking, shouting, or bullying, then that is what their children will learn. Teach children to think outside the box, especially when they have erred. Have a debate at the dinner table, and explore all the options.

10.Children need patience and creativity to steer them to wards positive behaviour. If you are aware that they are tired and irritable, and about to throw a tantrum, try to be patient and don’t make the situation worse by being punitive. If possible, find them a private space where they can freely express themselves. Tantrums can be a stress relief for the child. As parents sometimes we need to step away from a situation and destress. If you feel the urge to hit, ask yourself how would I feel right now if I was them? Try to meet their needs creatively.

Focusing on what children need makes raising them a pleasure as they respond positively, and you can begin to enjoy their uniqueness. Substituting emotional and verbal abuse for smacking should never be an option, and neither should bribery and extortion. They are just as harmful as smacking. Good luck! May you be inspired to practice positive parenting. (The Star, August 23,2007).

http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3996492

Revised and updated February 14, 2010

http://www.inspiredparenting.co.za/NewsCast.aspx?NID=9