For years, like most children, I took Father’s Day as an opportunity to give my father a card and a gift, and a big hug to tell him how much I loved him. Often my brother and I would take him out for a meal, but often we wouldn’t and it wouldn’t be a big … More The Other Parent
I have very fond childhood memories of Ramadan. It was like the whole atmosphere in our house became richer for that one month. Waking up for sehri (suhour) as a family, listening to the Quran on the TV, praying together, trying to maximise good deeds, having relatives over for iftari (iftaar), and then of course, … More Ramadan for Toddlers
Does Baby A know how old she is? If you ask her, she will tell you that she’s two, but that’s probably because that’s the answer she’s been taught to give. In her mind, I think that Baby A believes that she’s four. There could be no other explanation for the number of questions she … More 400 Questions
I started exercising after my first month at university. All that additional walking couldn’t make up for a month of stress-eating non-home cooked food, and I gained five kilos. On my rather petite bone structure, the five kilos looked like 50, so I joined the gym. I wasn’t an athletic child, and I’m not a … More Exercising with a Toddler
Of the hundreds of memorable lunches that I shared with my colleagues before Baby A was born, there is one that I remember because of a fleeting conversation. I was a few months pregnant, and the first person in the team to be expecting a child, so everyone was excited. I don’t remember what we … More Mommy Hands
My husband and I have recently started to watch CBS’s new drama series, Ransom. The story revolves around a professional crisis and hostage negotiator and his team negotiating their way out of potentially catastrophic situations with the aim of saving lives. This post about negotiation tactics may not give you the tools to save lives, … More Parental Negotiation 101: Getting Your Toddler to Do Your Bidding
It has recently come to my attention that there exists a book that defines the do’s and don’ts of what to say to a new mom. Over the last two years, I have heard several snippets from said book from those around me. There was the considerate, “you’re probably not making enough milk if your … More The Great Book of Backseat Parenting
Sweetheart, You turned two this week. Two. You’re two. Wow, it’s just not setting in, regardless of how many times I repeat it. It seems like you were born yesterday, and I had to pry open your closed fists and quickly clean your hands with a piece of cotton before you clenched them again. Now, … More A Letter to My Daughter
My parents have often told me stories of my younger self, demanding to do everything myself. ‘Hira khud’ (Hira self) was a very popular phrase in my toddler vocabulary. I would even go shopping with my mum to choose my own clothes. Once, I must’ve been about three, my mother bought a frock for me … More I for Independence
Nothing could have prepared me for those first few months after my daughter’s birth. The sleep deprivation alone was enough to make me lose my mind. Add on nursing, diaper changes, bathing, entertaining and the desperate need to be the text-book mother and homemaker, and I was living only to take care of the little … More Finding Myself in Motherhood
To Mommy or Not to Mommy 