AbdurRahmaan, a four year old boy had climbed the stairs of the one story building of his grandfathers where his dad also uses as his office. No one had a premonition of what the innocent little boy had up his sleeves but no one was left in doubt of the seriousness. of incident. Spider Maaaaaaaan! AbdurRahmaan shouted as he jumped down from the top of the stairs.
He writhed in pain as he lay sprawled on the floor. Alhamdulillah he did not sustain any major injury. Prophet Musa (alayhi salaam) parts the Red Sea while Harry Potter battle Professor Quirre l. To most adults, the distinctions are obvious. A simple matter of fact versus fiction. Reality versus fantasy. But in a childs mind, the line between what is a true story and what is an imaginary tale is not clearly drawn.
Combine that with the huge exposure the kids receive to the fantastic (especially the more dangerous variety that sells itself in realism) and this can be confusing to a little ones mind. How then can we help our kids know the difference? Stay alert and consider these practical thoughts as your children make sense of their world: Assumption are often Dangerous : Dont assume that your own children intrinsicallyknow fantasy from reality. What is obvious to you is something else to a child. Be careful not to fall prey to the naive my kids know that isnt real!attitude.
Children don't absorb and process information the same way adults do. What they need is supervision and repeated clarification and explanation. Parents are Teachers Take responsibility for your childs spiritual growth. A few brief hours of madrasah is not a sufficient exposure to the truth of Islaam to produce maturity. Without spiritual maturity, your children cannot develop discernment.
Nay True Stories Are Always Better
The Quran is absolute truth from the smallest concrete detail to its overall message. So each time you read to your child the story Prophet Yuusuf and his brothers, or that of Musa and Phiraun, clarify that the events are real. You may begin each session of reading stories from the Quran by saying (for instance) Now I am going to read to you a true story from the Quran about real people that lived a long time ago.
Let the Truth Stand Alone
Fictional stories can be a wonderful tool for getting kids excited about reading and for fostering imagination. However, when (not if) you read to your child, make your Islaamic story time a separate and special one. This will help your child to distinguish an angel from Spiderman. Look for the "Elephant" Make-believe is part of being a kid. They love stories where people fly, gigantic creatures abound and mystical battles rage. While we need to be careful about excessive violence, antiheroes, and the occult, there is an "elephant" that we may be missing. Many popular book and movie series contain specifically anti Islamic worldview.
Talk Talk Talk
Throwing out the entire fantasy genre, like the baby with the bath water, may be a hard nut. However, censor when appropriate and then grab every opportunity to compare and dispute contrary ideas to that of al-Islaam. Help your children understand why Allaahs words make sense. Then no matter what they encounter; they not only will know the Truth, but have the. Power to defend it
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited