Welcoming Hilwaa: Adapting Our Methods for a Growing Family 🌼

Bismillah: In May 2010, our family grew once again with the arrival of our third child, Hilwaa. With three little ones at home, our approach to teaching the Quran had to evolve. The house was now filled with even more laughter, chatter, and questions, and we needed to adapt our methods to accommodate our growing family. 🌟

Evolving Our Teaching Approach 🌱

• Embracing the Chaos: With three kids, life became a bit more chaotic, but in a joyful way! We learned to be flexible with our teaching times, fitting Quranic lessons into the natural flow of our day. Some days, lessons were quick bedtime stories, while others were impromptu sessions in the kitchen or garden.
• Doodling Fun for All: To keep things engaging, we introduced doodling as a way to visualize Quranic stories. Syauqi and Nurin loved drawing what they heard, and little Hilwaa, though still a baby, enjoyed watching their creations come to life. 🎨
• Shared Learning Moments: We encouraged the older siblings to help teach Hilwaa, turning learning into a shared, family experience. They would proudly show her their doodles and repeat simple Quranic phrases for her to hear.

One of the first stories we shared with Hilwaa was the story of Prophet Nuh (AS) and the ark. Syauqi and Nurin eagerly drew boats and animals, explaining the story to their baby sister with pride. 🚢🐘

Adapting with Iqrasaurus 🦖

This phase marked the beginning of the Integrate approach for us. We realized that faith-based learning didn’t have to be formal; it could be part of our everyday activities, seamlessly woven into playtime and family moments.

As Allah says in the Quran:

"It is He who made the night and the day in succession for whoever desires to remember or desires gratitude." (Surah Al-Furqan, 25:62) 🌙☀️

This verse reminded us to cherish every moment as an opportunity for gratitude and learning, whether day or night, calm or chaotic.

A Peek Into Our Conversations 🗨️

Nurin: "Hilwaa, look! This is Nuh’s boat!"

Hilwaa: (clapping hands) "Boat! Boat!"

Syauqi: "And these are the animals, two by two, just like Allah told Nuh to do!"

Ummi Ziehan: "MashaAllah, you’re both such great teachers to your sister!" 🌟

End Note: Embrace the chaos—learning happens in the everyday moments we share as a family. Join us next time as we explore how we began creating doodle maps to navigate the Quran through creative play! 🗺️🎨