|  | Nurturing the Next Generation
Project of Sound Vision |
| |  | Instilling an Attitude of Gratitude in the Hearts of our Children By Zahirah Lynn Eppard Our own attitude toward gratitude is significantly important to the way our children also think about and practice this sentiment. Here are 7 practical ways to instill an attitude of gratitude in the hearts of your children. Every bit of energy you can put into this task is worthy of the effort. - Reflect on your own behavior.
- Encourage your child to say “thank you” on a regular basis.
- See the beauty and wonder in simple things.
- Make time to reflect as a family.
- Perform acts of kindness.
- Look for the good in everything.
- Create a family gratitude project.
Read more about filling your child’s heart with gratitude. |
| | | Parenting Tip As parents, our daily lives are filled with joys and challenges. And there is nothing better to keep a balanced perspective on both every day than being grateful. |
| |  | Reflecting on Gratitude in the Quran and Sunnah By Umm Ahmed The word gratitude, in Arabic, is captured as Shukr. And, while we most commonly tend to associate it in a conventional perspective, that is being in a state of thankfulness for what you receive, it is very different from an Islamic point of view. In the Islamic context, shukr or gratitude extends well beyond the general notion of thankfulness. Learn more about what the Quran and Sunnah say about the importance of gratitude. |
| | | Inspiration "Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good." Maya Angelou, Celebrations, Rituals of Peace and Prayer |
| |  | Expressing Gratitude with Handwritten Notes By Laura El Alam Sending handwritten thank-you notes has a uniquely positive impact. To learn more about this simple yet effective connection strategy, writer Laura El Alam interviewed empowerment coach Jennessa Durrani. In addition to hosting a supportive online community for midlife moms, Durani is an entrepreneur, wife, mother of two teen boys, and a member of her local Islamic center’s shura council. Durani founded the Happy Mail Circle, a service that regularly provides works of art in postcard form so that subscribers can strengthen connections with loved ones via beautiful handwritten notes. Learn more about this inspiring work. |
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| | Hadith “… If you are grateful, I will certainly give you more. But if you are ungrateful, surely My punishment is severe.” (Surah Ibrahim, 14:7) |
| |  | An Indigenous Peoples Fact – Not Everybody Is Eating Turkey! By Mahasin Shamsid-Deen Thanksgiving has been a national holiday in the U.S. since President Abraham Lincoln declared it as such in 1863. Americans subscribe to a story that religiously oppressed Europeans set sail for a new land seeking a place where they would be free to practice their own beliefs and were greeted by Indigenous peoples who helped, welcomed, and even joined with them in a harvest meal to celebrate their arrival. But, for Indigenous People who for more than 50 years have attended Unthanksgiving or the National Day of Mourning observances, the story is more fable than fact. Learn more about the true history of Thanksgiving from a different perspective. |
| | |  | Book Review: Learning to Pay It Forward with Ordinary Mary By Wendy Díaz With the holiday season approaching, many Muslims look forward to using their free time to get together with family and friends. One of the ways that we can express gratitude in Islam is through giving. Emily Pearson, author of Ordinary Mary’s Extraordinary Deed, wonderfully captures this spirit through her thoughtful picture book about an ordinary girl and her marvelous, good deed. Find out how one minor deed is multiplied to mean the world to so many people. |
| | | Motivational Tips Drs. Joshua Brown and Joel Wong, both researchers at Indiana University, have conducted scientific studies on the impact of gratitude and found that it has both psychological and physical benefits including: - Gratitude unshackles us from toxic emotions.
- Gratitude helps even if you don’t share it.
- Gratitude’s benefits take time.
- Gratitude has lasting effects on the brain.
- Those who routinely count their blessings are overall happier and experience less depression.
- A gratitude writing project can be beneficial not just for healthy, well-adjusted individuals, but also for those who struggle with mental health concerns.
You can read more about this research here. |
| | Online Resources Gratitude Scavenger Hunt - This project developed by the Children’s Museum of Richmond can be fun for the entire family. Participants get a chance to identify tangible and intangible blessings like something that makes you smile, something that tastes good, one thing you love about yourself, and more. Gratitude Jar Project - Blissful Kids suggests trying a Gratitude Jar to build mindfulness with tweens and teens. Tangible projects can help both parents and kids practice gratitude daily. Gratitude Journal Prompts - The Kitchen Table Classroom has a wide variety of designs for making and personalizing your own gratitude journal and other gratitude projects. Filling your Days with Gratitude Calendar - Print out this calendar and use the 30+ suggestions to focus on a different blessing to be grateful for each day. Coming Closer to Allah with a Gratitude Board - Families can work on this gratitude board project together to increase the attention on being grateful everyday. Transforming Struggles into Gratitude - Part of the Deeds to Habit series, Sarah Sultan provides advice in this short video about how to take a struggle into a source of reward by thinking about it from a position of gratitude. (4:18) |
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| |  | The Sound Vision Foundation has been a trusted source of Islamic knowledge for more than 30 years. Our work with the world-renowned puppets Adam and Aneesah pioneered creative programming for Muslim children, encouraging them to learn about and love their religion. We continue to bring sound content and engaging programs that stimulate minds, touch hearts, and strive to fulfill our mission of raising better Muslims, better neighbors, and better citizens. This latest effort is designed to support and empower Muslim parents to do the same. |
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