In Episode 95 of the Raising Mums podcast I interview the multi-award winning poet, Mona Zac. She shares advice on how we can use poetry to encourage our children to reflect on the 99 names of Allah. In this practical and inspiring episode, sister Mona tells us why pondering on creation helps our children to connect with Allah. Sister Mona describe…

In Episode 94 of the Raising Mums podcast, I interview Ustadha Dr Bano Murtuja about how we can help our children connect to the Prophet ﷺ.Dr Bano Murtuja is a teacher of sacred sciences with a passion for the Seerah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. In this episode, Ustadha shares with us:Her experience in building a connection with the Prophet ﷺ and how…

Homeschooling socialisation is one of the most common comments or questions parents receive. Almost every argument involving homeschooling revolves around this: "Homeschooled children don't get enough socialisation.". Nobody ever worries about whether our children will get a good education at home, but we hear a lot about children needing school fo…

When homeschooling you have the best intentions, but sometimes you wonder if you’re going to make it. Does your homeschool have a chance of success? How are you going to make it work, or even if you will fail?You know how homeschooling benefits your kids and provides them with an excellent education. You’ve found advice on choosing curriculum, lear…

We are experiencing a terrible economic downturn, which can affect the homeschool budget. Homeschooling can cost as much or as little as you want it to. When you’re first starting out, you may spend a bit more on supplies than you will in subsequent years. The cost of homeschooling is different for every family, it can add up quickly especially if …

Although you know exactly what you should be doing at a particular moment, on a specific day of your homeschool, do you still struggle to accomplish it? There are times when even the best-laid homeschool plans don't work out. When this happens, it can leave you feeling stressed and anxious.All of us have done it. Despite creating seemingly perfect …

Play-based learning is so much more than just having fun for children; it is also a great way for them to learn. During childhood, play plays a significant role in the development and health of children and their long-term success in learning and life. It is through play that competence is built in many domains. As children play, they are able to a…

Although the idea of getting ready to start homeschooling can be overwhelming, know that you can do it. Your first year of homeschool planning does not have to be overwhelming or frightening.In Episode 88 of the Raising Mums podcast, I share what subjects you need to start with and show you the Easiest way to begin your Homeschool Planning!This epi…

Several reasons exist for parents to not send their child to public schools, such as dissatisfaction with the curriculum, teaching methods, and religious concerns, but is homeschooling really better? Khadijah Stott-Andrew addresses this concern and her realisation that teachers don't have all the answers either. Khadijah is a mother of three and a …

Here at Our Muslim Homeschool, we believe that the most important thing homeschooling parents need to hold onto is their intention. In others words, always remember why you homeschool your children. In order to understand how to homeschool with purpose, Nusaibah Kofar-Naisa also advises keeping your intentions in mind every day.Nusaibah is a mother…

Islamic Art is a subject that is often overlooked when developing our curriculum, especially with today's focus on technology. The arts are really essential for growing minds to help our children engage with their personal and cultural understanding. I can help build key skills such as critical and creative thinking as well as developing their fine…

Taking the plunge into homeschooling your children for some reason seems frightening and you still haven’t been able to bring yourself to make that move to get started because you are afraid to homeschool. There is always a certain amount of risk in anything we do in this life, and homeschooling is no different. Being successful in homeschooling me…

Perhaps you’re just thinking about how to start homeschooling. Maybe you’re in your first year or so and are still figuring out the ropes. It’s really easy these days to get overwhelmed with everything you have to know about homeschooling successfully. In Episode 83 of the Raising Mums podcast, I share 3 essential truths on how to start your homesc…

Homeschooling has so many benefits! But despite this, homeschool stress occurs in even the most ideal situations! Balancing home and education has its own unique variety of pitfalls. Yes, it's completely normal to feel stressed, uncertain and overwhelmed sometimes. But is it possible to eliminate homeschool stress and it's impact on our children? L…

Education is compulsory but school is not. Under the 1996 Education Act, parents have a responsibility to provide their children with a suitable education whether at school or otherwise. School does not suit all children or lifestyles. Parents choose home education for a number of reasons, the topmost of which is the desire to give their children a…

Are you running out of ideas, or have a lack of ideas to begin or challenge your young students? Let us help, we share our favourite homeschooling resources of the year from our Muslim homeschool!In Episode 80 of the Raising Mums podcast, I share our favourite homeschool resources of the year!If you would like to see the resources I mention in this…

Sometimes we get in a rut in our homeschools and do not make the changes that are necessary for our children to succeed. It takes courage to make big changes in your homeschool - and generally when you have a nagging feeling that something isn’t right it’s time to make a change. In our Homeschool podcast, you'll learn how to navigate change in your…

Homeschooling brings its own set of unique challenges. But when life hits you hard, homeschooling is even tougher. When you are having one of those days when everything seems to be falling apart, it’s easy to let the rest of the day go in a downward spiral, some days it’s hard to maintain a sense of hope and gratitude and get back on track to homes…

At one time or another in our home education journey, many of us deal with a well-known doubt in ourselves that we call imposter syndrome. It can come in many forms, and it usually hits you when you’re discouraged, stressed, or on the way to burnout. It's that constant feeling that you might be doing something wrong when home educating. How do we o…

If you want to start homeschooling your child, you’re probably feeling a mix of emotions. You’re excited, anxious and maybe a little scared too. It’s normal to feel this way. If you already home educate your kids, you probably have lots of worries too! That's normal too!In Episode 76 of the Raising Mums podcast, I share why we should overcome our w…

A good education for our children is every parent’s concern and priority. We have been schooled to think of "success" as synonymous with, or at least dependent upon, "schooling". However, as Muslim parents homeschooling in the UK, have we've lost sight and understanding of what a good education truly means? In Episode 75 of the Raising Mums podcast…

Our religion values reading since the first verse revealed to our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was “read” from surah Al-Alaq. Reading is an important part of a homeschooling life and the primary means of gaining knowledge. Children are like sponges and absorb everything they are exposed to. Everything they read will read influences their heart, their wa…

Teaching your children about your religion and culture is a significant part of parenting. Ramadan with your kids and other celebrations that you have at home as well as the numerous experiences that you share with your child will assist them with understanding the values that you attempt to instill in them. SubhanAllah, we are now nearing the end …

We start the homeschool year enthusiastically but sadly, the passion to teach our children sometimes begins to fade. Even adults can get bored if they’re doing the same old routine every day. We may start to chose a half-hearted approach as the daily demands of caring for a household and the intense effort required as a homeschooler can drain even …

When making homeschooling decisions sometimes we put too much weight on happiness and what makes our children happy and making sure they always do what they enjoy. Yes, children are an amanah (trust) from Allah SWT and we have certain duties and responsibilities towards them. We must guide them with kindness and mercy, but we also need to equip and…

Too often we spend our days drowning in homeschool comparison and looking for that next surefire thing that will magically bring us up to some self-imposed standard. Living in a social media-driven world makes this worse, it is the source of so much of our discontent. We now can compare and judge ourselves 24/7 with other in homeschools UK but also…

Ramadan is a month of spirituality and moral values and is a great opportunity for parents to teach their children ethics and values. You can take advantage of this holy month by implanting the beauty of the month of Ramadan in your children’s hearts and minds. During Ramadan, children build important memories which will influence how they feel abo…

You have a lot to do. In addition to all your other jobs and responsibilities, you've also chosen to home educate your children. That's huge! It's no wonder that when you can't keep up with the homeschooling curriculum, you worry they're falling behind. You worry that they're not where they're supposed to be, that you're failing as a homeschooler, …

Deciding to homeschool is a huge undertaking. As you make that choice, you’ll wrestle with emotions of doubt and fear; anxiety and self-loathing; confusion, and utter panic! And when you step out on the other side and boldly make that decision to home-educate, you may assume you’re the victor; that you’ll never face such difficult decisions again. …

Homeschooling moms have a lot on their plate. You’re often playing the role of housewife, mom, teacher, wife…and more. Homeschooling is fulfilling, interesting and exciting, but it can also be challenging and just plain hard! Being a homeschool mom can take sacrifice to a new level so it is so important that you take care and have confidence in you…

Among the countless benefits of homeschooling is flexible scheduling. This means your family has the freedom to learn whenever and wherever you want because the whole world is your classroom! Taking trips with your kids is not only great for learning and socializing but also for creating memories for the entire family. Unfortunately, sometimes, eve…

Homeschooling is often challenging but homeschooling older children can be especially frustrating when you are juggling homeschooling with a 2 year at home! Almost every homeschool mum has been through this, you are not alone! So how can we try and balance the needs of everyone and ensure learning does happen even with toddlers wandering around gra…

Sometimes you are confronted with people who don’t value or approve of homeschooling. This is a common problem here in the UK, where voluntary homeschooling is a very uncommon choice. These Homeschool Haters can bring you down. They can make you have self-doubt and feel despair by challenging your decision to homeschool. So what is the Best Way to …

Homeschooling is a beautiful way to educate and raise your children. When you look back on your years at home with your children, you will not regret the time you spent with them. But that doesn’t mean it’s always smooth sailing! There will be times when things get tough. You might question other homeschooling options. You may even consider, "Shoul…

Our time is really valuable and we want to try to ensure we make the most of it. As Muslims time management is an integral part of our religion with the foundation of our 5 daily prayers helping us to structure our day. How do we build on this fundamental foundation and take ownership of our time in order to boost our productivity and get everythin…

"Am I Doing Enough?", this question can wreak havoc on your homeschooling schedule, no matter what stage of homeschooling you are in. It is one of the most frequent questions that we hear from homeschoolers. When you constantly wrestle with the worry over whether or not your children are learning everything they need to learn, it can make you feel …

Many homeschool mum’s have shared with us that they struggle with consistency— and they feel guilty because of it. We all know that our children need consistency in their lives. Consistency gives them a sense of security but some days, being consistent with our homeschool routine feels impossible. If you do struggle with consistency in your days, y…

Being a mum is amazing! Being with our children every day is such a blessing, but it can sometimes feel lonely too. This podcast is inspired by a recent email we received, and if you are on the same journey and you have ever felt lonely and isolated, this loneliness advice for mums can help you too."Assalamu alaikkum sis. I'm very emotional and sad…

One of the best ways to find good educational resources for your Muslim homeschool, is by getting recommendations from friends. Well we're friends, right?! In Episode 57 of the Raising Mums podcast, I share my favorite homeschooling resources from the past twelve months.This Blogpost may contain affiliate links. Please see Disclaimer for more infor…

It's that time of year again when we have to discuss Christmas with our children. It's a source of anxiety for a lot of Muslim families. If you're a Muslim parent living in a non-Muslim country, you may have learnt to adapt to many western practices. But, as Muslim parents, how do we navigate Christmas? Let me suggest 7 Ways we can Teach Kids about…

In episode 55 of the Raising Mums podcast, we talk about what you can do if your husband is against homeschooling.This episode was inspired by a question from a mama inside our Homeschooling course for Muslim Parents, Launch Your Homeschool. Sister X said,"I have spent the summer researching home education including the course. I am thoroughly conv…

Committing what is beautiful and true to memory, whether it is Quran, art or poetry; is a valuable part of the Charlotte Mason philosophy. Covering memorisation in your homeschool can be daunting at first; not knowing what to choose to memorise, when to slot it into your homeschooling day and essentially, how to memorise!In Episode 54 of the Raisin…

Many believe that Charlotte Mason Homeschooling is not REALISTIC. That it is IDEALISTIC. Maybe they're right! But you started homeschooling because you were not happy with the status quo. You wanted something better for your children-something that many might feel is unrealistic.When you consider Charlotte Mason Homeschooling first begin by realisi…

Summer has arrived! What does this mean for homeschooling families? Some families may want to have a long break and other homeschoolers may have different family needs and want to continue a relaxed homeschooling schedule. This is the beauty of homeschooling, it is so flexible at times like these you can adapt it to you and your family's needs.In E…

Sometimes we can feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or just upset. We have all been there on our homeschooling journey but how do we overcome these feelings of anxiety and manage these thoughts when we are having a BAD day!In Episode 51 of the Raising Mums podcast, I share what steps you can take to tackle a Bad Day in Homeschooling. WATCH THIS VIDEO ht…

What is the best advice to share with parents so they can successfully homeschool their children? As an experienced homeschooler of four children, Gemma provides heartfelt advice she feels is essential in order to run your happy and successful homeschool in Ten Tips on How to Homeschool.In Episode 50 of the Raising Mums podcast, I share my top ten …

There is so much information out there about homeschooling it can be confusing. Trying to get your head around all curricula, the different philosophies, planning, and assessments... it can get so overwhelming. Launch Your Homeschool will provide you with the tools you need to find your own way, which will suit your beautifully unique family.In Epi…

When considering homeschooling or even whilst homeschooling many parents struggle with low confidence. Despite the fact that most homeschooling parents are going above and beyond what they need to do in teaching their children, there’s still this underlying fear that they aren’t doing enough.In Episode 48 of the Raising Mums podcast, I share how pa…

How long does homeschooling actually take? Do I really have time to home educate my kids? Here's a real-life look at a Muslim Homeschool schedule...When considering homeschooling, as parents we worry that we will have to fill so many hours of the day teaching our children. Homeschooling is not school, we are not replicating a school at home! The be…

Setting yourself up for success when you start homeschooling can be a challenge. As parents, we struggle with confidence when starting this journey. The key is to realise that homeschooling is a lifestyle. It changes the way you live and yet you need to design it around your family. In Episode 46 of the Raising Mums podcast, I share ways to reframe…