Happy Muslim Mama: Teaching Little Lady Al-Quran

I am currently in the process of teaching Little Lady her Arabic alphabet and it is turning out to be very trying for us both. I began by sending her to an Alimah (female scholar), but this was difficult due to timing (7-8 in the evening) which I felt was late for a small child and because we had to drop and pick her in the car every day, so if hubby had a delivery booked we had problems and she often missed lessons (I must be the only person in the western hemisphere who doesn’t drive). Beside this, because we left it to someone else we weren’t making her practise at home and she would miss two lessons and forget everything. I had no intension of putting my daughter in with a male scholar that I didn’t know (no offence intended – but I just feel happier that way), so I had to take responsibility myself.The Alimah gave me some good advice about age – she suggested that girls start at four and boys at five. She had noticed that children younger than this forgot lessons and then couldn’t understand why the teacher was annoyed with them. I have seen children start younger than this with good results, but with a very gentle approach rather than the traditional desi no-carrot and a big stick approach (which I will not be applying)I am using the Ahsanul-Quaid (Easy Beginners Lesson-Book) and she has memorised the letters and caught the pronunciation quite well. I have found that the gentle loving approach has not worked and I have to be very stern to get her to get ready, sit up and practice. It doesn’t help that Little Man will try and do everything to distract her and every lesson so far has been punctuated with a fight between them.I am also trying to teach her the names of Allah and start her with memorising Al-Fatihah. She was happy to start with this Surah as I told her that having the Quran in her mind and heart will make her good and keep her safe. It also starts with Alhamdullilah which she already knows.I am not very confident with this, but I think of my dad who taught all five of his children and many of the neighbour’s children Quran and memorisation of Surah’s of the Quran over a period of fourteen years without any formal religious education and I realise that as with all things it takes sabr and determination.

Please make dua for me and my children to succeed in this endeavour.