Day 9: Why I wrote “The Well-Planned Muslim Mum” Islamic Homeschooling Journal

It so happened that in the year 2015 we found ourselves moving abroad with 4 children in tow (we now have 6, alhamdulillah). Our children had always been home-educated in the UK. Since we now happen to be in Saudi Arabia, we thought it was an excellent idea to send them to a school where they would be exposed to the Arabic language and immersed in Islamic studies. However, we soon found out about various schooling problems across the country. I was told government schools aren’t even an option as non-native or foreign students rarely go to government schools. Therefore, if they do, those non-Arab children would immediately stand out, have difficulty mixing in and making friends, and settling in at a school. Therefore, our choices were limited to private Arabic or private international schools (with somewhat mixed nationalities). Again, at the end of our school hunting, we were met with concerns and varying schooling problems. Now, I am more aware of the dilemma with schools across the Middle East, from disciplining to bullying, from curriculum to outdated methods of instruction sometimes by unqualified teachers and not to mention extortionate tuition fees.

I believe for many parents, it is difficult to find a school within a budget that offers quality education with Islamic values, beliefs, and principles in place (yes, despite living in a Muslim country!). We couldn’t afford high-end private schools and at the same time, we were unhappy with relatively cheaper private schools. That’s how I was led to continue our home-ed journey (while juggling full-time work as a teacher at a university) and became part of homeschooling communities and joined Home-Ed support and network groups around the Middle East.

Alhamdulillah, over the past five years, I have worked with hundreds of expatriate families trying to support parents in their effort of providing the best possible start for their children. We ran homeschool co-ops as well as weekend classes where I homeschooled children who happened to be in a similar situation to us. And alhamdulillah, my homeschooled students achieved phenomenal results in their academic endeavours. By the tawfeeq of Allah azza wa jaal, I have also been conducting homeschooling workshops and delivering informative parenting courses. So, for some time now, the parents I worked with have suggested that I write a book about Islamic homeschooling.

I often hear from parents “How do you manage it all?” and I am always wondering “manage what?” I wonder what’s this “it”? We certainly don’t do 9 am-3 pm schooling daily and if this is what’s meant by IT, I have no idea how other parents manage “it” either. I don’t think we do what people think we do. I can’t prescribe our way of homeschooling with step by step instructions on how other full time working parents can successfully homeschool six children of varying ages and needs. We don’t have that secret formula. Moreover, I know for a fact what works for our family may not work for other families. I guess the feeling you get after homeschooling more than a decade is this: You know a lot but at the same time you aren’t sure what exactly you are doing anymore because your family is constantly evolving. And therefore, your homeschooling approach/style/methods are adapting accordingly to suit your children’s continuously changing needs and your continually altering family priorities.  And that was one of the reasons I felt I couldn’t write a book on homeschooling because your homeschooling journey is a personal lifestyle choice that should be defined by YOU and YOU only.

As many homeschool experts stated, it is never one size fits all. Charlotte Mason states, as much as one-third of education is an atmosphere (environment). So, as a parent and as an educator, you will have to create the learning environment you want that works best for your children, and within the means of your family. It is certainly recommended to read books on the subject and get ideas from other people’s learning experiences. However, you can’t copy-paste someone else’s story. None knows your child or your family situation as much as YOU do. So you will have to be very flexible, pick, and choose what serves your family’s current needs. That’s when I thought I can provide that missing piece – Islamic homeschooling JOURNAL and PLANNER- where you can find information and guidance to plan your very own Islamic Homeschooling Education/Curriculum.

I will share insightful knowledge and information from my 15+ years of teaching experience. As a teacher and teacher trainer, I can guide you through curriculum development, syllabus design, and lesson planning, so you will be equipped with the tools to plan and feel more confident as a “teacher” at home insha’Allah.

I will also share personal reflections from my 10+ years of homeschooling my children as well as running home-ed coops, support groups, and weekend classes. In doing so, I will pose thought-provoking questions to help you narrow down your curriculum options so you will make the right decisions to suit the needs of YOUR family.

Also, you will find the list of highly recommended books for parents who want to educate their children outside of school. However, at the end of the day, whatever you read, you hear, you listen to- you have to make your own decision because you live with your children. And this planner helps you to achieve just that- it gives you clarity, focus, and direction to take your homeschooling journey along the path that serves YOU and YOUR family, inshaAllah.

My sister, no homeschooling approach fits your children. You have to create one, invent one, make one. Your homeschooling must be DIY. So, let’s do this together. Bismillah.