Old-fashioned parenting?

Growing up, I've always thought my parents are old-fashioned. (as do many teens kan? sorry mama abah!) 

Little did I know I was carrying that gene all the while.

We don't own iPad or any kind of smart phone.

Kakak does not even know ABC yet compared to children her age who learns of that through smart gadgets. 

I have my reasons : I want her to grow up believing the importance of hijaiyah letters and quran, since the whole world is already showing her the importance of reading ABCs. Yet I know it's not a fair argument  Will do so as soon as she finish her hijaiyah!

I have never park kakak in front of the TV to watch cartoon yet, except for the selected shows we copied  and played thru the TV LCD. Very few plain nasyids (in need of more - anybody can suggest?)

Hence Kakak cannot speak English yet, as compared to her friends who watch Disney channel.
Don't copy me here, learning language is a sunnah, and we should start on english ASAP, I just have not looked far enough for a method yet.

At home, the noises that can be heard is only our conversations with her, of my stories of Fatimah and Aisyah (Fatimah now has a little sister), her make-believe idol. And other make-up stories.

As much as I hate to admit it when her dad first say it, parenting is about experimenting. I  refuse to think parenting is taking that much risk. But in the end, I have to agree. Parenting is experimenting, with loads and loads of do'a.

No one can assure me that this kind of parenting is the best. No one can assure me that my children would not be mad at me one day for not giving her what her friends enjoy. No one can assure me that she would go totally the opposite for the lack of it. I cannot even be sure I am sticking to this method forever. It's just, as of now, we are happy with the outcome.

Experimenting needs knowledge and it needs to be well planned. Just like in an experiment, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. No one can deny that the main part of parenting is programming, moulding, through actions and words.

Yet parenting is also about being flexible, for not every child is the same. Hence the importance of us really knowing our child habits, likes, tendencies and especially speciality. Embrace the differences as a speciality, praise and appreciate it, yet make them believe in being a better person everyday.

Easier said than done. So dear parents, some reminders for us.
Which ever method closest to your heart (and most convenient, more likely),

1. Never stop hunting for parenting knowledge.
Kids will still grow into a grown up even without her parents parenting knowledge, but of what kind?

2. Above all, menanam akidah anak must be our first and foremost priority.
As long as my child put being soleh as her first concern, I'll let her be whomever she wants to be. As Ustazah says, semakin besar anak semakin jauh mereka dari kita (kurang pergantungan). Tetapi, hati mereka dapat kita paut, analoginya seperti kita memaut layang-layang, seandainya anak kita solat. Bila menjauh, boleh ditarik semula kepada kita, selagi mana dia menghayati solat. This comes from faith, akidah.

Islam being a way of life, theoritically a muslim parent just need to be themselves. As we know the best teaching and learning method is by role-modelling. But us, being the still struggling mukmin and muslih parents we are, it needs effort. Lets make it a point to do ONE thing daily (atleast) that can contribute to it. Be it familiarizing him with Iqra or short surah, religiously practicing du'a, anything with a breath of islamic value in them. All efforts seeming impossible or too little at the end of a chaotic day, end it with a blow of du'a on their forehead (ubun) as we lie down to sleep.