Since the past 24 hours that I made the tweet on child parenting solution, my DM has been buzzing. I checked them, and one thing was quite common to all: Parents who are not happy about their kid’s performance in school, and they have approached it the wrong way.
If you fall in this category, this post is for you.
Many of us use brutal force because expectations are too high, and the anger is just too much. The scholar Ibn al-Jawzi explained in his book Sayd al-Khatir that intellect is a Rizq (provision) from God, just like money or health.
He said some people are born with a wide vessel and others with a narrow one. If you try to force the water of a whole sea into a small cup, you will only spill the water and ruin the cup. This is what many of us are doing. We are trying to force a "doctor's brain" into a child whose cup was designed for something else.
By that, it causes a soul-crushing resentment in the child. Imam Al-Ghazali described this beautifully in Ihya’ Ulum al-Din. He warned parents about a state called “Al-Malal”, where a child builds resentment because they are pushed beyond their limit. Everyone wants the best for their child. No doubt. However, if you keep yelling at them for things they cannot grasp yet, you make them hate the very sight of a book. You are closing the door to their heart while trying to kick open the door to their mind.
Then what is the solution? It is simple.
Going forward, every parent should make efforts to start looking for the Fath (the opening) in their kids. What does this mean? This is the lane the Almighty has prepared for them. In our history, if a child is slow with grammar or math, the scholars don’t call them a failure. They move them to a trade, a craft or a service.
How then do you identify this Fath (Opening) in your child? Please pay close attention to me…
(1) The first phase is Observation. Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned a concept called Istid’ad (natural readiness) in his book titled: Tuhfat al-Mawdud. This means you want to watch/observe/look at the child when they think nobody is looking. This is your first tool. For the next two weeks, stop talking about school. Do not worry yourself about how they perform on their homework.
Instead, keep a "Strength Log." Every evening, write down one thing they did well that had nothing to do with a classroom. Did they fix a broken toy? Did they calm down a crying sibling? Did they organise their shoes? You are looking for their Istid’ad (natural readiness). If they are "book-slow" but "people-smart" or "hand-smart," that is where the key has been placed.
(2) Introduce “Project or Craft” early on. Ibn Khaldun, in his Muqaddimah, argued that projects/crafts are high forms of intelligence that build civilizations. He argued that some minds are designed to understand the physical world better than the abstract one.
Give them a "Project Day." Buy a basic tool kit, a sewing machine, or a coding starter kit. Give them a broken radio or a piece of furniture to fix. Delegate. Give them a real-world task that has a visible result. When a child who fails at math sees that they can build a table or bake a perfect loaf of bread, their internal shame starts to heal. They realize they are not stupid; they were just in the wrong room.
(3) Kill the Comparison Virus. Imam Al-Zarnuji, in his classic work Ta’lim al-Muta’allim, explained that a student should only study what fits their nature. He said that forcing a student into a field they have no taste for is a waste of their life and the teacher's time. When you compare your child to others, you are catching a virus that blinds you to their path. Always filter.
When family members start bragging about their kids' grades, you must be the shield. Tell them, "My child is mastering the art of (so so and so)." You are teaching your child that success is not a single ladder. There are many ladders to it. And if you do not value their ladder, they will stop climbing.
(4) Prioritize Character Building. Put more efforts to praise your kids for their good character. Always tell them you love them when they behave well or show good character. Character recognition helps the child build a good self-image, which translates into self-confidence and barrier-breaking for the child. Prioritise this.
(5) Don’t underestimate the power of your words. Always pray to God to grant them their opening. The scholars taught that the "opening" is a gift from Al-Fattah (The Opener). Supplicate.
In your Sujud or in your prayers, stop asking for them to be a doctor/engineer, and what have you. Ask for the door that was made for them to be opened. Ask Him to show you the Fath so you can stop pushing them against a closed wall.
Always remember, a parent who finds the "Fath (The Opening)" for their child has given them a gift better than a degree. You have given them a purpose. Start that journey NOW. It’s never too late…
Thank you for your attention.
Allah knows best.
Hello Lola, I am a Muslim, and our spiritual tradition has a very deep approach to raising children. I want to share some tips from our scholars that will be beneficial to you regardless of your faith.
First of all, our theology teaches the concept of Fitrah. This means that every child is born with a pure heart. At six years old, she is not a criminal mastermind. She does not have a wicked soul.
If she doesn’t have all these, then what is happening? The truth is that she is just lacking impulse control and testing boundaries. By this, if you look at her as a manipulator, you will fight her. However, if you look at her as a pure soul making mistakes, you will be able to guide her.
Secondly, for every problem anyone faces today, it has been solved in history. The only problem is how to locate them.
A classical scholar named Al-Ghazali wrote about child psychology over 900 years ago in his famous book “Ihya Ulum al-Din.” In his section on disciplining children, he gave a practical rule I want you to adopt going forward.
He advised that parents should never push a child into a corner where they are forced to lie. When you ask a question you already know the answer to, her survival instinct kicks in. She cries and she lies to defend herself because she is scared of you. Stop interrogating her. Just look at her and state the fact. Say, I know you took this, and we are going to return it right now.
Again, another scholar and sociologist Ibn Khaldun addressed this exact behavior in his masterpiece titled: “Al-Muqaddimah.” He warned that when a child is raised with harsh punishment, they learn deceit, trickery, and lying to protect themselves. This is why she is covering her tracks and crying to manipulate you. The fear of a harsh reaction is making her a better liar.
Lola, do not attach a label to her. Do not ever call her a thief. If you attack her identity instead of her action, she will internalize it and grow into that dark label. Tell her the action is wrong but protect her dignity.
Make her return the item. Do not fall for the tears. Hold her hand, walk her back to wherever she took it from, and make her hand it back and apologize. The discomfort of returning a stolen item teaches a much better lesson than beating her will ever do.
Finally, I don’t know if you are a Muslim, but never underestimate the power of your own words. In our faith, we believe the prayer of a parent for a child goes straight to God without any barrier. Pray over her. Pray for her heart to be content and for her character to be straight.
Keep doing this consistently and the habit will break.
Allah knows best.
In England, top 4 is no longer the goal. Top 5 is.
Everyone is talking about fifth place getting Champions League football next season. Nobody is explaining why it is actually happening. You know I will always tell you.
What happened is that UEFA expanded the Champions League to 36 teams in 2024 and created two extra spots called European Performance Spots(EPS).
These spots go to the two leagues whose clubs collectively perform best across all three UEFA competitions every season. England won that race last season. England is winning it again this season. The fifth spot is the prize.
To determine the winners of this EPS, UEFA adds up every win, every draw, every round of progression by every English club across the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League, divides it by the number of clubs involved, and ranks every league in Europe.
Right now England leads that table comfortably and Spain is second. Everyone else is further back.
Now this part is funny.
Every extra spot England earns is a spot another league loses. For example, France already dropped from four Champions League places to three. If English clubs keep dominating Europe collectively, that gap will keep widening.
I have a reservation though.
The coefficient system sounds like a meritocracy. What it actually does is take money from weaker leagues and redirect it to stronger ones, structurally and permanently.
Fifth place used to mean Europa League and a tighter budget. Now it means Champions League revenue, elite visibility, and everything that comes with it. The top four race just became a top five race. And it is not going back.
My name is Ajoje. I am a FIFA Licensed Agent and International Sports Lawyer. I write on the Law and Business of Football, a lot. Repost and Follow if you want to read more posts like this.