All about Umar

Umar just turned 4yrs and 9mths last 2 days. Our 1st boy is going to be 5 yrs old this year. How time flies. Have not written about Umar for a long time.
He's getting smarter each day, and also getting harder! to listen to Mummy&Ayah especially to do educational things. Mummy is a bit scared because he's started to say boring, and don't like all the educational things i.e. his activity books that has been abandoned for a while, his colouring book that Zaky has used them all! (I pray to Allah he's going to be fine learning at school starting this September!)
Umar is more into computer games, which 90% is from the children's website (Noggin, Disney, CBeebies etc), which is not so bad. The 10% is the car racing game etc, which he got to play with his dad on weekends conditionally! when he does 2,3 pages of his activity book, be it Maths or others (this started since 2 wks ago and it worked)
However Umar always amazed us with his speech and thinking. One day at school, the topic at circle time was about Energy, source of energy and how to save energy. When teacher Mary asked about energy, Umar told the class about electricity, energy from the sun! batteries! and how not to waste them! I was surprised that all that Mummy talking (and nagging! :-P) to him spontaneously in daily life made him think and be part of his knowledge. Alhamdulillah.. And next Ayah told us about geo-thermal energy! Mummy also learn new things! :-)
Another day when he got to put number 2 for May calendar at school. He showed me and said, "Hey Mummy..this looks like number 2 in Arabic!" (when he turned it the other way) I looked at it and "Yes! it is.." I was surprised myself how did he remembered it. I only showed him the pages number (in Arabic) when we read Iqra'.
All in all I think talking to your children about anything and everything in daily lives makes them think and think. They might not ask you anything at that time but you never knew how much knowledge that is absorbed to their brain each day, if not it is practicing their brain to think, resolve things and memory! that is vital for future use when they start school.
When teacher Mary asked how did you know about all the months of the year? Umar said, "from the song in the car!" I nodded to the teacher when she looked at me.. We have few children's cds that is about basic learning, alphabets, numbers, Simon says game etc. Mummy turned the cd on alternately and it's fun for them and unconsciously they got it! easily!.. Now they also got dvd to watch in the car. Short journey, we TRY! not to let them watch dvd :-P
One day, few weeks ago Mummy got the chance to get Umar interested to do odd & even numbers, and Mummy's intention was to make him learn more about numbers after 100. Alhamdulillah..like playing game with him, we did it until 200+, that is until there's no more space to write on the board! Mummy also tried to get him understand about quarter, half etc. It's good enough to get him into the ideas first, not forcing him to know lotsa things at one go.. But! When there is opportunity, teach them as much as we can! (Ha,ha,ha!:-) )That's what Mummy does... Especially when I got 2 children, now 3! It is so hard to find the time to teach Umar alone. But what is good is that Zaky always interested in whatever we do. Any activity with Umar we got to involve him! In a way Zaky learn a lot for his age.
This is what Mummy got Umar into for about an hour or so. While having fun with him of course. If he doesn't think it's fun and games, Mummy won't be able to do this! So there r times that we got things for 10 minutes, sometimes more.. It's all depends on how long we can get their attention in having fun in learning.And this is when Mummy tried to get him to start to draw. The 2 paper are on a different day! I told him that drawing shapes make you can draw lotsa things that you can imagine. There was Diego&Dora storybook next to us, so I flipped and showed him a picture of trees and flowers and how easy it is to draw them, with shapes. So I did and he followed suit.. And we play the games of how many different types of green and brown can we create for the trees..(making him wanted to do varieties! meaning more trees to draw! and don't forget to praise them!) and same goes with the flowers. So at least I know my son can draw a bit now... The next week I encouraged him to make a Teacher's Day card to teacher Mary. I told him girls love flowers, so does teacher Mary, and how happy will teacher Mary be to get a card full of colourful flowers. So he did... the project over 2 days to finish! :-P But he did it:-) (it was.. a big card.)
In teaching him to read Quran, Umar now is at Iqra' 3, another 10 pages to finish and he can start Iqra' 4. Mummy always trying to get him interested (whenever I have time, when am not busy with baby Aqil!) , but sometimes failing to do so.. Wish we can finish the 6 Iqra' before he starts school in September.. just go with the flow. Ops! I got to return call for Umar's placement test for his new school in September! We hope you can get to the Islamic School Umar... Aminn...