What comes to your mind When you say word greet or greeting? In my mind i see people including myself, greeting one another like fulfilling a formality.
We know greeting is a day to day common practice in all cultures, no matter what they say and how they greet, people do this all over the world.
The minimum words to say to one another when greeting, are assalamualaikum which mean peace be with you, this is based on 'salam' ,what a beautiful greeting. What do we need more than peace in our world? So whys not start spreading salam in our homes for every good act begings at home.
It doesn't seem like something to think about or to learn consciously or atleast i never thought about greeting in this way until I researched a little about greeting.
And what I learned, gave me a new perspective on this beautiful practice.
Let me share what I learned and How it benefited me:
Benefits of greeting
Greeting others shows that you are pleased to see them.
It sets a positive tone for a conversation, meeting, and even a day.
It sends a gesture of warmth,care and friendliness.
When we say salam (peace) we are assuring others that we intend only peace, no harm to them, and everything else
And we are praying that peace be upon every single aspect of their life, their relationships, their work, their deen and dunya and everything that is related to them, what could be more powerful than keep wishing peace for everyone around us?
It shows respect to elders and care and affection to little ones.
Above all it brings about rewards from Allah subhanahu wata'ala for showing our intention of peace and harmony on earth.
I think this gives a beautiful hint to moms to set a positive tone for the day and a positive environment at home.
Usually our kids learn to greet by watching adults so it is not something that we have to consciously emphasize like a lesson.
But this simple practice can be a powerful tool in setting the tone of a day and strengthening your connection with your child.
Here I share 6 simple ways to teach your kids how to greet
1. Greet them cheerfully and lovingly as soon as they wakeup:
How do you feel when someone wakes you up in a kind cheerful manner? Do you feel like you are important and loved? We certainly feel loved when we are greeted by a loved one first thing in the morning, this small ritual sets a very positive tone for the rest of the day and it will make it easier for kids to wakeup.
Our beloved prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wasallam would greet children without waiting for them to greet Him. This is true leadership. And you mama are a leader in your home. You lead your kids, they follow you more than they follow anyone else, so don't miss out on the opportunities you have as a mom to make them great humans.
2. Greet your spouse in front of kids once he wakesup or returns home:
This is another small act but a biggg step towards setting a positive environment. On one hand it cheers them up when they find a positive welcoming environment once they return home, and on the other hand kids will learn to greet others as well.
3. Greet others properly and clearly so that your kids can hear:
Kids learn by watching us, how we greet others will impact their manners as well. If we consciously greet others properly and clearly so the one who is being greeted can hear you; they will learn how to greet properly and without you having to tell them how to do so.
4. Remind your child to greet others whether elders or other kids,in a kind manner:
When their dad returns home from work and you greet him,they would watch you doing so and they would do the same but if they are busy playing and can't pay attention, gently remind them, dad is home so that they greet him and the a positive tone is set for the rest of the day. And similarly when a loved one visits and you gently remind your childthatren they have come to visit us, they will follow you in greeting the guests.
5. When your kids greet you, return the greeting giving them your full attention:
Usually we pay attention to adults and deliberately greet them and return their greetings but we often forget to do so with children, when they start greeting us as they learn it is a part of everyday life, we don't take our time to listen to them carefully and returning their greeting properly, this is something we don't kdo to adults right? Why
Because we think an adult would be offended if not greeted properly.or not responded to their greetings, but remember children have feelings and very delicate self respect, return their greetings attentively and these little people will grow into socially confident adults.
6. Hang a card or paper with a reminder to greet one another where everyone can see it:
Who doesn't need a reminder especially when adopting a new habit? Why not create a nice quick wall hanging that reminds the whole family to greet one another and spread salam all around us.
These are my tips for spreading salam in our environment and try to create a peaceful world around us by practicing salam ourselves and by teaching our kids how to do so.
What are your tips? Do share with us and that's it for today mums, see you in the next post.
Stay safe
Umekulsoom