Paradise Under Your Feet — Page 72
72 those friendships which are in conflict with Islamic values. There are many cultures and religions which have similar moral values as those in Islam and it is a parent ’ s responsibility to help children find the right playmates and friends, since the company child ren keep has a profound impact on their moral values. Volunteering at Children ’ s S chools Volunteering at children ’ s schools is an excellent way to be a role model for them. Alt hough working mothers may not always have the flexibility to volunteer at t heir children ’ s school, they can be part of the Parent Teachers Association ( PTA) and be involved in activities sponsored by the association. It is valuable for children to see their mothers at school, see how they conduct themselves in Pur dah, and observe how they interact with the opposite gender so that the y have a role model to follow. When children and their friends get used to seeing the mothers in Purdah, they become self - confident. In the case of a daughter, when her fri ends see her moth er with a head scarf, they can infer that one day she too will be covering her head or will be dressing modestly. Such an observation creates a smoother path for girls when it is time for them to start observing Purdah. Parents get the opportunity to meet t heir child ’ s teachers by getting involved in schools and can closely observe the environment their children are growing up in. Schools offer a variety of ways a parent can volunteer, either week ly , month ly , quarter ly , or whatever suits one ’ s schedule. It i s useful to check the list of volunteering opportunities at the beginning of the school year to find the appropriate activity. Being involved in their children ’ s school will go a long way in developing that strong relationship between parent s and child ren and in being aware of the company that children keep at school. In addition to volunteering at school, it is really beneficial to children ’ s progress if parents maintain regular contact with their child ’ s teacher and attend parent-teacher meetings.