Paradise Under Your Feet — Page 68
68 parents ’ eyes and are therefore influenced by how the ad ults deal with the environ ment. Summer vacations present a great opportunity for children to strengthen their bonds with the Jama ’ at. It is also a time when parents enroll their children in various camps and activities. However, parents must be mindful not to over - schedule children in these camps and various other activities that might conflict with the Nasirat/Atfal Ijtemas , or the weekend classes. Summer also presents an opportunity for children of similar ages in the Jama ’ at to get together and interact with each other to develop long lasting friendships. P arents can create opportunities for them to be immersed in activities that help them build a strong relationship with Allah, the Khalifa , the Jama ’ at and family. Attending Jalsa Salana should be a priority for the entire family. Children who are old enough should be encouraged to perform some sort of volunteering that is age appropriate. Ten-year-old boys and girls can work with the Aab Risani (water serving duty) team. By the grace of Allah, many Jalsas are held during the year and it is a great opportunity to participate in these events by watching the live broadcasts on MTA, particularly the International Jalsa at UK. Example of Parents In his Friday Sermon of June 27 th 2003, Hazrat Khalifatul-Masih V (aba) stressed the importance of creating a peaceful and loving environment at home for children and said that the parents have to make sacrifices in order to ensure that their children are brought up in the right surroundings. In particular, Huzoor (aba) stressed the absolute necessity of ensuring that no negative comments are made about the Jama ’ at at home. Huzoor (aba) said that if there is a genuine complaint, one should go through the proper channels and refrain from making injurious comments in the presence of family. Huzoor