Raising Resilient Children: A Contemporary Islamic Perspective

Nazirudin M Nasir (D.Phil)

Ecology of Resilience

Resilient Child

Parents/FamilyLearning

Values and characterHome

Knowledge/CreativityRelationship

Authority

School

Norms & CustomsExpectations

Priorities

Society

New social trends

• Diverse social circles

• Demands of work (less family time?)

• Autonomous family members

• Diverse source of information/knowledge (online, social media)

Impact•Religion(s) & culture(s) continue to provide a common referential point

•Common vocabularies and concepts becoming more uncommon

•Possibility of different/diverse and contradictory meanings

• Appropriate understanding and interpretation of religious concepts is key• The spirit and objectives of Islam as the general guiding framework• Preservation of fundamental human rights and common good

Resilience

Spiritual fortitude

Nurturing curiosity

Values and

Character building

Spiritual resilience

“ … an old childhood image of an all-powerful God asharsh and punitive, often connected to experiences ofshame and helplessness when confronted by autocraticauthority figures. We can invite stories of other spiritualexperiences that have been positive or even moments ofinner peace, communion, and nurturance. These can bedrawn upon and expanded.”

Walsh (1998)

• Religion as wealthy resource of resilient-building values (patience,

gratitude, humility, sincerity etc)• Requires appropriate/contextual

understanding

Nurturing curiosity

Develop curiosity

Encourage questions

Challenge assumptions

Values and

Character building

Focus on meaningful engagements

Embody values in family life

Inspire kids to

explore and

discover Islam

Strengthen

beliefs and

practices, in

preparation for

teenhood

Empower youths,

nurture leaders

Develop the

Muslim

Singaporean

teen

identity

5-8 year olds 9-12 year olds 13-16 year olds 17-20 year olds

aLIVE Programmes

What are the current realities of our students today?

Communication School Life Learning Habits

How can we make Islamic Learning effective and impactful?

www.alive.sg

Why do we teach what we teach?

How do we know what students know?

Overall Desired Outcomes

Practicing Muslims

Moral Individuals

Active & responsible citizens

Able to articulate Islam

Taqwa (God-conciousness)

Example of Integrated Content

I want my children to understand the world, but not just because the world is fascinating and the human mind is curious. I want them to understand it so that they will be positioned to make it a better place. Knowledge is not the same as morality, but we need to understand if we are to avoid past mistakes and move in productive directions. An important part of that understanding is knowing who we are and what we can do… Ultimately, we must synthesize our understandings for ourselves. The performance of understanding that try matters are the ones we carry out as human beings in an imperfect world which we can affect for good or for ill.

(Howard Gardner 1999: 180-181)

Thank You