I SEE A lot of babies and their parents through my work. A common complaint is the overly competitive friend.
There always seems to be someone who wants you to know that their child never cries, sleeps through the night, never vomits, or has a nappy leak and does everything weeks earlier than your child!
But raising children isn’t a competition. Every baby is different, and they all grow and learn at the speed that Allah has set for them.
It is our nature to compare ourselves to other people. Some become very competitive- sometimes unknowingly, sometimes wilfully.
The key thing is to remember the words of Allah when He says:
ٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَا لَعِبٌ وَلَهْوٌ وَزِينَةٌ وَتَفَاخُرٌۢ بَيْنَكُمْ وَتَكَاثُرٌ فِى ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَوْلَـٰدِ
‘Know that this worldly life is no more than play, amusement, luxury, mutual boasting, and competition in wealth and children.’ (al Hadid 20)
With that in mind, we keep in good spirits and try to learn from each other without judging or feeling judged.
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