Meet Samira Ahmed [@The.Millennial.Ma] | Muslim Moms
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Meet The Mellennial Ma!
Samira aka @TheMillennialMa Mummy to Aryan, wife to The Millennial Baba, Air Traffic Control Engineer by profession and a passionate writer at heart. She loves storytelling and dabbling at creative content. Samira blogs about parenthood, books, intersectional feminism, immigrant life and all the in-between things that inspire her.
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1. Please tell me about you and your background.
I was born and brought up in Dhaka, Bangladesh in South Asia. Home to 9 million people, Dhaka is a very lively city full of dreamers and doers. I moved to Glasgow, Scotland as a 19-year-old to study Electronics and Electrical Engineering and eventually stayed back in UK. Most of my family still live in Bangladesh. I work as an Air Traffic Control Engineer and currently live in London with my husband and 2-year-old son, Aryan.
2. What is the reality of being a mum? Was there anything unexpected about the experience that surprised you?
Being a mum is the hardest, most rewarding job in the whole world. It evokes the whole spectrum of human emotions – from loneliness to happiness to guilt to fulfilment – and magnifies them. I don’t think anyone or anything can prepare you for the life-changing transition that is parenthood.
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I did not quite expect how full on the job is, and the true extent of the parenthood load, both mental and physical. There is so much sacrifice, compromise, and selflessness that goes into raising a child! I did not know I had it in me until my son was born.
I did not quite expect how full on the job is, and the true extent of the parenthood load, both mental and physical. There is so much sacrifice, compromise, and selflessness that goes into raising a child! I did not know I had it in me until my son was born.
I am surprised by how empowered I feel as a mother. I have a lot less time to chase my dreams but a lot more discipline in everything I do. Life finally has context, purpose, and clarity. I am raising the next generation and I take pride and joy in shouldering that responsibility.
3. What advice would you give to other mums?
3. What advice would you give to other mums?
I started blogging two years ago with an urgent desire to reach out to other moms. I wanted them to know that millennial motherhood has its own unique challenges and if they are feeling like they can’t win, it’s because it IS that hard. Many parents no longer have access to a ‘village’ for childcare and general support. Which is why self-care is crucial and MUST be practised. You HAVE to pause to take care of yourself. You HAVE to treat yourself kindly. You DON’T have to sacrifice yourself at the altar to be a good mum. Remember to give yourself grace. Don’t compare yourself to other mothers because no one has it all together (social media is often more an illusion than reality).
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4. Most enjoyable moments with your child?
I think the most enjoyable moments with my child are the unexpected ones – the sudden hug or kiss, the new word we have never heard before, the unstoppable giggles over silly things. Once we were rushing out of the house and I had forgotten my glasses. My son came running out of the room and held them out to me. In that moment, all my hard work and sleepless nights were paid off. Knowing that my 1.5-year-old son was so caring and observant towards me was the most rewarding feeling in the world.
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5. At what age did you start to implement Islamic knowledge with your child? And how did you do it
5. At what age did you start to implement Islamic knowledge with your child? And how did you do it
I think implementing Islamic knowledge starts with the humdrum of daily life. My son is still too young to grasp religion as a concept, but he knows that there is someone called Allah ‘up there’ and that when Mummy lays out her prayer mat, she is establishing a connection with Him. This year we made a big deal out of Ramadan décor and hung up stars and moons string lights to help our son associate these symbols with our religion. Throughout Ramadan, we kept refusing any food he offered us, telling him that we were fasting. He showed no signs of understanding, but I believe one day he will turn around and behave as though he understood us all along. That is the beauty of a child’s brain, it absorbs and connects a thousand random dots until one day, the puzzle is complete.
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6. What are your favourite Islamic teachings to teach your child?
Aryan is still very young but I hope to instil the concept of a loving Allah in my son. I want love, and not fear, to be the leading emotion driving his religious learning.
7. What advice do you have for teaching children to learn how to pray?
Children pick up the most from observing. I myself learnt to pray by observing a family friend who was few years older than me. Sometimes learning from siblings or cousins is more enjoyable than parents! But if they are the only ones around, standing beside them and praying with them is a great start.
8. What is it like to pray when you have children? What are the difficulties?
Aryan often comes in the way of my prayers by physically positioning himself over the prayer mat. Sometimes he knows I will become unavailable, so he comes and starts tugging at my khimar. Often, I have had to pick him up and continue praying the best way I could. Some nights, I fell asleep while putting my son to sleep and missed Isha prayers. I ask Allah for forgiveness and take comfort from the fact that He knows what is in our hearts. He knows that our exhaustion can sometimes win over the best of intentions. He has placed Jannah underneath our feet, who else understands mothers better?
9. How did you hear about the My Salah Mat?
9. How did you hear about the My Salah Mat?
I first heard about My Salah Mat through Instagram and immediately fell in love with this wonderful, educational product.
10. If you currently own it, what are your experiences with it?
I currently own one, and I am very delighted with how user-friendly and interactive the product is. We are excited to introduce it to Aryan more and more to help him learn about the concepts of prayers, In Sha Allah.
Thank you, Samira for this amazing advice. Keep up to date with what Samira is doing on -
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