Motherhood, Lockdown, Ramadan: How VELA Mamas do it!

This Mother’s Day is unlike any other. Over the past weeks, many of us have witnessed our mothers pour their heart and soul into protecting their homes and family. From hours spent disinfecting the house, to time in the kitchen making sure the family is all receiving a healthy and nutritious meal. All while mothers across the globe also manage their jobs inside and outside the home, as well as becoming full time teachers to their children. Mother’s everywhere have felt the weight of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Mother’s Day this year also falls in the month of Ramadan. A time when fasting mothers are tested even further. We wanted to hear from a few of our favorite mothers and gather some tips on how they have been coping with Ramadan in the midst of lockdown. Here is what they said…

1. Mona A. Sharif of @msmonasharif

Keeping a sense of humor has been my biggest saving grace dealing with COVID-19. It’s honestly so wild, I can’t help but laugh out loud thinking about it. I’ve been playing and joking with my kids more than ever before because it’s how I keep finding joy in the world when it all feels so gray. Ramadan added a layer of challenge, mostly because I do feel less energized, but the positives are we get to come together each night as a family and bond through prayer and Iftar.

2. Dr. Noor Amra of @eyegirlmd

This pandemic has reshaped just about everyone’s life. Normal looks different now for most. For me, cutting back in terms of work, while I definitely miss my patients, my clinic and my usual routine, I have found a renewed connection with my family…a gift I wasn’t expecting. And although this Ramadan is different, God is giving us all a very similar gift. He’s allowing us to press “pause” so that we can enjoy family moments, focus more on our children, and seek to connect more deeply with Allah swt and focus on what is truly essential: purifying my heart, renewing my intentions with fasting, praying with the utmost devotion and studying the Quran. I am striving to be present in every single act of worship.

3. Jomana of @ahappyblog

With my kids, as with my business during covid & Ramadan in quarantine, I just focus on identifying a problem and coming up with solutions to help. With the kids having to school at home, they were feeling all over the place without their routine. So I created an hourly schedule to help them stay structured and focus on a task at a time. We have their fitness classes, and even getting the table prepped for Iftar as part of their schedule. Now we can all stay sane since everyone knows what to do!

4. Layla Shaikley of @laylool

We have a toddler and a newborn, so we have three main strategies. We play a Quran playlist every morning with a few short Suras + we have decorated our space so our toddler feels the spirit. Second, my husband and I divide and conquer - I am not fasting since I am nursing the newborn. He puts the toddler to bed and sleeps in a separate room during Ramadan. I handle the newborn and the night wakes. This way my husband is able to fast with restful nights and I don’t have to worry about the toddler and a newborn. We realize we have finite energy, especially with Ramadan, so we design a system that optimizes both our time and energy. We also try to join online lectures frequently so we grow spiritually throughout the month. And we call our families too, as pre-COVID the month focused on community, family, and faith. 

5. Soha Yassine of @sohfresh

My key to coping with quarantine? Partnership. One of us will pick up the slack when the other is swamped with work or needs a nap or even just some alone time. This Ramadan I’m especially thankful for my partner.

Thank you to all of these wonderful VELA Mama's who took the time to let us know how they're holding it down this Ramadan! The VELA team is sending lots of love to all the mama's out there this Mother's Day.