In an effort to relax frayed nerves of all the career women around the globe, Arab News has come up with some helpful ideas.
1. Hold a Pre-Ramadan Family Pow-Wow
The first thing to do as a pre-Ramadan measure is to have a family meeting and explain that it’s going to take teamwork to make the holiday shine. Plan and write down the menus each week or for the whole month. Try to keep the dishes simple to save time and to engender the qualities of the blessed month, which is not about engorging on lavish meals at iftar. More complicated meals should be planned for days off from work.
2. Prepare the Ingredients in Advance
Career women can also prepare ingredients used for cooking in advance saving valuable kitchen time. Puree tomatoes and store in plastic bags in the freezer, cook onion and store in plastic container in the fridge, making it more convenient to put out before rushing off to work.
3. Pre-Cook Meals, Freeze Them
Cooking in bulk, preparing double or triple the usually quantity while freezing the remainder for later when things are hectic, is a great stress reliever. Soups, pizza, sambousas, casseroles and desserts, such as kunafa, all freeze well and are easily bake-able or fry-able at a minute’s notice. This also works well when surprise guests or the boss pays a surprise visit for iftar or suhoor (evening) meal.
4. Eat Out, or Share Hosting Duties
Plan some days out with the family, ether as a guest at a friend’s home or at a local restaurant. Women can work together to share the preparation of larger meals and hosting each other’s families. After all, women are already responsible for so much and deserve at least a few nights off!
5. Work Together for Taraweeh
Taraweeh, prayers during which the entire Qur’an is recited in sections over the 30 nights of the holy month, can be accomplished as a collaborative process. Praying together on a schedule also offers an opportunity for mothers to teach their younger children in the privacy of the home proper etiquette that they can take with them when they grow older and go to the mosque. Working mothers should collaborate to set aside time for “the girls” to meet and pray together. The participation of children at these meetings is a great way to build a close bond with kids while earning “hasana” (virtue) for both yourself and your children.
6. Dear Men, Learn to Chop Onions
Husbands and fathers should show flexibility and understand that it isn’t easy for career women to work all day only to find a whole other workday unfolding at home upon her arrival. Assisting in food preparation as a family and helping with child care responsibilities are the duties of both parents not just “women’s work.” Cooking together is a bonding experience far more enriching (and delicious) than watching television together.
7. Remember What Ramadan Represents
The holy month is about seeking forgiveness and mercy from Allah. As the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was reported to have said: “Allah divided mercy into 100 parts and He kept 99 parts with Him and sent down one part to earth and, because of the one single part, His creatures are merciful to each other.”
