Raising Children and Caregivers
Raising (ربى) children has its challenges, especially when dealing with a naughty (شقي) toddler. Many families hire a nanny (مربية) for extra help at home.
| The mother kept raising her children alone. | ظلت الأم تربي أطفالها وحدها.dhallati l-ummu turabbî atfâlahâ waḥdahâ |
| How do we raise a naughty child? | كيف نربي طفلا شقيا؟kayfa nurabbî tiflan shaqiyyan? |
| We hired a nanny to take care of the infant. | وظفنا مربية لتعتني بالرضيع.wazzafnaa murabbiyatan lita'taniya bir-radii3 |
Sleep and Daycare
Caregivers often rock (هدهد) a baby to sleep in their crib (مهد). As children grow and parents return to work, daycare (حضانة) frequently becomes part of the routine.
| The nanny was rocking the child in the crib. | كانت المربية تهدهد الطفل في المهد.kânati al-murabbiyatu tuhadhidu at-tifla fî al-mahd |
| When the mother returned to work, she put her son in a daycare. | حينما رجعت الأم إلى العمل، وضعت ابنها في حضانة.hînamâ rajaâti l-ummu ilâ l-amali, wadaâti bnahâ fî hadânah |
Spoiling and Everyday Care
It is natural to want to give your child everything, but be careful not to spoil (دلل) them. Caring for an infant also involves frequent diaper (حفاضة) changes.
| Do not always spoil your naughty child. | لا تدلل طفلك الشقي دائما.lâ tudallil tiflaka ash-shaqiyya dâ'iman |
| The father changed the infant's diaper after he woke up. | غير الأب حفاضة الرضيع بعدما استيقظ.ghayyara al-abu hifâdata ar-radee badamâ istayqaza |
Feeding, Tantrums, and Distractions
Many mothers choose to breastfeed (أرضع). When babies grow into toddlers, they might occasionally throw a tantrum (نوبة). If a meltdown happens, an effective strategy is to distract (ألهى) the child with a toy or new activity.
| The mother breastfed her daughter so she would sleep. | أرضعت الأم ابنتها لتنام.ardaʿati l-ummu ibnatahâ litanâma |
| The child had a severe tantrum in the market. | أصيب الطفل بنوبة شديدة في السوق.usîba t-tiflu bi-nawbatin shadîdatin fi s-sûq |
| The nanny distracted the girl with a new toy. | ألهت المربية البنت بلعبة جديدة.alhatil murabbiyatul binta bilu'batin jadidah |
Weaning
Eventually, it is time to wean (فطم) the child off milk and transition to solid foods.
| The mother weaned her child after he reached one year. | فطمت الأم طفلها بعدما بلغ سنة.fatamat al-ummu tiflahâ ba'damâ balagha sanatan |