How To Make Ramadan a Fun and Productive Month For Kids
In Ramadan, I try to follow my usual schedule as much as I can, but as we all know, the holy month does cause some lifestyle adjustments. We keep Ramadan simple with our children by not being extravagant and keeping our meals easy. Ramadan only gets complicated when we focus on the worldly parts of it, such as eating and gift-giving, instead of its essence, such as the ibadah and the reward.
Making Ramadan Special
When we discuss Ramadan with our children, we tell them how extraordinary this month is, and we allow them certain privileges, especially for our kids who fast. We try not to spoil them but rather make the days of Ramadan memorable by allowing them to do things that they usually are not privy to in other months, such as:
They get to stay up one or two hours later at bedtime.
We use our best tableware and eat with fancy crockery and cutlery.
They are allowed to sleep in another sibling's room of their choice or have a slumber party on the floor in one big room in the house.
They can, at times, choose a favorite meal or dessert for iftar.
They visit the masjid more often.
These are a few ways to make it memorable, but more importantly, we try to teach them the ibadah aspects of Ramadan in a straightforward manner. Ramadan should not be too strenuous when kids are young or cause them undue hardship. Instead, it should be training with good memories attached.
Explaining Fasting
To teach our young children the essential lessons of fasting, we explain to them that:
It is beneficial for our bodies as a cleansing.
It helps us to feel the hunger of the poor and to sympathize.
We do it solely for Allah to show our servitude.
We learn honesty because only Allah knows if we keep our fasts.
Fasting teaches us self-discipline and kindness towards others when we stay away from food and all bad deeds.
Explain the essence of Ramadan first, and leave such things as waking them up for suhoor and keeping full days of fasting for later years. At iftar time, we teach them the sunnah of breaking with dates and water, the dua for breaking our fast, and most importantly, not to overindulge and be extravagant with food.
Get these printable Ramadan kids activity books free during Ramadan when you subscribe!
Introducing Fasting
As a parent of many kids, I have learned that I need to keep it simple, not overdo anything or accomplish too much at one time. All our children decided of their own accord to attempt to fast when we explained to them the significance of Ramadan and the lessons of fasting. Also, seeing their parents’ example and the anticipation of staying up late and enjoying iftar together was a good initiative.
Children can amaze us with their fortitude, especially when a good talk impacts them. Our kids surprised us when we saw them abstain from their snacks and meals with no complaint to please their Lord. All it took was sitting down together and explaining the "why" and the "reward." Two of our older kids are determined to fast the entire month, so we let them. Our middle two kids attempt to fast some days, which is good training, and one of our little ones sometimes tries to skip a meal or two.
About Suhoor
Truthfully, having all my kids get up for suhoor can be pretty hectic, especially as mommy has to wake everyone up on time, prepare breakfast, and clean up while trying to fit in her ibadah. To ease the strain at suhoor, we tell our younger kids to have their "suhoor" at breakfast time, and they still learn the lesson of restraint by fasting many hours.
Moms need to remember (when they get frustrated by the lack of time for their own ibadah), that seeing to our family's needs is an ibadah too. When we wake everyone for suhoor, remind everyone to perform their salah, take care of our little ones, prepare iftar, and fast while keeping one's patience and frustration in check. It is a big ibadah, don't forget!
Salah in Ramadan
An important aspect that we work on during Ramadan is prayer. During the day, I welcome my children to pray with me, and in the evenings, when Daddy comes home, we pray as a family. Once again, I keep this simple too, and I stick to instilling a regular prayer habit into their lives and teaching them the blessings of praying in congregation.
My older kids know how to make wudhu, and I tell them to make their wudhu immediately after every bathroom visit so they don't delay the prayer time. My younger kids need more lenience, so they don't make wudhu yet, but they try to keep up with the habit of praying first. Our kids are taught the importance of having a clean body, clean clothes, and a clean and tidy area to pray.
We also teach them some essential aspects of prayer, such as behaving during the adhan, being quiet and not fidgeting during their prayer, controlling their distraction, learning to concentrate, and finding the qibla with a compass. Later they learn to memorize the iqamah, how many rakaats are in each prayer, then slowly, we continue teaching the positions and supplications. Don't do too much too soon; take it slow and steady and teach one thing at a time.
Charity in Ramadan
Our children learn that charity is not only about giving money but also showing kindness through actions, deeds, and mannerisms. During Ramadan, we work on learning to smile more with one another, be more patient with each other, and spend more time helping little ones, the elderly, and our neighbors. We ask them to control their arguments and pettiness with one another and to show tolerance and compassion towards their siblings.
Guiding our kids and reminding them is a challenge for mommy, but keep the explanation simple and be an example yourself. Remember to accept the fact that they will make mistakes and need constant reminding; that's our job until they've grown! Start by teaching them to smile more, greet one another with genuine feeling and warmth, call their grandparents, uncles, or aunts, write letters or draw pictures for mailing to loved ones, show better table manners, be extra clean, or make homemade treats and share them with neighbors and family. Teach charity in all its forms.
Teaching Quran and Sunnah in Ramadan
My young kids listen to Juz Amma on the computer, on an old CD player, on an MP3 player, or by streaming it. My older kids are encouraged to read the Quran daily. We have many moments of reading together, or I ask my older kids to read stories to their younger siblings from Islamic books. Their dad will find an Islamic quiz online and question them in the last hour before Iftaar.
They compete for points, and I notice that they love the challenge while learning a lot. We also listen to Islamic audio books by authors such as Maryam Sinclair, Khurram Murad, and Miraj Audio. This also frees up some mommy time to do ibadah and preparations while the kids are engaged in blessed moments.
Love and Mercy in Ramadan
We talk to our children in Ramadan about Allah's love and mercy. We point out all the things that Allah (SWT) has given us, and we explain to them how everything we have, from our toys to our good health, is from Allah (SWT) alone. We tell them about His infinite mercy and how he forgives us repeatedly for our sins. Our kids are encouraged to show mercy towards one another by forgiving their siblings when bothered, showing love, and appreciating each other by pondering life without one another. They can do a role-play or put on a play for the family for reinforcement.
We also observe nature a lot in Ramadan because, when our kids inspect the life of a tiny insect, they realize how truly great Allah's creation is. Science is a beautiful way to teach children to love their Creator, as science causes awe and amazement when one learns all the details that make up the cycle of life. Children come to realize how truly magnificent Allah is through His creation!
In Conclusion
Try not to overwhelm yourself by trying to do it all in one Ramadan. Take small steps and use your judgment on how much you want to accomplish this Ramadan. Children learn quickly through repetition and reinforcement. Instead, teach one thing well, than many things too quickly and too soon. I hope that sharing some of my Ramadan tips will help you have a productive Ramadan with your children. Ramadan Mubarak to you and your family!
Salam, I’m Zakeeya!
I believe that making our homes a safe haven for our families, as well as being a wife and mother, brings us great blessings, contentment, and benefits to society as a whole. Since 2011, I've been dedicated to assisting Muslimas in finding tranquility in their roles, taking better care of themselves, and achieving inner peace. Our journey in this world is not an easy one, but I pray the tools and guidance I offer will help you face life's challenges with more gratitude and mindfulness. Join me as I share wifehood, motherhood, homemaking, and lifestyle solutions that make life more fulfilling for you as a woman! Read more about me here.
Enjoy a Free Ramadan Salah Tracker Printable for Your Child. Simply subscribe HERE!
Make Your Ramadan Run Smoothly!
Get Your Guide to a Healthy Ramadhan, a 135-page guide including 100+ recipes for Ramadan, and The Ramadan Cookbook, a 70-page cookbook filled with healthier options for recipes with less badness and more goodness! Plus, when you buy one book, you’ll get 33% off the second book.
