How and When to Introduce Ramadan to Your Kids?

• Post Time - 2021-04-17 21:41:31

How and When to Introduce Ramadan to Your Kids?

Kids start getting the feel of seasons around the age of 4 to 5 years, and that through decorations at home, songs and how their parents explain to them that they're preparing for a unique event.

Ramadan is an important event for Muslims all over the world and which needs to be explained to kids as month that teaches us discipline, patience, reviving ties of kinship and rejuvenating one's spiritual and physical health. Muslims fast during Ramadan from dawn to dusk and only adults are obliged to fast. However many families prefer to start training their kids to fast even for half a day, depending on their age

Let's start with young kids, starting the age of 4 or 5. 

At this age, parents can simply engage their kids in Ramadan preparations which include having pleasant and colorful decorations at home, preparing certain food menus as well as having different eating timings and habits that befit fasting regulations.We may have kids help up with preparing the decorations or hanging them and explaining to them that during this month we abstain from eating until sunset for a number of reasons such as the poor and the rich being united in one single act that fosters some sort of unit and solidarity between them, among other reasons which can be explained to them on a later stage or their lives. We can also explain to them that during this month we read Quran and pray more that any other month of the year.

For older kids aging 7 and 8 years, we can get deeper and explain to them that Ramadan is the ninth month of the Hijri year and that it's during which that the Quran was revealed onto Prophet Muhammad and that we are supposed to fast from dawn to dusk for 30 years. We can still engage them in handing home decorations and perhaps buying presents for some family members and giving charity to the poor.

We can train kids at such age to stop eating for a couple of hours or more to train them  on fasting and increase the number of fasting hours each year till they reach puberty and fast the whole month. We can also have them join supererogatory prayers of the family at home and may be start observing the 5 prayers each day.

Ramadan in general can be introduced to kids as a model of discipline and applying a kind of life routine and food habit that are both unique and beneficial to people in many ways.

It is also important to highlight that Ramadan ends in another significant festival, that is Eidul Fitr, which marks the end of the fasting days and a reward for people for fasting for a whole month. We can also start buying our kids new clothes at the last 10 days of Ramadan for them to start looking forward such rewarding and pleasant eve.

It's imperative to tie our kids to their root culture and faith at a young age, yet without forcing them into any action, which will have amazing impacts on their personalities as they grow.

Blessed Ramadan for all Muslims all over the world.

Maha Youssuf
Mama's Guides Editor

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