7 Tips to Help Your Child Fast During Ramadan – As Muslims, observing the fast is an obligation.
That is why parents should teach their children to perform this act of worship as early as possible.
There are several helpful tips that can help children feel enthusiastic about fasting. It may feel difficult for children to start practicing fasting.
Since they have to endure hunger and thirst for an entire day, it can be a bit challenging to stay motivated, especially when they feel weak.
Nevertheless, once they get used to it, children will gradually reap the blessings of the fasting ritual.
Children Are Eager to Fast, Encouraged by Their Parents’ Warm Words
If moms and dads are having trouble getting their children to fast, you might want to check out the following tips.
Below are some tips on how to encourage your children to fast and help them feel enthusiastic about this religious practice. Let’s get started!
1. Give gentle advice
First of all, make sure you keep your tone of voice in check when giving advice. After all, children may feel pressured if they receive advice delivered in an angry tone.
They’ll feel pressured, so they might only fast when you remind them to.
2. Be Sure to Give Your Child Choices
If your child doesn’t fully understand fasting yet, make sure to explain it to them first.
For example, for a child who is only 4 or 5 years old. After explaining it, you can also give your child some options.
Do they want to try fasting for half a day or until sunset? You can adjust the timing to suit your child’s abilities.
3. Make a Plan with Your Child to Keep Them Busy During Fasting
Children usually enjoy activities that are fun. So, you can use this as a way to encourage your child to fast.
A simple example is inviting them to spend time before sunset and buy a snack at the market if they successfully fast. You can also organize storytelling sessions during the day to help your child stay strong while fasting.
4. Share Fun Things During the Month of Ramadan
When advising Muslim adults about the obligation to fast, you don’t always have to use direct language.
Instead, you can frame that advice by sharing enjoyable aspects of fasting.
For example, the pre-dawn meal (sahur) feels lively because of the children beating drums, and so on.
5. Make a Pledge for Every Successful Fast
You can also encourage your child to fast indirectly by making a promise for every day they successfully fast until the end.
You can offer a reward in the form of their favorite food for breaking the fast. Additionally, you can give them a gift on Eid.
6. Encourage Your Child to Read or Watch Islamic Cartoons
Before the fasting month begins, you can encourage your children to look forward to fasting by finding educational books or shows.
Through these small gestures, children will begin to feel excited and inspired by the enjoyable shows they watch as they welcome the month of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr.
Read Also: Teach Your Child to Fast to Build Mental Strength
7. Make their friends who are already fasting role models
Another tip for encouraging your child to fast is to lead by example. Usually, children are more enthusiastic about fasting when their friends are doing the same.
You can use their friends who have already learned to fast as role models to help them get excited about fasting.
These are alternative ways to encourage your child to fast enthusiastically without forcing them.
When applying the tips above, be sure to adapt them to your child’s age. If they are over 9 years old, you can be more firm in your guidance.
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