The auspicious month of Ramadan is just days away. This month is the month of blessings, forgiveness and endless rewards from Allah Almighty. Therefore, Muslims all over the world observe this month with equal reverence and try making the most out of it by fasting and increasing their worship of Allah Almighty.
Every year when the Ramadan comes there are young children who are to fast for the first time. The children are both eager and confused at the same time, therefore, the responsibility rests upon the parents to assist the children and help them in getting a good fast and Ramadan experience for the very first time in life.
Muslim parents in general and Muslim mothers in particular follow to make sure that the first time fasting children have a good experience. These tips comprise of both preparations before and during Ramadan. The lines below discuss few such major tips.
Explain The Place Of Ramadan:
A month or a few weeks before the start of Ramadan, you must try telling your children about Ramadan. You can tell them its importance, the significance it has in the Islamic history, the place it has among the rest of the Islamic months and what major events took place in the month of Ramadan. Moreover, in this regard, if you want to make it entertaining for the children, you can personify the month of Ramadan and then build a story around the month to develop better and greater feelings in the children. Therefore, the more you make your first time fast keeping children aware about Ramadan and its importance, the more will they anticipate its arrival and will experience the month with more religious zest. Since your kid will be fasting for the first time, you are advised to teach him about things to do and things not to do in the holy month of Ramadan.
Involve Them In Developing Action Plan:
The other thing that Muslim parents can do to make sure that the first timers have a memorable Ramadan which they enjoy to the core is to involve the children in making an action plan for Ramadan before the month starts. In this regard, the parents can involve the children in selecting the kind of foods they want to have for Suhoor and Iftaar, the kind of prayers they want to learn during the month, the guests they want to invite for Iftar during the month and the places they want to go on the weekends. This way, the children start imagining how Ramadan is going to be like and thus nothing happens as a surprise to them which could make it difficult for them.
Encourage Them Towards Prayers and Quran Learning:
In Ramadan, fasting is not the only thing which parents have to be conscious about pertaining to the first time fast keeping children, rather, the parents also have to make sure that the children also offer prayers as well. In this regard, it is the responsibility of parents to create an imagery related to prayers in Ramadan leading through the opened doors of paradise. Children are highly imaginative, therefore, instead of just showing them the ayahs of Quran and hadiths of Prophet (PBUH) about prayers in Ramadan try creating an imagery out of the hadith and then bring the children in to imagine all the rewards they will receive for offering prayers during the month of Ramadan. Also, you can start telling him how to perfectly offer the salaat. For that, you can choose the interactive mobile application i.e. Step by Step Salaat which will help your kid to learn how to perform Namaz on his/her own.
Ramadan is the month in which environment is utterly religious which opens many opportunities for Muslims to completely learn Islam. Regarding your Kids, you are advised to start teaching your Kid Quran. Tell him how to read the Holy Quran. And if you do not have time, or you do not know how to teach him, you can opt for Online Quran Tutoring Classes for Your Kids where He/She will learn how to read the Holy Quran.
Involve Them In Meal Preparations:
Once Ramadan is there, the thing you can do to keep your first timers interested in the fast and to help them in experiencing fast in a better way is to involve them in meal preparations. When the new fasters get involved in preparations for Suhoor and Iftaar, they actually consider it a part of the fast and anticipate in it because it all is what they have to eat and what will help them go through the fast or rejuvenate the energy reserves. Therefore, for the sake of their interest and fascination it is important that you as parents involve children in the meal selection and preparation process during Ramadan.
Moms Can Make it Fun for Kids
There are many other ways parents especially mothers can adopt to indulge Kids in activities that in the end will result Kid being able to learn a lot during this blessed month. To know what does it include, you are suggested to read 7 ways moms can make Ramadan fun for Kids.
Take The Children To Mosque:
Another great thing that can be done to inspire the children who have kept the fast for the first time is to take them to the mosque. In addition to the fact that going to the mosque and offering prayer in congregation brings them closer to Islam, the other thing that this does is make children interested in going to the mosque. At the mosque there are other parents who bring their children, thus, when your children also go there and meet them, they actually find friends and get a chance to share their fasting experience with them. Therefore, if you wish to make the first time fasters continue their process, you should take them to mosque with you.
Involve Children In Charity Giving:
Another message that you as Muslim parents need to do in order to keep your first timing fasting children to stay motivated and enjoy the essence of Ramadan is to involve them in charity giving process. When you give some money to the children to give to some poor person, or have your children give food to the people who are hungry, the children actually feel good about and it motivates them towards doing better during Ramadan. Moreover, when children give charity they actually get to know about human feelings when someone does good and brings smile on the face of another person. Therefore, this practice, besides making their Ramadan better also helps them in becoming a better Muslim after Ramadan as well.
Tell Them What Awaits On Eid:
The month of Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid. Muslims all across the globe after observing a full month of fasts celebrate the festival of Eid. It is a joyous occasion where Muslims visit each other and eating and drink and spread happiness by exchanging gifts. Therefore, the children who are keeping the fast for the first time can be motivated in this regard by involving them in the preparations of Eid festival. Involve them in buying dresses and gifts, which they can buy for themselves and, also for friends and family. Thus, this way the fasting goes on in the month of Ramadan in anticipation of Eid.
In a nutshell, it is imperative for parents to make special preparations of the children who are keeping fast for the first time so that they enjoy Ramadan and have their first experience of fasting as a memorable and cherished experience.