Preparations for the month of Ramadan begin long before its arrival as we all look forward to spending quality time with our loved ones.
However, for families living in Non-Muslim countries, it becomes somewhat difficult for the parents to get their children as emotionally and spiritually involved in the Ramadan festivities.
Their little ones are used to seeing the glittery celebrations of the West in full force the whole year, including Christmas, Easter, and Halloween. Therefore, when they don’t get the chance to witness the true colors of Ramadan like we usually do in Muslim countries, celebrating something that’s comparatively not as exciting doesn’t feel appealing to them.
So, as parents, what can we do to change their way of thinking about Ramadan and get them more excited for this month’s festivities?
The solution to this troubling situation is simpler than you might think. Instead of comparing our religious celebrations with Non-Muslim events and competing with them, we should make it our responsibility to make our deen obligations as meaningful, exciting, fun, and educational for our kids as possible.
Once the little ones understand the kind of enthusiasm their parents have for Ramadan, it doesn’t take them long to follow the lead and fall in love with this Holy month as well!
Case in point, here are 5 things we can do as parents to inspire our children to love Ramadan and also be excited about it for the upcoming years:
1- Welcome Ramadan Together
Kids love to feel included when decisions are made, no matter how small, and it naturally excites them into being more involved in the process from the beginning.
That said, the best way of easing your children into Ramadan is to welcome the month together by doing small activities around the house.
You can start with decorating your home with Ramadan-inspired lights and even include your children in deciding the menu and helping around the kitchen when preparing for Sehr and Iftar.
2- Learn Through Stories
Another thing all children love equally is a good story. For the parents, carving out time for Ramadan-themed stories is a great way of sharing the importance of this Holy month with the kids as they remain engaged, wanting to hear more about it.
3- Set Interesting Goals and Rewards
Similarly, it’s essential to keep things enjoyable as well as rewarding for the kids to keep them involved in Ramadan activities.
You can give your little ones a notebook to set their goals, which can be anything from waking up for Sehr at least once a week to reciting one page of the Holy Qur’an every day.
At the completion of these goals, you can reward them for their good deeds however you find suitable.
4- Pray and Have Iftar Together
Ramadan is the time to make new memories as a family. It’s essential that we work on creating bonds during this month that last a lifetime.
Making a habit of praying and having Iftar together can be a start to how you can find little things to do with your children, making them feel involved.
5- Bring Arts and Crafts Into It
Lastly, if your kids love doing art and crafts with you, there would be nothing better than bringing out the supplies to make Ramadan and Eid cards for everyone in the family. You can even work together to come up with a few decoration pieces for the house that you can put up around Eid time.
By taking these five steps, you can surely make your Ramadan a memorable one for your kids.
May Allah (SWT) accept our duas in this Holy month of Ramadan and shower us all with His blessings. Ameen.
