Ramadhan for kids

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It is indeed effortless to teach a kid the five daily prayers but fasting is rocket science. This is because fasting involves abstaining from food and drink for the whole day. Islam doesn't make it mandatory for children to fast until they reach puberty.  It may not be easy to start fasting immediately after puberty without mental preparation for this duty. That makes it essential for you to know how to train the little ones how to fast.

1:Nutriteous suhoor.
Mum knew exactly what would make us get up for the dawn meal (suhoor). She prepared rice, fish stew and ensured fruits and water were available. Rice was our favorite dish we never knew that she served it for nutrition purposes. The rice would be consumed first, fruits would come last as a prize if we already had two glasses of water. Rice is a complex carbohydrate. These types of complex carbs give you energy over a longer period of time. Fish represented proteins, getting enough protein is equally important, as it helps preserve muscles as they shed fat, and also works to keep the immune system in tip-top shape as you fast. Water kept us hydrated throughout the day. Fruits are an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals, and they are high in fiber. Fibre also helps you feel fuller for longer.

Considering the activities children indulge in and the energy required, the best suhur is that which will give them energy for the whole day and generally make it easy for them to cope up with their daily activities. Remember it's not about quantity but quality.

2:Stories
4:00 a.m is the time she'd wake us up for the dawn meal. We took 10-15minutes praying tahajud
(the night prayer) meanwhile mummy prepared the dining table. When we were done eating she'd tell us fascinating stories of the prophets.  We ate fast enough to hear the stories. Mum told us stories to keep us up until fajr knocked in.
 Stories are charms they take everyone's attention. They help children develop their imagination and are a convenient way for relaxation and learning about complex ideas.

Aside from stories, it is also important to ensure that you put the kids to bed early at night so that they can get enough sleep and also find ease waking up for sohoor.

3:Delaying the dawn meal.
Delaying suhoor is sunnah. Suhoor supplies the body with a lot of energy to help in the fasting. Late suhoor is manageable for children, rather than the midnight suhoor.
 ‘Abdullaah ibn Abi Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him reported, that his father, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “We used to end the night prayer during the month of Ramadan and ask the servants to bring the Suhoor quickly, fearing [the imminence of] the first crack of dawn.”[Maalik and Al-Bayhaqi]

Most people make a grave mistake by taking the meal a few hours after iftar. Thus waking up hungry, experiencing headaches and fatigue throughout the day. Mummy ensured we were strong throughout that is why she delayed the dawn meal.

3:Partial Fast.
Partial fasting is refraining from food and drink for a few hours. We practiced this before we got into full-day fasting. When Ramadan commenced during school days we'd go to school in the morning hours, break the fast during the lunch break and went on with fasting until dusk.  When we got accustomed to partial fast, fasting full day was effortless. Mum ensured the same delicious coastal cuisines that were served during iftar remained for the following day,  for us. After the mini iftar, we'd get involved in outdoor games  until the Maghreb adhan called. Family, dates, food,  friends and congregational prayer all this revived the fasting zeal.

4:Gifts.
For the days that we managed to fast full day, mum would award us ten shillings to get some fresh juice for our selves at iftar. At times the gifts came during the Eid celebration, it would be a cute dress or a family outing. All this encouraged us to fast. When I received my first menses to mark puberty, I was ready to do my duty of fasting in the month of Ramadan.
Gifts strengthen relationships,  they also demonstrate the importance of an act such as fasting. Gifts fuel our actions.

5:Teaching on fasting.
Making children understand about Ramadan and fasting is paramount. Once they understand the virtues of this holy month they would fast voluntarily. However I am not saying we should force the children to fast,  what we should do is prepare them for this duty they will take full responsibility for at puberty.

When a child wants to be involved in fasting voluntarily ,  in that case if the child's health is not at risk let them fast and when things get hectic remind them that they can break their fast and fast the next day.

According to Centre of Disease Control and prevention, Middle childhood (6-8 years) brings many changes in a child’s life. Physical, social, and mental skills develop quickly at this time. This is a critical time for children to develop confidence in all areas of life. Having,independence from family becomes more important now.This can be the perfect time to train the little ones on fasting. The prophet S.A.W also recommended that we teach our children to pray at the age of seven.

Written by: Mwanamisi Kasirani
Phone no:0726235836