Ramadan is a special month for Muslims. Even though we live in a Muslim country, festivals of non-Muslims has become very popular here in comparison to the Islamic festivals. As we wait eagerly all year for the special month of Ramadan, our children tend to wait for birthdays, Pohela Boishakh, New Year’s Day, etc. As a parent, it is our duty to create love for Islam and its festivals in our children. We celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha and try to create excitement for Eid celebrations. But we fail to realize the virtues of Ramadan are so great that we should also strive to create love and excitement for this month in our children. This article will look at a few ideas that we may find helpful in this regard.
Welcome the month of Ramadan
Usually when a guest or someone special comes to our home, we clean and decorate out house. To welcome the month we should clean our house, wash clothes, change bedcovers, decorate our house with flowers or other decorations. it doesn’t have to be something expensive, anything cheap but beautiful or eye-catching can work. We can also make Ramadan messages and pictures and put them on the walls. The main thing is getting our children involved with the decorations and artwork.
Ramadan calendar
I got this idea from a sister and I found it very useful. Make a calendar specifically for Ramadan. Add a pocket under every date. If your child can’t read then put a candy or dates in the pockets. Let them pick one candy each day during Maghrib. If your child can read, add a note with a message with a candy or piece of date. The note could contain an advice or an ayah of the Qur’an suitable for the age of your child.
Story time
In Ramadan fix a time everyday when you will tell your kids stories about prophets, Allah (subhanahu wa taa ala), the Sahaba (radiAllahu anhum) or any Islamic story suitable to the age of your children. After finishing your story let them draw something they learned from the story and color them. Make learning time fun time.
Good deed jar
I loved the idea of a good deed jar. Ramadan is a time when we do extra good deeds. Children often get confused about doing extra good deeds. In order to encourage them, get a hold of a big jar, make a label on it saying “Good Deed Jar”. Whenever they do a new good deed let them write it on a piece of paper and put it in the jar. Open the jar at the end of Ramadan and award with the child with a gift it they did a certain amount of good deeds according to their age.
Alhamdulillah chart
This is a good way to make children love Allah. Let them maintain a diary or notebook in which everyday they will make a list of the good things that happened to them for that particular day. Examples include: Alhamdulillah I went to school safely, Alhamdulillah I had my lunch, Allah provided me with food, or Alhamdulillah I didn’t get hurt while I was playing, etc. This will let them think about the Mercy of Allah in our everyday life.
Encourage fasting
Encourage your child to fast in Ramadan. If he or she is too young to fast the whole day then let them fast for one or two hours before Maghrib. Then let them eat iftar with the rest of the family as if they fasted the whole day. This way they will be encouraged to fast more and slowly get into the habit. If your child can fast the whole day then prepare their favorite food for iftar.
Giving charity
Make your children love sadaqah. Tell them the virtue of giving sadaqah and encourage them to give. You can give them some money and tell them to give out to beggars they see on their way to school. Let them give food to needy ones. If they give away their favorite toy as sadaqah then praise them, let them know how happy you are with their decision and most importantly how happy Allah is.
Make Ramadan goals
Make a card and put some goals for your child to reach this Ramadam. It can be learning 2/3 short duas or a small surah. It can also contain a behavior that you want your child to adopt, such as “don’t tell a lie” or “ obey your elders, “ etc. Don’t make a long list of goals for your child, make it short, easy and reasonable so that they can finish it within Ramadan. If your child is old enough then you can encourage them to read the Qur’an everyday. Arrange a gift for them if they finish the goal on time.
Ramadan cards
Let the children make Ramadan cards for everyone in the family or for their friends. Let them create and decorate the cards. Help them to choose a message to write on the card. It’s not an issue it the cards are not perfect, the objective is to get a good message out from your children and mainly for them to understand the blessedness of Ramadan. Be happy and praise your children through the month, especially for any activities they may take part in.
