Do you have small children? Do you struggle with getting the most out of Ramadan? I know my first year of Ramadan with a young child was quite shocking! I no longer could retreat into my Ramadan bubble for the month to come out refreshed and strengthened. The first couple years of Ramadan, I found it challenging to up my game for the last 10 nights, but I persevered. After having an infant and/or toddler in the house? Nearly impossible.
Now 4 years later, I have a game plan. In sha Allah the last 10 nights of Ramadan will be the best they’ve been in years.
Tips to Maximize Last 10 Nights of Ramadan with Young Children
Stay up!
With suhoor at 3:30am, take advantage of midnight feedings or restless kids, and just stay up until suhoor. Spend the time reading, listening to lectures, praying, making du’a, and overall strengthening your iman muscle. Make sure to get in a good nap during the day if you do this! Remember, you don’t need to be super woman. You are just trying to please your Lord and get to a better place before Ramadan is over and we are faced with fighting Shaytan once again.
Islamic Media
I’m all for minimal screen time, but when you do allow screen time, guide your children to Islamic movies, nasheeds, and especially ones that center around Ramadan. Here are some of my favorites:
Get Outside
Kids tend to play nicer and more independently when they are running and playing outside, so take your book or a lecture saved on your phone paired with some headphones, and take the kids to the park or just your back yard. Too hot? Find a mall play area, or indoor park, in sha Allah.
Learn Together
As kids get older, they should learn the value of the last 10 nights of Ramadan and be able to take part in it in their own little way, in sha Allah. Switch from straight story books to books where they learn the 99 names of Allah, or CDs to learn Qur’an. Alhamdulilah, the Muslim community has really started to flourish in making high quality books, and even living books, so you can find any number of resources to supplement their learning, too!
Laylat al-Qadr
A fun idea I’ve seen floating around online is setting up a tent either inside your home or in your yard for a Laylat al-Qadr so kids can pretend they are retreating to a cave, like the Prophet Muhammad (sws) did when he first received revelation. You can retell the story of the first revelation, spend time reading Qur’an, practicing a new surah, or praying. Make it feel special for them, and share with them the new things you have learned this Ramadan, in sha Allah.
Ramadan with young children doesn’t mean you have to pause all iman-increasing activities. A mix of trying to find alone time, and including the kids in iman-boosting activities can make Ramadan enjoyable, especially in the last 10 nights, in sha Allah.
My kid(baby) is just 9 Months old now… hope i can use the above tips after three or four years.. if possible plz write maximizing Ramadan with babys.. 🙂
Hehe, with babies? Um, survive! Kidding, though I do find the first year is the hardest because your schedule is not your own, and at least for me, I was not able to keep my fast the entire month while nursing, though some years I had moderate success for more than half the month, alhamdulilah. Keep an eye out on Muslimommy.com, and in sha Allah I’ll share my thoughts about managing Ramadan with a baby there. Jazak Allah khair for the suggestion!
well done