10 Steps to Reduce Your Child’s Screen-time in Ramadan and Still Enjoy It

Kids nowadays are more connected to their screens than ever before. It can be easy to just allow them more screen-time in Ramadan to have a peace of mind. Below are some steps to help reduce that screen-time and still make the most of Ramadan’s spirituality.

Ramadan is usually a great opportunity for family members to get together and spend quality time together. However, it seems that due to most children’s excessive use of technology, with most researchers stating that it has now reached 7 hours per day of screen time for the average child, how will it be possible for your child to benefit the most from this sacred holy month and the family time. Here are the top 10 things you can do with your child during Ramadan that do not include technology, in the UAE.

1- Ramadan Breakdown – Whether you are Muslim or not, Ramadan is a big part of living in any Muslim country, as there are many changes such as limited work hours and daytime activities, closure of most food outlets during the day, nightly prayer and the most obvious, Muslims abstaining from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. Take this chance to explain the story of Ramadan to your child. In the simplest way, Ramadan can be explained as a time to appreciate all the blessings we have, and to give back to those who don’t have as much as we do.

2- Decorate your home – Rearrange furniture, put up something new and create the Ramadan ambiance your family will love. The children should play a huge part in this decoration, and you can simply include some of their creative artwork or even suggestions.

3- Ramadan prayers- This can be a simple sit down between you and your children where you practice the simple Ramadan prayers. Making it fun will make it easier for your child to remember it. Get creative and enjoy yourself.

4- Countdown calendar – This can be a family project where you create a calendar counting down the days until Eid. You can even make it a little more special by deciding what you will do as a family for Eid and putting that on the calendar. The main purpose of the calendar for children is so they can have a visual representation of numbers and days, allowing them to better understand the full length of Ramadan.

5- Charity box – As it is a crucial time for giving, as a family, you can create a charity box, and place in their toys, clothes and other items you’d like to donate to someone in need. Perhaps this can grow into something you end up doing all year round.

6- Books – Similar to the first point, books can help your child understand Ramadan from different narratives. There are a few Ramadan children’s books that are available here in the UAE, and are a great night-time read for your children. Otherwise, you can get creative and start a Ramadan story of your own with your children and create a quick and easy book. It’s all up to you.

7- Embrace the boredom – “Mum I’m bored!” – Not all things you plan may grab your child’s attention, and boredom is inevitable in every child’s life. Most early childhood specialists actually praise boredom as it’s a time for your child to really get creative and for parents to see what influences your child has partaken in. So embrace the boredom and use this time to positively influence the creativity that boredom can bring. You will be surprised at what boredom can do, in a good way.

8- Fatour prep – This is probably straightforward, but most children find comfort in helping out in the kitchen. Now more than ever, as the kitchen plays a crucial role in this stage, it is quite a good idea, to involve your children in the prep. Simple, easy tasks that they can later say at the kitchen table that they made. This also builds confidence.

9- Children-friendly Night prayers – There are a lot of mosques in the UAE which are children-friendly. So on a weekend, it’s not a bad idea for your child to attend the prayers and gain a sense of the prayers.

10- Eid preparations – This is probably the best feeling for your child. The excitement of Eid, and what it brings. Include them in decisions such as where they’d like to go, and what they’d like to wear. They can also get creative and prepare Eid cards for family members as they visit each house.