Help your kids enjoy Ramadan

This could be a trying period for young children below the approve age who take to fasting as they make efforts to fully participate in because they too are expected to be their best behaviour amidst the many distractions peculiar to their age. Many parents and family elders have devised means to help children stay involved and not perceive Ramadan as a herculean task but an endeavour that could be enjoyed leaving beautiful memories long after the period is over.

Alamin Rabiu and his wife Rukaya started off by helping their children understand the significance of fasting. They also answer their numerous unending questions in the simplest way they can understand rather than shut them up or ignore them when they ask or just saying you are a Muslim, you are obliged to fast.

“Before the fast started, we had a little chat with them, explaining what Ramadan means and the essence of observing it. As adults you don’t just do anything because somebody says you should. You are likely to ask why and will only go ahead when you are convinced. We believe the same applies to children. Understanding what we ask them to do is the only way they are motivated to do it to the end. We also explained to them what benefits await them at the end after explaining that they are doing the acts of worship to please Allah and not us. We then asked them to make suggestions as to how best to organise our routine for the period.”

In many instances, children often take responsibilities more seriously than adults. Given leadership tasks, they are likely to do it with a lot of diligence. This is the method implored by Ahmed and Yewande Ahmed. “We ask our youngest child, 13-year-old Suleiman to wake us up and alert us at prayer time. His older brother Abdullateef is responsible for putting together our meal to break the fast. This we call iftar. Our daughter who is the oldest has started putting together gifts we will give away when sallah comes and is responsible for taking our fabrics to the tailors. Every year we rotate the responsibilities among three of them and generally oversee what they do. It is interesting to see the amount of dedication they apply to their various tasks ensuring they succeed as well as trying to outdo one another.”

It is more blessed to give than to receive. This is a lesson that cuts across every religion and race. Ramadan is one season that encourages the act of giving. Larai and her husband Ahmed Yesufu, continually preach the act of giving to their children and encourage them to be creative about it. “We don’t insist that they must give money alone as they may not always have. Sometimes they give food which we encourage should be served in very presentable manner. Our sons and daughters alike take their time to add aesthetics to salads and garnish other food they intend to offer to outsiders. On their own I see them practising new styles. This I think is something they will take forever. Not just giving but giving in a worthy manner. “

The kids expressed the joy they derive from taking on these different chores and how it has given them a new perception to Ramadan.

Thirteen-year-old Isiaku Haruna is excited to be on vacation this season of Ramadan because he gets to plan iftar with his mum and sister. “I look forward to iftar. It is the first time nobody is chasing me out of the kitchen or hiding the pieces of meat because they know I am there to help. My mum allows me to suggest a menu, to break the fast and sometimes even allows me to prepare the easy ones like fruit salad and frying chips. It is interesting and I like the fact that I can cook a bit. I also invite my friends to come and break fast with me, this way they get to taste my cooking. I know they will talk about it when we go back to boarding house,” he said with a triumphant smile.

Salamatu Abdullahi prefers to break her fast with the older people in her area in Kabala Doki, Kaduna. “I see many of them who are old and I like to make fruit juice, kunu and kosai (bean cake) which I share with the older women after prayers. They tell me what it was like when they were my age during Ramadan and they pray for me too. This makes me happy. My parents encourage me to go to them all the time.”

Salamatu’s seven-year-old sister, Hajara, was eager to express herself and made a most remarkable statement. She said, “Mama and Baba always tell me to show love to everybody especially the almajiri and the old people I see. I have an old baba and mama who come to my house to eat my iftar with me. I like to see them laughing with all their teeth almost gone. But I am happy they know it is because I love them, that they come to my house.”