“Teaching children to fast is a challenge for parents. Generally children will complain when trying to fast. Often the reason is hunger, thirst, and weakness. So that children do not complain when fasting, then make sure the child's food intake is complete at dawn and the child has enough sleep."
Facing children who complain while fasting is usually often faced by mothers. Especially if this is the child's first year learning to fast. Usually children feel bored, quickly complain of hunger, as well as questions why fasting and what are the benefits of doing it.
Such questions and behavior of children often become problems for mothers, whether they want to teach their children or feel sorry because children often complain of hunger. If that's the case, mothers need tips for dealing with children who complain while undergoing fasting as described below.
Ensure Children Get Quality Sahur
Now, before the child starts complaining, try to see if the child has had a quality meal or not. A quality suhoor with complete nutrition and perfect nutrition will make the child's physical body more able to survive all day long. It is important for mothers to accompany their children to enjoy their suhoor, so that mothers know very well whether their children have missed some food or if their children are not excited to eat them.
Enough Sleep
One of the tips for dealing with children who complain while fasting is to provide adequate rest for children. In addition to sleeping at night that is not too late, children also need a nap. That way the child can save energy and not get bored waiting for the time to break the fast.
Fill Children's Activities with Useful Activities
So that children don't complain often, mothers must be smart and creative in providing useful activities to fill their children's time to break their fast. For example, by making a menu for breaking the fast that is liked by children. It could also be accompanied by shopping or watching religious shows for children to increase their faith and piety.
Don't Be Tired of Explaining the Purpose of Fasting
Children generally will complain several times while learning to fast. This often tests the patience of parents. For this reason, mothers should not be bored explaining the purpose of fasting to children, and do not stop making children aware so that they do not get bored and complain about fasting.
Give Encouragement and Motivation
When inviting children to fast, parents should appreciate their efforts and developmental progress. This can be in the form of a small award. For example, by allowing children to choose what food to eat when it is time to break the fast.
Also encourage your little one to have activities during the day. This is so that the child stops counting the remaining time to break the fast. Usually children complain of fasting because they are too calculating the length of time to break the fast. With the busyness of the day, children will forget to count the time. Unknowingly, the time to break the fast has arrived.
Don't Force Children Too
Often parents first introduce fasting when the child is four to six years old. However, it should be understood that when introducing fasting, parents must make an agreement with the child. Parents should not force fasting on children, because any form of coercion will only make the child dislike it even more.
If the child does not like fasting (due to parental coercion), then learning about fasting will not be well received by the child. Of course parents don't want that to happen.
If the child does not seem ready, then try to persuade the next day and the next. Even if in a month of fasting the child does not fast (because he is not ready), then maybe it is not the time. However, if the child tries but seems very struggling, then take cues from the child's behavior and the duration of the fast. If the child seems weak, not excited to go through the day, and the child asks to break the fast before the time, then parents can choose to shorten the duration of fasting.
It is normal if children have not been able to fast fully. However, keep giving them enthusiasm, motivation, and learning so that your little one is ready for the next day or in the following years. As children get older, children will increasingly understand the meaning of fasting in the month of Ramadan.