Lots of people have a strong opinion about whether you should take your child to taraweeh. Honestly, this blog post isn’t going to explore whether you should or shouldn’t. It’s a decision that should be made taking into consideration lots of personal factors. As a parent, you know about the set-up at your local masjid, your child’s maturity and ability to behave appropriately. If you have decided to take them, here are some tips to make it as smooth an experience as possible (for both of you).
Teach the manners of the masjid before Ramadan
Teaching the manners of the masjid before you attend taraweeh sets up clear expectations for your child. You can make clear how special the masjid is as a house of Allah. Plus, you can explain slowly and patiently what behaviour is expected and why.
This is much easier to do in the comfort of your home when you have designated the time to teach this topic. Much easier than if you have taken your child to taraweeh and you have to explain on the spot not to run around.
Kids often surprise us with how much is not obvious to them. It seems obvious to us that they shouldn’t run in the masjid. However, to kids the masjid is a big open space that is perfect to chase their friend in. Just because they don’t naturally understand this doesn’t mean that they won’t sit quietly once it is explained to them. They need to be taught and then given a chance!
Create a reward system for good behaviour
This could be a reward for each time they behave well or a system that involves stickers or tokens for each time leading to a bigger prize. Whilst some parents don’t like reward charts, if you are already using them for other aspects of home life like chores, why not use them for behaviour at the masjid? Here’s a free marvellous masjid manners reward chart (no sign up required). It includes a printer-friendly black and white version as well as full colour. Plus there are suggestions for what manners to include and a blank version for you to add your own based on your child’s personal goals.
Provide activity pages and crayons
If you take your child to taraweeh, they may be ready to join in some prayers but not all. Or perhaps they can sit still for a while but you need a quiet activity to occupy them for longer . Activity sheets are a great idea here, kids love them and it keeps them engaged. Pages should not contain images of living creatures for obvious reasons or the name of Allah (as kids will likely use them on the floor). This set is completely free and I’d love for you to share it with others.
It’s also a great idea to print or photocopy a few extras. Once the other kids in the masjid see them they’ll likely want to join in. Also, a few packs of mini crayons or colouring pencils in your handbag could make lots of kids (and their mothers) happy.
Patience and duaa
Listen to the above clip by Ustaadh Moosaa Richardson (may Allah preserve him) about how kids can’t be expected to act like adults in the masjid. We need to be patient with them while they are learning. If we have realistic expectations for what their behaviour should be, then it becomes more enjoyable for all of us. Ideally, we want kids to feel welcome and eager to go to the masjid. We can definitely encourage this with an easygoing attitude towards all kids (not just ours). Kids are unlikely to want to return to the masjid if they are being constantly reprimanded. Our hearts grow happy when we see teens in the masjid. However, they won’t be there if they have already been turned away as younger kids.
Free resources to help you teach kids about Islam
I hope you have found these tips for taking your child to taraweeh helpful. If you would like to get a FREE resource to help connect Muslim kids to the Qur’an then join the mailing list here to download a fun activity pack about one of the Animals in the Qur’an, the ant, and gain access to the free resource library.
Here are some other blog posts you’ll love inshaAllah:
5 types of Ramadan activities for young kids to try this Ramadan
