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What If My Child Finds Ramadan and Fasting Painful?

19 March, 2023
Q If my child is fasting, although it is not yet obligatory, should I send food to school (just in case)?

Answer

In this counseling answer:

•Any decision should be based on the child’s physical abilities, age, and whether it is the first year to fast or not.

•It is important to give a child a filling sahur just before dawn to minimize any need to eat during the day and to ensure that the child won’t find it a painful experience.


As-Salamu `Alaykum,

If your child is not yet of the age where fasting is obligatory, discussing the matter with the child and reaching a decision together on whether it is a good idea to send a snack or not would be recommended.

Talking about how your child feels and what the child prefers is very important. Any decision should be based on your child’s physical abilities, age, and whether it is the first year to fast or not.

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If a child is of an age when fasting is obligatory, then it would not be a good idea to send a snack with the child to school.

The underlying message then would be: if you are too hungry, you can eat. Whereas, if the child didn’t have the snack with him or her at school to begin with, the child wouldn’t consider eating at all; it would not be an option.

It is important to give a child a filling sahur just before dawn to minimize any need to eat during the day and to ensure that the child won’t find it a painful experience.

The child can be told that you did not pack a snack because you have a lot of trust in the child’s abilities and are very proud of the child and very happy that he or she is getting all these merits with Allah Most High.

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Disclaimer: The conceptualization and recommendations stated in this response are very general and purely based on the limited information provided in the question. In no event shall AboutIslam, its counselors or employees be held liable for any damages that may arise from your decision in the use of our services.

📚 Read Also: My Children See That Fasting Fills Me Dread

📚 Read Also: The ABCs of Fasting in Ramadan

About Mona Younes
Mona Younes has an extensive background as teacher and supervisor in both English Language and Arabic Language schools, before which she obtained her B.Ed at the American University in Cairo, Egypt.Mona attended and participated actively in a long list of conferences and seminars dealing with Family and Parental Issues. Currently, Mona Younes is doing her Masters on Online Education at the Southern Queensland University, Australia.