Parenting Guide

Maintaining Your Family’s Energy Levels During Ramadhan

Published by SchoolAdvisor | Apr 13, 2021

Ramadhan is the most important month for Muslims around the world. Besides teaching people to control desires, it also gives them the chance to display empathy towards their surroundings. This is done through the act of fasting where they restrain themselves from eating anything for a window of about 12 hours.

Not eating anything from dawn to dusk can sound like a nightmare, especially to children. Some of your teenage kids who go to school still carry on with their daily activities like their usual routine. From having back-to-back classes to attending tuition or extracurricular activities, no doubt they can come back home feeling worn out and weary.

Therefore, it is important that you as a parent take vital steps in making sure your child do all these things to stay energetic during Ramadhan:

1. Don’t Miss Sahur

Waking up as early as 5AM for a ‘breakfast’ meal is hard even for adults, but your kids should not miss sahur. The only time they get to eat during fasting month is between iftar (breaking the fast) and sahur (morning meal). Thus, you have to make sure your kids wake up early in the morning to fill their tummies. Eating during sahur will help to maintain their energy level throughout the day.

2. Eat Nutritious Food

Photo by American Heart Association

Another thing to do is to prepare nutritious food for your kids. Kids cannot escape sugary foods and drinks like donuts or boba milk tea, however, this is probably the best time for them to slow down on these foods. Opting for healthier options like whole-meal bread, brown rice, eggs or cheese will provide sufficient energy to keep them energised from morning to evening. Fruit and vegetables are also highly recommended to devour during this month as fibre will keep us full for a longer period of time.

3. Maintain a Light Exercise Routine

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You must be wondering if you are reading this right. Exercise? During fasting month? Who are we kidding? But yes, you are reading this right. Gentle activities like stretching or brisk walking have been proven to refresh and rejuvenate your body and mind. Get your kids to get moving with you in the house for a few minutes, or go the extra mile around the neighbourhood to keep their mind and body awake.

4. Drink Enough Water

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This is the problem everyone struggles with in their everyday life. Drinking enough water can seem like a chore that is hard to do. But making sure everyone in your household stays hydrated during Ramadhan is important as kids are more likely to break sweat from high intensity activities at school. Aim to drink 1-2 glasses of water during iftar and a cup of water every hour between iftar and sahur to get enough water intake for your body.

5. Take Naps and Get Enough Sleep

Photo by Parents

Here comes an activity that we all love. Taking naps and sleeping. Even so, getting enough sleep can be hard for your kids if they are used to staying up till midnight for school work or video games. But it is crucial that your kids go to bed earlier as they have to wake up early for sahur. How to achieve this? Minimise their screen-time by telling them to keep those activities for the weekend. Getting enough sleep will not just help to maintain their energy level, it will also make them happier and more productive to get on with their day. If you see them looking tired, advise them to take a nap for 15-20 minutes during the day to help them get refreshed.

Ramadhan should not be a hindrance for your kids to be productive in school. With these simple tips, you can help your kids stay energetic throughout the day even without getting nutrition from their usual meal time. These tips may seem like they are easy to follow but you would be surprised at the fact that many people still struggle with them. Getting young kids to do the tips mentioned above can be challenging during this time but it really is the best for both you and your children.