Children and Spare Time
This post is in: General Upbringing
Today we want to talk about how to manage your children’s time. The nature of children is that they enjoy playing and having adventures. As parents, we should keep this in mind and accommodate these requirements. In fact, the fact that children are energetic by nature can be used in their favour.
To do this, we should prepare places for them to play in and have fun and give them access to halal sporting clubs and swimming pools etc. If we do not do this, they may end up mixing with bad peers and will seek pleasure in non-Halal ambitions.
Islam has solved this problem of spare time by offering practical means that make their bodies healthy and strong. Among these is teaching them fighting techniques and chivalry, swimming, jumping, wrestling - and even getting them used to worshipping/praying.
We need to learn from the early Muslims who not only lived very active lives but also enjoyed sports. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked Muslims to teach their children swimming, archery, and horse riding. Other sports that build character and physical strength are also recommended inshaAllah, as long as the children maintain their Islamic identity, wear appropriate clothes and do not engage in unnecessary mixing. Alhamdulilah, even in the west now, there are many facilities available that cater for Women-only audiences, which are ideal for Muslims mothers and their children.
In summary, Islam is a balanced religion based on justice, and gives everyone their rights. So we should try and keep our children healthy and provide them with Halal alternatives.