Is It Right To Give Your Child A Reward To Motivate Them To Fast?

Illustration (Sebastian Leon Prado/Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Children are not required to fast. However, when he reached puberty, he could not help but be obliged to undergo one of these important acts of worship. If you don't get used to it, it will be difficult for your child to do it later. For this reason, parents need to teach the habit of fasting as early as possible, at least when the child is 5 or 6 years old.

This process of course needs to be done gradually. Starting from fasting a few hours, half a day, to a full day. In teaching children to fast, most parents motivate their children with gifts. Sometimes, this reward becomes commonplace and succeeds in persuading children to fast. But, is this method correct?

Basically, children love gifts. This reward has been proven to be effective in motivating your little one to start fasting. No wonder this trick is most often chosen by parents to introduce their children to fasting. No need to give expensive gifts. Enough stationery, games, clothes, or bags, whatever the child likes. When giving a gift, explain that the gift was obtained because he was willing to try to fast.

So, until when should children be lured with gifts to want to fast? What is clear is that this cannot be done continuously, considering that children need to understand what the concept of fasting really is. You can give gifts in the child's first year of fasting. Introducing new things to children needs to be accompanied by fun things so that the little one is more excited.

However, in the years that followed, parents had to start cutting back on gift-giving. Give understanding to children that fasting is worship for children. Children must continue to fast even without gifts. Ideally, the lure of gifts should be stopped when the child has entered elementary school. If you're used to promising your little one gifts, then the worst thing that can happen is that he only fasts when they get a gift.

Actually, there is another alternative to invite children to fast without having to give gifts, namely by giving praise. This verbal statement will encourage the child to repeat the action again. Don't forget to give compliments in detail. Praise their efforts for wanting to fast.

Another reward you can give your child for fasting is by cooking their favorite food. Breaking the fast with their favorite special menu will definitely make children more enthusiastic about fasting.

As a parent, you must provide an understanding of the obligations that children need to do as Muslims. Also, give him an understanding of the meaning of fasting. This can be a provision of faith for them later when they grow up if their parents have taught them since childhood.