Parenting Perspective 

When holidays arrive, familiar routines often collapse as bedtimes shift and daily rhythms loosen. This sudden freedom can be refreshing for adults but may feel disorienting for children, especially when it comes to maintaining daily systems like chores, Salah, or screen time limits. The key is not to cling rigidly to old schedules but to adapt the structure to suit the new rhythm of the holiday period. 

Embrace Flexibility with Core Anchors 

Rather than enforcing full schedules, it is more effective to maintain a few predictable anchor habits that can shape the day. These core activities give children a sense of order and predictability amidst the flexibility of a holiday. For example, you could preserve morning Quran time, a brief afternoon clean-up, or the family dinner at sunset. These anchors provide a gentle structure that prevents the day from becoming completely formless. 

Redesign Routines for the Holiday Flow 

Before the break begins, it is helpful to gather as a family to discuss what will change and what will stay the same. You can say, ‘We will sleep later and have more time to play, but our responsibilities do not pause completely’. Revise your systems together by assigning lighter duties, shifting timings, or making routines shorter but still consistent. 

• Simplify Tasks: Instead of a full evening clean-up, you could try a five-minute family tidy-up session with energetic music. 

• Use Visual Cues: Maintain a sense of rhythm without constant verbal instructions by using visible cues like whiteboards, family charts, or phone reminders. This helps children to anticipate expectations and participate more willingly. 

Foster Accountability Through Connection 

During the holidays, prioritising connection over correction will yield better results. Children are more likely to follow through with their responsibilities when they feel included and part of a team, not simply controlled. 

• Work Together: Replace questions like, ‘Did you do it yet?’ with invitations such as, ‘Shall we do this together before we relax?’. 

• Encourage Autonomy: Let them experience a degree of control. For instance, they could choose the clean-up music, help plan meals, or track their own Salah goals. By giving them a role in shaping the system, they become more invested in maintaining it. The goal is not rigid perfection but a sustainable rhythm that bends with joy rather than breaking under pressure. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam beautifully balances discipline with flexibility. Just as prayer times shift with the sun yet remain constant in spirit, family routines can be adjusted in form without losing their essential purpose. Teaching children to adapt responsibly during holidays reflects wisdom (hikmah) and strengthens their lifelong ability to balance work, rest, and worship. 

Maintain Consistency with Gratitude 

Holidays are a blessing, and maintaining a degree of mindfulness and order is a way of showing gratitude for this gift of time. Teaching children that even relaxed days deserve purpose helps them to use their time as a gift, not just a gap between responsibilities. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Asr (103), Verses 1-3: 

‘ By the (design of) time (by Allah Almighty); indeed, mankind shall surely (remain in a state of) deprivation (moral deficit), except for those people who are believers and undertake virtuous acts; and encouraging (cultivating within themselves and with one another the realisation and dissemination of) the truth and encouraging (cultivating within themselves and with one another the realisation and accomplishment of) resilience.‘ 

When children continue with simple, positive routines, they are honouring the blessing of time that Allah Almighty has granted them. 

Find Balance in Rest and Responsibility 

The concept of giving everything its due right is central to a balanced Islamic life. Holidays are a time for rest and renewal, but not for complete neglect of our duties to our Creator, our families, or ourselves. 

It is recorded in Sunan Nisai, Hadith 2391, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Your Lord has a right over you, your soul has a right over you, and your family has a right over you. So give everyone their due right.’ 

Encourage your child to see small, consistent acts of prayer, cleanliness, and kindness as ways to honour all of these rights correctly. By adjusting systems with gratitude and balance, you teach your child that faith and discipline are not seasonal; they flow naturally through every stage of life.