Parenting Perspective 

Evenings can often unravel after a busy day. Your child returns from an outing or screen time full of energy, yet when it is time to slow down, resistance begins. This struggle is rarely defiance; it is overstimulation. Their body is still flooded with adrenaline, and their mind cannot immediately shift gears. Expecting instant calm after excitement is unrealistic. The solution lies not in stricter rules but in a gentler rhythm that helps your child descend gradually from motion to stillness. 

Understand the Physiology Behind the Behaviour 

A child’s nervous system takes longer to settle after stimulation. Activities like running and laughing keep cortisol and adrenaline levels high. When you suddenly announce, ‘Bedtime now!’, their brain interprets it as an abrupt loss. A calm transition helps the nervous system ‘land’. Instead of viewing the resistance as disobedience, recognise it as a signal that their body needs time to shift. Saying, ‘Your body is still awake from playing; let us help it rest,’ offers validation, which is the first step toward regulation. 

Build a Gentle Cooling-Down Routine 

Structure the evening like a downward slope. Start with a warm bath to relax muscles, dim the lights to signal rest, and replace screens with soft sounds like Quran recitation. Keep the sequence identical each night: Play → Wash → Snack → Story → Du‘a → Sleep. The body learns patterns faster than commands. A predictable order gives children emotional security and prepares their hearts to rest peacefully. 

Replace ‘Stop’ with ‘Shift’ 

Avoid abrupt phrases like ‘Stop shouting’ or ‘No more noise.’ Instead, redirect their energy: ‘Let us stretch our bodies after all that running,’ or ‘It is time to use our quiet voices while we tidy up.’ Shifting your language keeps their dignity intact while steering behaviour calmly. Remember, connection soothes more effectively than control. Your voice is the emotional thermostat; the more you lower yours, the faster they will lower theirs. 

Guard the Environment from Overstimulation 

One hour before bedtime, lower the household volume. Switch off screens, reduce clutter, and use warm, low lighting. Even a television on in the background can delay rest.¹ Replace it with gentle conversation or reading together. Small sensory cues, such as a consistent bedtime scent or soft pyjamas, build associations of safety. The body begins to recognise these signals as indicators that it is time to rest. 

Anchor Calm with Connection 

End the day with closeness. Read a book together, share one highlight from the day, or make a small du‘a aloud. This practice nurtures emotional closure. When children go to bed feeling secure and connected, they resist less the following night. Over time, this pattern trains their hearts to see evening calm as a comfort, not a punishment. 

Spiritual Insight 

Evening calm is not merely a routine; it is an act of spiritual rhythm. Allah Almighty created the night as a divine invitation to rest, reflection, and peace. By teaching your child to slow down gently after stimulating activities, you are training their body to align with the natural order Allah Almighty has ordained, the alternation between energy and serenity. 

The Quranic Perspective 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Qasas (28), Verse 73: 

‘And out of His (Allah Almighty) mercy, He has provided for you the night and the day; so that you may flourish therein, and that you may seek from His benefactions; and so that you may become grateful.’ 

This verse reminds us that rest itself is a mercy, not a sign of laziness. The night was created for tranquillity. Helping your child wind down teaches them gratitude for Allah’s design: to be active during the day and reflective in the evening. When they learn to embrace stillness, they also learn humility before this divine rhythm. 

The Prophetic Example 

It is recorded in Jami Tirmidhi, Hadith 2877, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Do not turn your houses into graves. Indeed, Satan flees from the house in which Surah Al Baqarah is recited.’ 

This hadith shows that evening peace is strengthened through remembrance. Playing or reciting verses from Surah Al Baqarah in the home brings sakinah, or divine tranquillity. Let your child hear these recitations softly before sleep. Even if they do not yet understand the words, their heart can absorb serenity from the sound of the words of Allah Almighty. 

When the day closes with the Quran, low lights, and a gentle tone, the home transforms from a place of hurried noise to one of sacred calm. The child learns that peace is not the end of joy but its completion, a mercy Allah Almighty sends after motion, so that both heart and body can rest in harmony.