Tips for Healthy Fasting for Children So that the Little One’s Fasting Goes Smoothly | Good Doctor
Moms, is it time to teach your little one to fast? If this is the first year the child has tried fasting, it seems Moms need some healthy fasting tips for children.
During fasting, of course, parents want their little one to stay healthy. So, what do you need to know so that children stay healthy while fasting in Ramadan this time?
What are the benefits of fasting for children?
In addition to children getting used to fasting which is an obligation in the month of Ramadan, their bodies will become healthier in the month of fasting.
Children become healthier
Desy Dewi Saraswati, Sp. A, from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Indonesia, said that fasting can make a child’s body healthier. This is because they learn to time their meals.
“In addition, fasting can reduce toxins in children’s bodies while teaching them about patience, self-control, helping others and encouraging high social spirit,” he said.
Learn discipline
In addition, fasting can also be a place to teach discipline to children. The reason is, they will learn how to set bedtime to prepare themselves to eat sahur and also rest so that their fast goes smoothly the next day.
It’s often difficult for children to wake up at dawn, but this usually only happens at the beginning of the fasting month. This difficulty will disappear as they get used to following the fasting schedule.
Healthy fasting tips for children
Before inviting your little one to fast, there are a number of things that are necessary Moms take note. Starting from before the start of fasting, setting the food menu, to your little one’s activities while fasting.
For more, let’s see the explanation below.
Preparation before fasting begins
Fasting in the month of Ramadan is obligatory for Muslims who are adults or going through puberty. Usually puberty occurs between the ages of 8 to 13 in girls. For boys it occurs at ages from 9 to 15 years.
Therefore, if the child has not reached puberty, it is not obligatory to observe a full fast. However, by inviting children to fast from an early age, you can teach them at the same time so they will get used to it later.
Don’t force the child
If this is your little one’s first fast, parents need to mentally prepare their children. One of them is by explaining fasting as one of the religious orders. With this understanding, it will make children try to fast with confidence and determination.
Parents also don’t expect young children to fast completely in Ramadan. On the other hand, let this young child only fast for half a day.
Letting him fast, even if half a day makes the child more confident. They will feel more involved, but less pressured to follow the fast.
While older children can increase the duration of their fast so their bodies will get used to it and adjust later in adulthood.
Do not compare with other children
Don’t force a child just because you see another child the same age is ready. Comparing children with other children or your experiences when you were the same age as your little one is what makes him depressed.
It’s possible that the child will actually become lazy to learn to fast and think his efforts are in vain, Moms.
Fasting is an activity that should be done by adults. In this case it’s not just not eating and drinking, because fasting requires that the mind and mentally be ready and spiritually focused.
At their age, children are active and they may not really understand spiritual meaning. Therefore, don’t force it, because maybe when they grow up they will perceive fasting as a burden for them.
Give gifts if necessary
You can encourage your little one to fast by giving gifts when they can get through their fasting days well.
Maybe at first you give only 8 hours for the child to fast and increase the duration as time goes on. Keep track of its progress and give special prizes or rewards for your little one’s achievements.
But remember, limit giving gifts appropriately, Moms. Don’t let your child go too far asking for gifts or even get used to fasting because of gifts.
Keep conveying what it means to fast sincerely in the month of Ramadan. Including the hope of getting a reward and instilling positive values ​​in children.
Prepare nutritious food
Suhoor food should contain high protein. Because this type of food will take longer to digest and will make you feel full longer.
High protein foods will also help stabilize blood sugar levels which is very important during fasting
Foods that fall into this category are: eggs, chicken, beef, or fish. Besides that, it is also equipped with complex carbohydrate foods such as sweet potatoes, potatoes or brown rice.
Don’t forget fiber foods, which can be taken from fruits such as bananas, apples or pears, or vegetables such as carrots and spinach.
Pay attention to fluid intake for children
The body’s fluid requirements are different. Depends on several things, one of which is the age factor.
Moms can start looking for ways to keep their little one’s needs met. Because this liquid can come from various sources other than water, such as from milk or fruit juice.
Other healthy tips for fasting children
Here are some things you need to pay attention to when inviting children to fast:
- Because sahur is the most important part of fasting, especially for children, try to meet their nutritional needs with fiber-rich foods such as cereals, whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables.
- Don’t forget to also meet their protein needs with lean meat, eggs and dairy products so that children can stay full for a long time
- Keep children away from salty foods to reduce the risk of having to, don’t exercise too much and drink lots of fluids when breaking the fast or sahur to maintain their hydration level
- Avoid overeating just because you want to replace lost calories. Overeating will only result in digestive problems, bloating and discomfort
- If you really want to restore lost calories, it’s better to eat it divided into several parts with breaks so that you don’t have too many in one meal
- Avoid fizzy drinks, spicy and dry foods to avoid digestive problems
- You can provide low-fat dairy foods such as yogurt and cheese. Both of these foods are good for children’s digestion during fasting
Change the child’s diet
Before the fasting month, you should make the following dietary changes so that children get used to it:
- Get used to children to eat in small portions throughout the day. This is to control their urge to eat so that fasting can be controlled
- As Ramadan approaches, try to cut one of your child’s meal schedules. This is so that the child’s mind, body and appetite can get used to the fast approaching period
- Cut your salt and sugar intake gradually. Because these two substances are the culprits of thirst and hunger
Organize children’s activities during fasting time
Fasting in Indonesia lasts about 10 to 12 hours per day. In the fasting state, many benefits can be obtained by the body. Several studies have revealed that fasting can be used as a way to maintain a healthy body condition.
But what if your little one who is not used to fasting starts to get annoyed with his hunger?
1. Reduce excess physical activity
Usually since the morning the children will be preoccupied with learning activities or some are doing other activities.
If after that the child is used to filling in the time by playing ball or other physical activities, it can be replaced by reading a book or watching children’s shows at home.
Excessive physical activity is best avoided so that children do not get tired and avoid dehydration.
2. Invite children to help prepare iftar dishes
Approaching the breaking time, children will begin to be disturbed by hunger. One way to distract him is to ask him to help prepare food for breaking the fast.
For example, make pudding combined with dates. while cooking, Moms can explain the goodness of dates for the health of the body.
Dates are good for consumption because they contain several vitamins and minerals. Dates also contain fiber, antioxidants and are high in calories. The fiber found in dates can also control blood sugar levels.
Pay attention to foods to avoid
Tips for healthy fasting for the last child are no less important. Parents need to pay attention to what foods are recommended and which are not.
If the recommended food is food that fulfills its nutrition with balanced nutrition, it is necessary to know what needs to be avoided.
What are these foods? One of them, spicy food. Not recommended because it can increase stomach acidity. This can interfere with children’s health during fasting.
In addition, if possible avoid soft drinks. Instead of soft drinks, it’s better to make fruit juice for children. Besides being healthier, fruit juice helps meet the body’s fluid needs.
Also avoid overeating children. Because this habit can cause indigestion and also bloating.
Observe complaints in children if any
When learning to fast, children will often go through an adaptation process. It doesn’t always go smoothly, there is a possibility that the child will find it difficult. So, so that he can go through this learning phase smoothly, don’t forget to provide support.
One of the tips for healthy fasting for other children is to listen to the complaints that children convey. As much as possible find a solution together. For example, if the weather is hot and your child complains of thirst, you can take him to take a bath to make it cooler.
Avoid scolding him or forbidding him to complain, because this can actually make him not want to learn to fast in the future. Remember that children still need time to adapt to get used to fasting, Moms.
Ignoring children’s feelings can also make them even more depressed, eventually leading to difficulty getting through fasting this month of Ramadan.
So, those were some healthy fasting tips for children that you can try this Ramadan. Come on, live worship with your little one in a healthy and fun way!
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