"What Are You Grateful to Allah For Today?" - A Bedtime Gratitude Practice For Kids.

"What are you grateful to Allah for today?"

The kids and I ask each other this question most days at bedtime, alhamdulillah.

Along with:

• "How was your day?"

• "What was your favourite part of the day?"

• And less often, "is there anything you didn't like today?"

So much goodness can pour out, from just a sound (when they were younger) to the rare 'I don't know', to listing blessings and beautiful happenings of the day in detail.

Things like:

• My mouth to talk

• The playdate was the best ever

• You and each other

• My hands and body

The best part is, as they get used it, they may be going through their day and when something that delights them happens, they may say something like "this is definitely my favourite part of the day". Or "this is my grateful to Allah!"

This routine can bring connection, and the safety of something comforting that happens rhythmically at a set time every day.

It can help kids (and us) develop a grateful state of being. A grateful internal baseline.

Dr Brené Brown once said that the most joyful people she interviewed in her studies had a tangible gratitude practice.

Another way to practice gratitude with children is to model and encourage thankfulness to Allah SWT whenever something 'good' happens.

We can do this by uttering alhamdulillah with pause and presence.

We can also model practising the sunnah of the Prophet (s) and perform sajdatul-shukr (prostration of thankfulness) whenever we observe or experience a blessing.

May Allah make us from the shaakireen (the thankful). And may we pass on a grateful way of being to our littles. Allahumma ameen.

P.S. it's okay if on some days and seasons, it feels a bit more challenging to find and spot the blessings <3

And remember as you parent, that it's not practice makes perfect, it's practice makes progress.

Photo Credit: Gabrielle Henderson