A note about kids and Taraweeh.. Some great suggestions below.. Something to really think about.. The usual scene at tarweeh is children running around in the prayer area, tweens in the hallways, and teens in the parking lot. The imam at taraweeh last night said some very wise things- Taraweeh is sunnah while looking after and protecting your children is fardh. He urged the fathers to watch the children while the mothers prayed and then switch so that fathers could pray while the moms watched their kids; emphasizing that both genders' ibadah is just as important. The issue wasn't don't bring the kids to the masjid but to make it a positive experience for them. "Why did you bring your children here?" he asked rhetorically, his voice shaking with emotion, "to give them a Islamic foundation and experience this blessed environment. Help us give that to them." Well-they weren't getting much of that wrestling outside the facility or stuffing toilet paper into the bathroom stalls, or hooking up in the parking lot. I love seeing kids in the masjid- I really think for the future of the deen, our masajid need to be extremely family friendly. But all this after the community put together two separate free age-appropriate child care stations with activities (wo)manned by the young women of the community, not just the usual 'a ton of children running around babysitting' leads me to say this: we often complain that the masjid doesn't do enough for the community, but sometimes the community doesn't do enough for the masjid. All it takes is for one child to get hurt or injured and the whole place could be shut down. (Although I have to say there is a special Rahmah during Ramadan when so many kids are doing the most crazy stuff and I have never witnessed anyone of them get hurt-it must be the angels!) Some parents make it work- they have the kids that are well-behaved in the masjid, that make you smile and say MashaAllah. Here is some things that they do that may help. And most of the following suggestions aren't for babies- babies cry, its normal we need to learn to deal with it. Most importantly, Ramadan and Taraweeh should be planned ahead of time so we actively participate in Ramadan; instead of Ramadan falling upon us. It should be the culmination of our year as a family. -Plan your stays at the iftars & tareweehs-talk to your kids ahead of time about what will happen, what the timeline will be. Give them a 'social hour' to meet and greet their friends before salah starts. Make a rule that after salah they need to be in the masallah. Bring some quiet activities, coloring books, books for older kids. -If you are going to take your make sure that they are fed you are fasting, your younger kids are not fasting. Kids start becoming very anxious/cranky if they haven't been fed properly. So make sure that they are satiated so they are not bugging you while you open your iftar or are praying. Take small non-messy snacks with you. -Let them know what you expect from them- sometimes children don't know what is expected and follow the crowd. Also if the kids haven't been inside a masjid all year long they may have forgotten what happens during taraweeh. If it is even harder for kids whose parents have never been to the masjid. My husband says just because you went on Hajj last year and now you have starting coming to taraweeh doesn't mean that your 9 year old who has never been to a masjid knows how behave at a masjid. You will have to be patient and teach them. Going to the masjid is important for their identity but don't expect them to learn -Ask your friends to kidpool during taraweeh; you watch their kids while they pray and they watch yours. If there are enough of you, everyone can get a good chunk of taraweeh during the month. -Your tweens/teens need you to step up. Make their Eid presents dependent on their behavior during taraweeh. Have them leave their gadgets at home or in the car. Use all your best parenting tricks that you use for good grades in school NOW. -Get them excited about worship- talk about the themes/meanings that will be read at taraweeh before heading out. Tell them about the reward of taraweeh. Make up a game for the younger ones- we talk about how many 'zombies' we 'kicked' by praying- it's a bit unconventional but boys like games. -Show some respect-if you know that your children will need to use the bathroom multiple times, or will roll around in front of the musallis, pray in the back or sides. The elders who have already raised their children deserve some quality time It's easy to take them to the bathroom in the back rows and to check on the older ones. -Be a role model- don't be chitchatting during the salah, in the halls, in the bathrooms and then expect the kids not to follow suit. - Turn to them after each set and give them a smile, a pat on the back, a look of love, telling them immediately that you appreciate their patience and stillness. That they are surrounded by angels, that you love them for the sake of Allah. Other adults should do this too. This goes further than anything IMO. - Stay home if you can not control them or if the experience is so bad that it would make them run away from the religion (yes some masjid experiences can do that) esp. if it smells really bad, is extremely hot and crammed. -Take their sleeping bags or a favorite blanket with you so if they are sleepy they can lie down next to you. -Reward them with a small treat if they behaved or read (stayed by your side) salah. Positive reinforcement makes for positive memories. -There are so many huffadh in our communities- maybe host taraweeh in your own homes with smaller gatherings that can complete your ibadah and also give your small children the convenience of being in their own homes. I would love to hear from tweens and teens on how taraweeh can become a more positive experience for you as well. Please feel free to add your suggestions in comments.