Fasting is one of the religious obligations for healthy adults. However, what about children? At what age can children be taught to fast in terms of health? Before parents teach their children to fast, it is better to ensure that children get adequate nutrition and nutrition during their growth period.
This is done so that children can remain active while fasting and do not get sick easily due to less than optimal immune systems. Here's a complete guide regarding the right age and things to pay attention to when children learn to fast!
When can children be taught to fast?
According to some psychologists, 3 years old is the right age to introduce children to the atmosphere of the month of Ramadan. At that age, your child does not yet understand the meaning of fasting, so parents can convey the message of fasting by introducing the atmosphere first, such as having sahur, breaking the fast, and tarawih prayers.
This is because at the age of five, children are able to accept things that they can really feel. With special conditions, when waking up for dawn, for example, parents don't force their little one to get up. Let the process run naturally.
Meanwhile, another opinion says, from the age of 4 years, children may be taught to start fasting. However, fasting exercises should be done only briefly. Do not allow children to fast from imsak until sunset. At the age of 4 years, it is enough for children to only be trained by fasting for 3-4 hours without eating. If it is too long, it is feared that fasting can actually interfere with the growth and development of the child.
What needs to be considered when teaching children to fast?
First, parents must consider whether the child has the ideal weight for his age and whether his development from a health point of view is appropriate for his age. If the child is in good health and has a weight that is appropriate for his age, then there is no problem if the parents teach their child to fast as early as possible.
Conversely, if a child is underweight, looks weak, and has a lack of appetite, it would be nice to postpone teaching children to fast until the child has growth and development according to their age.
Generally, children who are still growing need complete and balanced nutrition and nutrition for the process of growth and development. Lack of nutrition in children can cause disruption of the process of growth and development in children. Not only that, nutritional deficiencies can cause children to experience several risks of disease, such as diabetes, excess or lack of body weight, and cardiovascular disorders.
In addition, parents must also pay attention to the nutritional intake consumed by children when they start fasting. Don't forget to provide food with complete and balanced ingredients such as carbohydrates, protein, fat and fiber which contain vitamins and minerals.
Those are some things that need to be known about when it is better for children to be taught to fast and what things parents should pay attention to when children start learning to fast.
Article written by dr. Andina Chrisnawati R, Sp.A (Pediatric Specialist at EMC Alam Sutera Hospital).