How can parents comfort a 5-year-old who cries every time a favourite cartoon ends? 

Parenting Perspective 

For a young child, the end of a beloved cartoon can feel like a genuine loss. Their tears are often a sign of their struggle with emotional transitions, not a deliberate tantrum. A gentle, empathetic, and predictable approach can make these daily endings much more peaceful. 

Start with Empathy and Validation 

Before anything else, acknowledge your child’s feelings. Get down to their level and say something soft and understanding, like, ‘I know you love this show, and it is sad when it finishes’. This simple act of validating their emotion helps them feel safe and understood, which is the first step to calming down. 

Create a Predictable ‘Goodbye’ Ritual 

Young children thrive on routine. Create a consistent and playful ritual for the end of every show. This could be waving goodbye to the characters, singing a special ‘the end’ song, or letting them have the important job of pressing the power button themselves. This predictability makes the ending feel less like a sudden shock. 

Transition to a Positive Next Step 

Immediately after the screen is off, invite them into a warm and engaging next activity. This should be a “soft landing,” not another demand. You could say, ‘Now it is time for our special cuddle and story time!’ or ‘Let us go and build a tower with your blocks’. This helps them move towards something lovely, rather than just focusing on what they have lost. 

With patience and repetition, children learn that while one fun thing ends, another is always waiting, which builds their emotional resilience and makes screen time transitions much calmer. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam teaches us to find ease in difficulty and to meet the distress of our children with mercy and compassion. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Inshirah (94), Verse 6: 

‘ Indeed, with (every) hardship there is facilitation (from Allah Almighty).’ 

This verse, often repeated for reassurance, can be a beautiful principle to apply to a child’s small struggles. It is a reminder that even the “hardship” of a favourite activity ending is always followed by the “ease” of a new beginning, whether that is a parent’s hug, a bedtime story, or the promise of a new day. 

Our response to a child’s tears is a reflection of our own character. 

It is recorded in Al Adab Al Mufrad, 95, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Whoever shows no mercy will be shown no mercy.‘ 

This profound hadith reminds parents that meeting a child’s tears with frustration is the opposite of the merciful approach beloved by Allah. Responding to their small sadness with softness and compassion is not just good parenting; it is an act of faith and a way of inviting Allah’s mercy into our own lives.