How can I help them stick to bedtime reading instead of sneaking a device under the duvet? 

Parenting Perspective 

When a child secretly uses a device under the duvet, it is not just an act of disobedience; it is often an attempt to find control, comfort, or a form of escape. The glow of the screen offers instant stimulation that can make reading feel slow and solitary in comparison. Your goal is not simply to enforce limits, but to restore a sense of connection and reward to the bedtime routine, so that reading can regain its emotional appeal. 

Rebuild Bedtime as a Bond, Not a Rule 

Children are more likely to follow routines that they feel emotionally attached to. Instead of treating bedtime reading as just another task, try to make it a shared ritual of closeness. You can sit beside them, dim the light softly, and read aloud for a few pages before handing over the book. You might say, ‘I love how quiet and peaceful our room feels when we read together.’ The warm emotional tone of the routine becomes its anchor, not the rule itself. 

Even if your evenings are busy, sharing just five minutes of reading time can create a sense of continuity. Once this connection feels warm and secure, children are less likely to substitute it with a device, because the comfort and calm they truly crave is already being met. 

Make Devices Naturally Inconvenient 

Set up the environment in your home so that good choices are the easiest ones to make. Keep all devices charging outside of the bedroom, ideally in a central family docking station. You can tell your child, ‘Our phones sleep in the hallway at night so our minds can rest properly.’ By framing this as a normal household rule rather than a punishment, you can reduce emotional friction. For older children, you can use night mode restrictions or app locks that automatically disable at set times. When boundaries are physical and predictable, disagreements often decrease. 

Rekindle the Reward in Reading 

If screens have dulled your child’s love for books, try to reconnect reading with their natural curiosity. Let them choose books linked to their current interests, whether that is mysteries, science, comics, or biographies, and then discuss the story with them the next morning. You could ask, ‘What was the funniest line you read last night?’ or ‘Which part of the story made you think?’ These small conversations help to validate the experience and keep reading socially rewarding. 

Address the Root of Hidden Needs 

Sometimes, sneaking a device is a signal of unmet needs, such as a need for decompression, companionship, or a sense of belonging. You can offer alternatives that soothe these needs. For relaxation, you could try listening to a soft nasheed, playing an audiobook, or encouraging them to journal with a torch. If loneliness seems to be the trigger, you can add a short evening dua together, saying, ‘Ya Allah, grant us peaceful rest tonight and pure hearts.’ This can help to turn bedtime from an act of secret rebellion into a moment of shared serenity. 

Respond Calmly When It Happens Again 

If you do catch your child using a device, it is important to respond with both empathy and firmness. You could say, ‘I understand that screens are very tempting, but your body and mind need proper rest. Let us try again tomorrow.’ Responding with consistency and kindness helps to build accountability without creating feelings of shame. Over time, they can begin to associate honesty and discipline with peace, rather than with restriction. 

The aim is not blind obedience, but balance. You are helping to raise a child who learns that contentment, not constant stimulation, is the true reward of night-time stillness. 

Spiritual Insight 

Guiding a child away from the hidden use of a device and towards peaceful reading is not just a behavioural matter; it is a form of spiritual training in amanah (trust) and taqwa (mindfulness of Allah Almighty). You are teaching them to act with integrity in those unseen moments, which is a cornerstone of faith. 

Choosing Light Over Distraction 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Noor (24), Verse 35: 

‘Allah (Almighty) is the (ultimate source of) light of the layers of trans-universal existence and the Earth; the example of His light (which has manifested itself on Earth in the form of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the Quran) is as if it was an alcove in which there was a lamp (beaming light)…’ 

This verse reminds us that true light comes from Allah Almighty, not from the artificial glow of screens. You can say to your child, ‘When we turn off our devices and open a good book, we are inviting the light of Allah into our hearts.’ Connecting bedtime stillness to the idea of divine light transforms an act of restraint into one of reverence. 

Guarding the Private Self 

It is recorded in Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 3984, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘The best of you is he who controls himself when alone.’ 

This hadith teaches that integrity in solitude is a defining feature of true strength. You can explain gently, ‘When you choose to put your device away even though no one can see you, Allah Almighty sees your choice, and He loves that.’ You can encourage them to whisper ‘Bismillah’ before they start reading and ‘Alhamdulillah’ after they finish, so the moment becomes a conscious act of worship. 

When you frame bedtime reading as both a time for rest and for remembrance, you help your child to experience a sense of peace that no screen can replicate. Over time, the secret glow from under the duvet can be replaced by the quiet glow of a clear conscience and the calm of a heart that finds comfort in light, honesty, and faith.