How can I practise short queues at home to prepare for real ones outside? 

Parenting Perspective 

Waiting in a line is one of childhood’s hardest tests of patience, especially when a child’s energy is high and their attention span is short. In shops, at playgrounds, or at school, queues can quickly lead to pushing, fidgeting, or outright frustration. However, the ability to wait calmly in a group is not just a matter of good manners; it is a sign of emotional maturity in action. 

Practising how to queue at home allows your child to build this important skill in a familiar, low-stress environment before they have to face longer queues out in the world. You are helping them to connect the act of waiting with a sense of order, fairness, and self-control, all of which are values that will prepare them not only for public life but also for teamwork, respect, and empathy. 

Understanding Why Queues Are Difficult for Children 

To a child, being asked to wait in a line can feel deeply unfair. Their body is telling them to ‘move’, while the environment is telling them to ‘pause’. They have no control over when their turn will come, and this uncertainty can trigger a feeling of impatience. Some children may push forward to try to feel powerful again, while others might disengage completely. What they need is not more rules, but rather rehearsal and a sense of rhythm. You can frame the experience for them in a positive way: ‘Queues are just a way for us to practise being fair. Everyone gets their turn when they can wait kindly.’ This helps to turn the feeling of frustration into one of purpose. 

Creating ‘Queue Practice’ Sessions at Home 

You can use playful scenarios to make the concept of queueing more concrete and understandable for your child. 

• Start with just two or three participants. You can use toys, siblings, or even yourself. For example, ‘We are all lining up for some pretend ice cream. Everyone will get one scoop when it is their turn.’ 

• Add a clear visual marker for where each person should stand. You can use floor spots, cushions, or tape lines to show the appropriate spacing. 

• Practise fairness cues by using short, simple phrases to structure the rhythm of the queue: ‘Hands to yourself,’ ‘Eyes on your own space,’ or ‘When it is your turn, take one, and then step back.’ 

• Gradually extend the waiting time. Begin with just ten seconds, then stretch it to thirty, and then to a minute, building their emotional endurance over time. 

The goal is not to achieve perfect stillness, but to cultivate a calm awareness and an understanding that everyone’s turn matters. 

Linking Home Practice to Real-Life Situations 

Before you leave for a real outing where you know there will be queues, you can rehearse the rules briefly: ‘Remember our queue rules: keep your space, have a quiet body, and use kind eyes.’ At the location, you can whisper gentle reminders rather than corrections: ‘You are doing your queue waiting so well. That is brilliant.’ Afterwards, it is helpful to debrief in a positive way: ‘You waited so patiently in the line today. How did it feel to take turns with everyone?’ This kind of reflection helps your child to see waiting not as a punishment, but as teamwork in action. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam places a high value on both patience and discipline, referred to as sabr and nizam. Queues, though an ordinary part of daily life, reflect these principles beautifully, as they require restraint, fairness, and a deep respect for the rights of others. Helping your child to practise waiting in short lines at home teaches them that this act of calm waiting is an important part of developing a moral character. 

Patience and Order as Acts of Faith 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Asr (103), Verses 2–3: 

‘Indeed, mankind shall surely (remain in a state) of) deprivation (moral deficit), except for those people who are believers and undertake virtuous acts; and encouraging (cultivating within themselves and with one another the realisation and dissemination of) the truth and encouraging (cultivating within themselves and with one another the realisation and accomplishment of) resilience.‘ 

This verse reminds us that patience is not just a private virtue; it is a communal one. When your child learns to wait calmly while others go first, they are participating in this shared virtue, a form of patience that helps to keep society peaceful and kind. 

The Prophetic Example of Respectful Order 

It is recorded in Jami Tirmidhi, Hadith 225, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘If people knew the reward for calling the adhan and for standing in the first row, and they found no other way to get there except by drawing lots, they would draw lots.’ 

This hadith shows how the Prophet ﷺ encouraged a sense of order, fairness, and respect for taking turns, even in acts of worship. Everyone’s right was preserved, and no one was expected to push ahead of others. When your child queues kindly, they are embodying that same prophetic spirit of discipline through fairness. Over time, these small practices at home will teach your child that waiting in a line is not just a rule; it is a reflection of good manners (adab) and patience (sabr).