How can families reset daily routines to reduce risk without making tech feel like the ‘enemy’? 

Parenting Perspective 

After a harmful online experience, it can be tempting for families to impose heavy restrictions on all technology. While limits are important, framing technology as the ‘enemy’ can create resentment in children and may lead them to hide their usage. A healthier approach is to reset the family’s daily routines in a way that integrates technology alongside other fulfilling activities, so that a natural and sustainable balance can be restored. 

Shift the Focus From Restriction to Balance 

The overall goal should be to position technology within a balanced lifestyle, not to eliminate it entirely. By focusing on creating a healthy daily rhythm, technology naturally takes its proper, limited place. This feels less like a restriction to a child and more like a normal part of a well-rounded life. 

Design a Family Rhythm Around Healthy Habits 

You can begin by consciously creating a daily routine where technology has its designated place, but does not dominate. Establishing clear, predictable times for study, outdoor play, meals, chores, and prayer ensures that screens become just one part of the day, not the centre of it. Simple rules like keeping devices out of bedrooms and having screen-free meals can help to achieve this. 

Replace Risks With Positive Engagement 

Offer your children alternatives that feel rewarding and enjoyable, such as board games, family walks, or creative projects. Involving them in choosing these activities makes them feel that the new routine is a shared family goal, not something being enforced upon them. It is also crucial for parents to model this balance themselves, showing restraint in their own tech use. 

Build a Positive Relationship With Technology 

Encourage your children to use technology in ways that align with their interests and your family’s values. This could include using apps to learn a new skill, exploring their creativity, or connecting with beneficial Islamic resources. Framing technology as a tool for growth helps children to view it positively while still respecting the boundaries you have set. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam teaches that balance and moderation are guiding principles for a believer’s life. By resetting your family’s routines with these values in mind, you can reduce online risks while avoiding the unhelpful idea that technology itself is inherently evil. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Furqaan (25), Verses 67: 

‘ And it is those people that do not spend extravagantly, nor miserly; and (act in such a way) that is a balanced format between these two (extreme characteristics).‘ 

This verse reminds us that moderation is a core principle of faith. This applies not only to how we spend our wealth, but also to how we spend our time and form our daily habits, including our use of technology. 

It is recorded in Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2818, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Keep to the right course, be moderate, and rejoice. For none of you will enter Paradise because of his deeds alone’ 

This teaching shows that moderation and balance are qualities that are beloved in Islam, guiding believers to avoid harmful extremes in all areas of their lives. 

By helping your children to see that technology is a tool that can be used with care, you can nurture a sense of self-regulation and responsibility. This approach helps them to learn that moderation and a purposeful use of their time are essential parts of living a life filled with barakah (blessing), where technology serves their goals rather than controlling them.