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How can I teach my child patience when food is delayed, or they feel hungry (hangry)? 

Parenting Perspective 

Children frequently find it difficult to wait for rewards, particularly when their hunger intensifies their emotions. This state of being ‘hangry’ can reduce impulse control and heighten irritability especially in younger children or those with sensory sensitivities. Instilling patience in these moments requires more than verbal reminders; it demands practical strategies, calm rituals, and modelled self-restraint. 

Click below to discover meaningful books that nurture strong values in your child and support you on your parenting journey

Prepare children for delays 

  • Offer gentle countdowns: Dinner will be ready in 15 minutes, so let us enjoy some quiet time or read a story until then 
  • Keep healthy snacks available as nourishment, not bribes 
  • Name the emotion: I notice you seem frustrated because you are hungry 
  • Redirect with calming actions: setting the table, choosing a dua card, or slow breathing 
  • Recognise even short moments of patience 

Over time, patience becomes a skill that children practise and master not merely a wish we hope they remember in moments of hunger. 

Spiritual Insight 

Allah Almighty reminds us in Surah Al Baqarah (2), Verse 153: 

O those of you who are believers, seek assistance (from Allah Almighty) through resilience and prayer, indeed, Allah (Almighty) is with those that are resilient. 

This verse teaches that patience is not passivity it is spiritual strength in action. Moments of hunger test our ability to maintain composure and rely on Allah Almighty’s provision. 

The Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ led a life of profound gratitude, even during scarcity. It is narrated in Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 3254, that he would often go days without cooked meals, responding only with calm and contentment. He also reminded us: 

The food of one person is sufficient for two, the food of two is sufficient for four, and the food for four is sufficient for eight. 

Help your child internalise this example with the phrase: 

  • Alhamdulillah for what is on the way. 

With gentle repetition and faith-based guidance, children can learn to see hunger not as a source of anger, but as a moment to practise restraint, gratitude, and spiritual focus. 

Click below to discover meaningful books that nurture strong values in your child and support you on your parenting journey

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