What if screen-free routines make the evening feel even more stressful for me as a parent? 

Parenting Perspective 

Evenings are often the most challenging part of the day for a parent. Energy levels are low, patience is thin, and the temptation to use a screen for a moment of peace is high. If implementing a screen-free routine feels like it is adding to your stress rather than relieving it, the solution is to find a sustainable balance that safeguards your own wellbeing too. 

Adjust Your Expectations of ‘Screen-Free’ 

Firstly, it is important to adjust your expectations. ‘Screen-free’ does not have to mean ‘fully hands-on’ for you every single moment. Low-effort, independent activities for your child such as listening to an audiobook, simple colouring, or quiet play can give you a much-needed breather without defaulting to a screen. The goal is peace, not perfect engagement. 

Use Screens as a Brief Transitional Tool 

If the shift away from screens feels too abrupt for your child, it is okay to use a very short, calming screen session as a transitional tool. For example, ten minutes of a quiet programme can be followed by a longer, screen-free wind-down. This helps your child to adjust gradually while still giving you a moment to reset your own energy. 

Involve Your Child in Simple Evening Tasks 

Often, a child’s restlessness comes from a need for connection. You can meet this need without exhausting yourself by involving them in simple evening preparations. Letting them help set the table, choose their pyjamas, or arrange the books for bedtime reading can create small moments of positive connection and cooperation, reducing the restless energy that often drives screen use. 

Protect Your Own Decompression Time 

If you are calm, your child is far more likely to accept and adapt to new routines. Identify one personal, non-negotiable decompression habit for yourself whether it is five minutes of quiet prayer, a cup of tea, some gentle stretching, or just stepping outside for fresh air and protect it as fiercely as you protect your child’s bedtime. 

A truly successful screen-free evening should support the peace of the entire family, not just the child’s development. 

Spiritual Insight 

In Islam, caring for your own wellbeing is not a selfish act; it is a necessary prerequisite for fulfilling your responsibilities to others with patience and kindness. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Baqarah (2), Verse 286: 

‘Allah (Almighty) does not place any burden on any human being except that which is within his capacity…’ 

This verse is a profound reminder that our faith acknowledges our human limits and encourages a balanced approach to life, not one of self-exhaustion in the name of perfect parenting. 

It is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 5199, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Your body has a right over you’ 

This hadith teaches us that tending to our own need for rest and health is a part of living responsibly as a believer. By designing evening routines that nurture both your child and yourself, you create a home environment where screen-free time feels peaceful instead of pressured. In doing so, your child learns from your living example that balance itself is a form of faith.