What Is a Kind Way to Hold Doors or Wait for Lifts with Younger Children? 

Parenting Perspective 

Everyday moments like holding a door open or waiting for a lift may seem minor, but they are golden opportunities to teach children about courtesy and awareness of others. Younger children often rush ahead without thinking, while older ones may not realise they have a chance to model kindness in these situations. By training them in these small habits, you help to develop their patience, social awareness, and respect for the people around them. 

Explain the Simple Principle of Courtesy 

Help your child to understand the purpose behind the action. You could say, ‘When we hold the door open for someone or wait for them at the lift, we are making life a little easier and safer for them. That is a simple way of showing kindness in action.’ Connecting the act to the value of kindness, rather than just presenting it as a rule, gives it meaning. 

Model the Action and Narrate the Intention 

Show them what this courtesy looks like in practice and explain your thought process as you do it. For example, ‘I will hold the door for you now so that you can walk through safely. Now, would you like to try holding it for your little brother?’ Explaining your actions as you perform them helps your child to learn both the physical movement and the kind intention behind it. 

Build the Habit Through Practice 

You can make these habits easier for your child to remember by practising them in a playful way at home. Use chairs or toy doors to role-play different scenarios, with your child practising saying, ‘I will wait until you go in first,’ and you responding with, ‘Thank you, that was very kind of you.’ This playful practice helps to build their confidence for real-life situations. 

Acknowledge and Praise Their Thoughtfulness 

When you see your child remember to wait or hold the door for someone, be sure to notice their effort. A warm and specific comment like, ‘I really loved how you held the door open for your sister just now. That showed a lot of thoughtfulness,’ reinforces the value of these small but significant courtesies. 

Weave it into Your Daily Routine 

Encourage this behaviour consistently so it becomes second nature. You can create simple family expectations, such as: 

• We always hold doors open for our parents, siblings, and any guests. 

• We let younger children or elders enter the lift first. 

• We always wait calmly until everyone is safely inside. 

This consistency is what builds good manners into an automatic habit. 

By teaching these gentle and considerate habits, you help your children to see that kindness is not only found in grand gestures but is most often expressed in the small, thoughtful, and helpful actions of our daily lives. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam encourages believers to cultivate humility, patience, and the habit of helping others in simple, everyday ways. The modern courtesies of holding doors and waiting respectfully for others are beautiful, contemporary ways of living out these timeless Islamic teachings. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Maidah (5), Verse 2: 

‘…And participate with each other to promote righteousness and piety, and do not collaborate in the committal of any sin or moral transgression…’ 

This verse is a reminder that even the smallest acts of cooperation, such as waiting for one another and helping each other through doorways, are a part of the righteousness and piety that we are commanded to uphold. 

It is recorded in Riyadh Al Saliheen, Hadith 121, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Do not belittle any good deed, even if you meet your brother with a smiling face.’ 

This beautiful hadith shows us that no act of kindness is ever too small to have value in the sight of Allah. For a child, the simple act of holding a door or waiting patiently at a lift becomes a meaningful way of earning Allah’s pleasure and reward. 

When children learn to practise these everyday courtesies with their younger siblings and others, they are growing into people who are aware of the needs of those around them. These small, thoughtful acts nurture the virtues of humility and responsibility, reflecting the prophetic spirit of finding opportunities for kindness in every moment.