What’s a healthy way to bend screen rules for special occasions without setting a risky precedent? 

Parenting Perspective 

Flexibility is a sign of a healthy approach to parenting. Allowing for special occasions does not have to weaken your boundaries; in fact, when handled well, it can show that your rules are reasonable and adaptable. 

Make the Occasion Clear and Special 

Frame the extra screen time as part of a defined, special event. You could say, ‘Because it is Eid today, we are going to have a special family movie night after dinner.’ This helps your child to link the change to a unique moment, not to a change in the daily rules. 

Keep the Boundary Visible 

Even when you are relaxing a rule, it is helpful to keep some structure. For example, you can set a clear start and end time for the activity. This maintains the idea that rules still matter, even on special days, and prevents the exception from becoming a free-for-all. 

Follow Up With a Reset 

The most crucial part of making an exception is what happens the following day. Return to your normal routine promptly and without negotiation. A simple reminder like, ‘That was a lovely treat yesterday, but today we are back to our usual plan,’ reinforces that the flexibility was temporary. 

Handled this way, your child experiences the joy of occasional flexibility while still recognising that consistent boundaries keep life balanced and safe. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islamic guidance promotes a beautiful balance between structure and flexibility. While discipline is vital, our faith also designates and encourages moments of joy, celebration, and togetherness, as long as it is within wholesome limits. 

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

‘And [they are] those who, when they spend, do so not excessively or sparingly but are ever, between that, [justly] moderate…’ 

This reminds us that seeking a balanced middle path is a sign of wisdom in all our affairs, including technology use. 

It is recorded in Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith 1134, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ came to Madinah and found the people celebrating two particular days. He asked them what these days were, and they replied that they were days of fun and play from their pre-Islamic past. The Prophet ﷺ then said: 

‘Allah has given you something better than them, the Day of Adha and the Day of Fitr.’ 

This shows that Islam acknowledges and provides for special days of permissible joy, while still keeping them distinct from the structure of daily life. 

By treating tech flexibility as you would any festive allowance, rare, purposeful, and clearly tied to an occasion, you teach your child that life can hold both discipline and celebration without one undermining the other.