What’s the best way to let them see me putting my phone away during family time? 

Parenting Perspective 

Children learn what we value not just from our words, but from our small, everyday actions. Making a visible habit of putting your phone away is one of the most powerful ways to show them that family time is a priority. 

Make the Action Clear and Intentional 

Instead of silently slipping your phone into your pocket, make the action visible. Place it on a side table or in a designated charging spot before you sit down together. The goal is for them to connect the moment of togetherness with your conscious decision to step away from your device. 

Pair It With Words 

A simple narration can make the lesson clear. You could say, ‘I am putting my phone away now so I can focus completely on our conversation.’ This brief statement helps your child to link your action to the value you are trying to teach: that the people in front of you are important. 

Keep the Habit Consistent 

If this becomes a regular habit during meals, games, or simple chats, your child will begin to see it as a normal family standard. Consistency is what makes the value stick, transforming an occasional gesture into a deeply understood principle. 

When children not only hear your words but also see your actions, the lesson carries greater weight. You are showing them that love and attention are given with your full presence, not divided between them and a screen. 

Spiritual Insight 

In Islam, the quality of our presence and focus in our relationships is a mirror of our presence and focus in worship. When we give our full attention to another person, we honour them and strengthen the bonds between us. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Anfal (8), Verse 46: 

‘And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute and [thus] lose courage and [then] your strength would depart; and be patient. Indeed, Allah is with the patient…’ 

This reminds us that exercising patience and intentional self-control, such as putting a distraction aside, is what keeps us united and purposeful. 

It is recorded in Riyadh Al Saliheen, Hadith 383, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘When one of you loves his brother, let him tell him that he loves him.’ 

This teaches us the importance of expressing our care through deliberate words and actions, which includes the act of giving someone our undivided attention. 

By visibly setting your phone aside and expressing why you are doing it, you model that real connection is a choice, one that honours the people we love and teaches our children the Islamic value of giving others their due attention.