To Homeschool or Not to Homeschool in Ramadan
Many Muslim homeschoolers hit a wall when Ramadan approaches. The blessed month brings with it joy, community, and deep reflection. But it can also be busy, tiring, and completely throw off our usual family routines and schedules.
Year after year, Muslim parents find themselves asking: should we keep homeschooling through Ramadan or should we take a break? The answer to this question, like most answers in homeschool, is completely up to you! There's no wrong or right of it really, just whatever works for your particular family in whatever stage you happen to be in.
I have had homeschool years where we continued on with all of our usual activities right through Ramadan and it didn't take away one bit from our Ramadan vibe, Alhamdulilah. I have had other homeschool years where trying to do anything in addition to Ramadan activities resulted in overwhelm, frustration, and burnout for all of us so we left it all behind and picked up slowly sometime after Eid, Alhamdulilah. Some homeschool years, Ramadan became so busy for us as a family that I considered the start of the month as the end of our entire homeschool year and didn't start introducing formal anything again until well into August! Some years we simply adapted our lessons to the month and ended up with a blend of something in between.
Each decision worked because it was simply what we needed at that particular time in our journey.
Pros and Cons of Homeschooling in Ramadan
Whenever I consider Ramadan homeschooling for our family, there are a few things I like to keep in mind before making a decision:
My own levels of energy, focus, and ability to be present while fasting
The ages and stages of my children
The energy levels and focus of my children while they are fasting
Any family routines, schedules, and commitments we have to maintain or can drop temporarily
Where we are at with our learning and educational goals
Our family goals and plans for Ramadan
After considering these things, I like to make a list of potential pros and cons based on our family's needs for that year. You can start with this general pros/cons list and then add your own items to it as they fit your family's needs.
Pros
Stay on track for formal core subject learning
Can tie lessons into Islamic learning
Helps keep the kids busy and productive
Helps maintain family routines and schedules
Cons
Less attention and focus for lessons while fasting
Can become stressful for parents to maintain while fasting
Can take time away from Ramadan activities
Late nights at the masjid or iftars can leave everyone feeling sluggish to learn the next day
A Third Option
Remember when I said that some years our family adapted and chose something in between? If you feel torn between the pros and cons, know that choosing to continue or stop entirely are not the only options! You can also choose to do a balance of both.
What might that look like? Maybe for you it will be simply lessening learning during the month so the priorities keep going but you get a break from the rest. Maybe it means tweaking your lessons to include Islamic lessons in them so your regular learning also becomes Ramadan rewards. Maybe it means keeping things up a few days a week but not on the days you know you're going to be out late for tarawih.
There are so many ways to approach homeschooling in Ramadan. Focus on what your particular family needs and go from there.