From Tarbiyah to Tablets: Are We Raising Kids or Entertaining Them?

From Tarbiyah to Tablets: Are We Raising Kids or Entertaining Them? 

The Proverbial Golden Ticket Out of the Screen Time Hole

Islam teaches us to choose the harder path today so that we may find Jannah in the Hereafter. This principle applies to our daily lives in ways we often overlook. Every day, we make small choices—whether to take the easy road that brings short-term relief or to embrace discomfort for the sake of a better future. Parenting is filled with these decisions, and one of the most pressing ones today is how we handle our children’s screen time.

The Easy Way Out: Screens as a Solution to Chaos

Young children are full of energy, designed by nature to run, explore, and interact with the world around them. Yet, modern life confines them within homes and apartments, where their natural tendencies clash with our adult needs for order.

“Don’t touch that, you’ll break it.”
“Don’t make a mess; I don’t want to clean up again.”

We say no to so many things that, eventually, the easiest solution becomes screens. TV, tablets, and smartphones offer an escape—not just for kids, but for parents, too. These glowing rectangles keep children entertained, quiet, and still. For many parents, they seem like a golden ticket out of the chaos of early childhood.

But fast forward a few years, and the consequences of those easy choices begin to surface. The children who spent hours consuming screens now struggle with focus, creativity, and real-life engagement. The habit of seeking easy entertainment instead of real-world stimulation sets in. What seemed like a solution for today has created a bigger challenge for tomorrow.

Choosing the Harder Path: A Different Kind of Struggle

If you find yourself in this situation, it’s never too late to change course. But to help your children, you must first change yourself. As a parent, you might also be accustomed to avoiding hardship—perhaps by seeking comfort in distractions, entertainment, or routines that make life temporarily easier. Your children, in their own way, do the same. They turn to screens to avoid boredom, just as you might turn to your own coping mechanisms.

So what can you do?

You can choose a different type of challenge—one that you can manage better. Instead of battling with screen addiction, embrace alternative activities:

• Go outside. There’s no mess to clean up at home if you’re at the park.

• Join structured activities. Whether it’s an indoor playground, a sports class, or a hobby group, these environments provide engagement without screens.

• Create an engaging home environment. Maybe you want to stay home and interact with your kids, but they won’t sit still for books and games. Instead of traditional books, consider ones that are visually rich and immersive—ones that pull kids into the story and stimulate their senses as they explore the details of each image while you read to them.

This is where Mayous comes in. Our mission—”One verse, one story, one lesson”—is to provide high-quality illustrations and engaging stories that educate and entertain at the same time. Our books use stunning Pixar-style 3D illustrations that captivate children, helping them truly immerse themselves in the story while learning valuable lessons. Instead of passive screen time, our books encourage active engagement, curiosity, and bonding between parent and child.

A high-quality, engaging book costs about as much as a fast-food meal—around $10 for most paperbacks—but it might be a step toward helping your child reconnect with real-life experiences.

May Allah put barakah in your journey as a parent, and may He guide us all in making choices that benefit us in this life and the next. Ameen.