Why manners matter
In Islam, good manners aren't an extra — they are part of faith. The Prophet ﷺ was known for his gentle, beautiful character, and a kind word or a shared toy, done for Allah, is a good deed in itself. So you aren't adding a new subject. You're giving everyday moments a reason.
- Do it first. Children copy what you do far more than what you say.
- Name it when you see it. “You sat down to drink — that's a sunnah!”
- Two or three at a time. These 25 are a menu, not a checklist.
Each habit below comes with a one-line reason you can say to your child.
At the table
Meals happen every day, so table manners are the quickest wins. Every Bite's a Gift covers most of them in one song.
- Wash hands, then say Bismillah. “We start our food with Allah's name.” See the du'a before eating.
- Eat with the right hand. “The Prophet ﷺ taught us to eat with our right hand.” Be patient with wobbly spoons and left-handed children.
- Eat from the side nearest you. “It keeps the plate neat and fair for everyone.”
- Sit down to drink, in three sips. “Slow sips are kind to your tummy.” Sing Sit, Sip, Smile. Families and madhhabs differ on details — ask your teacher.
- No “yuck” — just “no, thank you”. “The Prophet ﷺ never complained about food. Someone worked hard to make it.”
- Say Alhamdulillah when you finish. “We thank Allah for our food.” Older children can learn the full du'a after eating.
A table-setting activity and talk prompts are on eating manners for kids and drinking manners.
At home
Little sunnahs slot neatly into the morning and bedtime routines you already have.
- Wake up with a du'a. “Our first words of the day are a thank-you to Allah.” See the waking-up du'a.
- Right shoe on first, left shoe off first. “The Prophet ﷺ liked to begin good things with the right.”
- Brush your teeth. “The Prophet ﷺ kept his teeth clean with a miswak — a tooth-cleaning stick.”
- Cover your mouth when you yawn. “A little hand keeps a big yawn polite.” Sing Big Yawn, Little Hand.
- Say Alhamdulillah when you sneeze. “We thank Allah, and the people who hear us make du'a for us.” Practise the reply together with pretend sneezes.
- Say salaam when you come home. “Salaam fills our home with peace.” Add the du'a for entering home when they're ready.
- Lie on your right side and say the bedtime du'a. “We end the day remembering Allah.” See the du'a before sleeping.
With friends: salaam, turns and the truth
- Say salaam — and always reply. “Salaam helps us love one another.” The Salaam Song and greeting with salaam make it easy.
- Share a smile. “Even a smile is a kind of charity.”
- Share and take turns. “We want for our friends what we want for ourselves.” Try My Turn, Your Turn and the sharing and taking turns activity.
- Tell the truth, even when it's hard. “Truth is a treasure — it leads to good things.” Sing Truth Is My Treasure; there's more on honesty.
- Use kind words. “A good word is a charity too.”
- Say thank you — JazakAllahu khayran. “Thanking people is part of thanking Allah.” Learn what it means.
When your child owns up to a spill or a broken toy, thank them for telling you before you deal with the mess. That is how honesty grows.
With family and elders
- A kind voice with Mum and Dad — not even “uff”. “Allah asks us to be gentle with our parents.” See kindness to parents and the du'a for parents.
- Help at home without being asked. “The Prophet ﷺ helped with the jobs at home too.”
- Respect elders, be gentle with little ones. “The Prophet ﷺ taught us to be kind to the young and respect the old.” Let them pour Grandad's water first, or help a small cousin with their shoes.
Many children live with one parent, grandparents or carers. Keep the words wide: “the people who look after you”.
With nature: not wasting, being kind
- Take small helpings and save water. “Allah tells us to eat and drink, but not to waste.” Turn off the tap while brushing, and ask for seconds instead of leaving food. See not wasting.
- Be kind to animals. “Allah made them too, and being kind to them is a good deed.” Put out water for the birds; stroke the cat gently.
- Look after plants — and notice Allah's world. “Allah made this beautiful world, and we take care of it.” Water a plant together, say SubhanAllah at a sunset, and the du'a for rain at the window.
Make a chart
Pick three habits from the list — no more than five for ages 2–5, or seven for ages 6–8 — and make a sunnah chart with your child's name in Chart Studio. Colour a moon or a star for every try, say exactly what you saw, and never cross anything out. When a habit becomes automatic, celebrate and swap in a new one. Our guide to good-deed charts that don't backfire has the details.
For practice on screen, What do we say? drills the words for meals, sneezes and greetings, and Good Deeds Garden grows a flower for every kind act.
