Week1

Pre-planning meals

Pre-plan your meals in Ramadan. The main focus of the month is supposed to be abstinence. Let us not take that away with worrying about our meals every day. Make a meal chart for a week, with something new and different every day. Then toss and turn that for the next four weeks so you do not end up having the same meal consecutively. This makes it fun, and less boring, not to mention takes away the stress of iftar planning every single day. Apply the same for your dinner and sehri meals too.

Meal planning also allows you to see what groceries you might need. As we are all trying to stay indoors, the planning means you can order in all needed groceries at once, instead of numerous trips to the store.

Weekly iftar parties

Given the current situation, it is unlikely we will be able to head out for iftar this year, or invite our close ones over. But let us make the most of it by having iftar parties with the family. Bring out your best dinnerware, cook like you would for a party, and dress up just the same! It will surely lift the mood in this situation while you spend a great evening with your loved ones.

Productivity Cleaning spree

There are activities we cannot do because of the lockdown, but there are still tons to do while being stuck at home. Keeping Eid in mind, a cleaning spree is always on the list, but this year, we are starting earlier. Peak productivity is not expected in such uncertain times, which is why you can hit one section of the house each week. Breakdown similar sections and bring the whole family to it to lessen the stress. By the end of the month, you will have a squeaky-clean home rightfully prepared for Eid.

Thoughtfulness

Besides being a month of abstinence, prayer, and worship, Ramadan is also the month of giving. And uncertain situations today call for more thoughtfulness than ever before. While we are lucky to have food and shelter amidst the crisis, a lot of people do not.

To lend a helping hand, you can donate to organisations who are doing everything they can to provide food for families who need it. The list below includes a handful of the organisations and their links.

Check out their work, and make a donation to whichever you want to. Donation details can be found on the respective pages and groups.

1 Taka Meal

https://www.facebook.com/1Tk.Meal/

Bidyanondo

https://www.facebook.com/Bidyanondo/

Feed A Family

https://www.facebook.com/groups/213616249956702/

WE

https://www.facebook.com/WE-112602597045868/

Ashia Foundation

https://www.facebook.com/ashiafoundation/

Amader Pathshala

https://www.facebook.com/AmaderPathshala2007/

Fun and relaxation

When times are busy, all we want is to sit down and relax, but when the time comes, we run out of ideas on how to do so. So, sit down, bring pen to paper, and start listing. From all the shows you have been wanting to watch, to the books you want to read, or better yet, all the ones you have left hanging because of busy days.

Do not overwhelm yourself, but once again, divide the entertainment through your weeks so you can actually enjoy them, without it feeling like a chore.  

Checkpoint

Eid shopping will surely be different this year, but we can still make the most of it. You will also find it handy picking up a few sewing tricks here and there from your mother or relative, since last minute tailoring might not be an option this year. If you have dresses in mind, look for online shops that are delivering and place your orders early.

Effortless hack — If you have a nice dress you never wore in public, substitute that for your Eid outfit in case you cannot shop by then.

Children

Being home all day can be a lot for adults, but it is harder for children. However, this is a good time for basic lessons they can carry on into the future. Teach them to not overindulge. Excess snacking becomes a habit when at home, but overdoing it can be harmful to health.

Children also tend to overindulge in electronics, which can pose a threat to their visual health and increase headaches. While you help your children overcome these, it is a good idea to practice the same for yourself too, because to be honest, us adults are just as guilty here.

Involve your children in daily activities. This includes meal planning, cleaning, relaxing, taking in their ideas, making them feel like an important part of the household.

Change

Practice not splurging

If there is one thing we have learnt through this coronavirus crisis, is that we are very fortunate to have food on our tables and a roof over our heads. This Ramadan, let us practice purchase restraint, be it on food or other goods. Overconsuming food and giving in to fast fashion are all choices bad for our health and environment. Let us leave these habits behind and make a fresh start, and hopefully hold onto it even after Ramadan ends.

Photo: LS Archive/ Sazzad Ibne Sayed