my son is 16 years old. but he is reluctant towards reciting the quran.he says his prayers but i think like most children at this age, he is not willing to sit and recite. thank you.
The age of sixteen upto Twenty one is a very crucial and critical age for a child. It is at this stage of life a child can either make himself or break himself. It is at this point that Shaytan becomes very heavy and strong upon man and that is why we find a child becomes very arrogant, stubborn, at times disrespectful, etc.
We, as parents, should try our utmost to help our children through this phase to the best of our ability. The method of dictating to a child very seldom helps instead it makes the child more arrogant and stubborn. Alhamdulillah, in your case, it is very easy due to your child being attached to his Salaat. What you should also try to do is to involve him in deeni activities that take place in your area, so that his knowledge towards deen increases.
Secondly, create incentives for him, e.g. tell him if you complete so many pages, etc. of the Qur’aan, I will buy something, or I will send you for Umrah, etc. This may seem as though he is doing the action for show, but no this is actually a means of helping him through this phase. However, this does not mean that you should always give in to his demands and requests. Instead, at times, if he does not listen, you should hold back some of his privileges.
and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai