Small children are innocent. Consequently, they are in many ways unable to differentiate between the various pieces of information they receive like what is proper to make public and what must be kept private. In the course of their development, they learn discretion, but until they do, their sweet and adorable innocence can cause a lot of difficulties and embarrassment to their parents. This is because they can easily divulge information considered to be confidential to outsiders.

It is important to teach children the value of privacy at an early age. They need to be made taught that some things are private and must be kept secret.

To begin with, parents needs to be vigilant and learn to keep certain things private. Adults should not discuss classified issues in children’s presence. Even conversing on the phone in children’s presence, is a bad habit.

Children are receptive to visual comparisons. In this way, we can introduce the concept of privacy to young minds and encourage our children to identify with their home and family. From this point, we can teach our children about the need to keep family and personal matters a secret from the general public.

The next change is to help the child develop a full understanding of privacy and its practical dimensions. This begins by teaching the child to ask permission before entering the room. Allah directs us in the Qur’an: surah al-Nur: 58 in this verse, Allah commands Muslims to teach our children who have reached puberty to ask permission before entering a room at three times of the day. The first is before the prayer when people are usually asleep in their beds. The second is the midday where in many cultures, people observe siesta and may be in their rooms resting in a state of undress. The third at night, also a time of rest and sleep.

These are three times where a child might walk into the parent’s bedroom and find the parent in a compromising situation. When they are older, they must follow Islam’s teaching to seek permission at any time before entering a private room. “And when the children among you come to puberty then let them ask for permission even as those before them used to ask it. Thus Allah makes clear His revelations for you. Allah is All-knowing, wise.” {Surah al-Nur: 59}