Parenting Perspective 

Begin with conversation, not correction 

Children are naturally eager explorers, and when they visit someone’s home, their curiosity can easily outpace their caution. Before the visit, talk openly about what it means to be a respectful guest. You can say, ‘When we go to someone’s home, everything there belongs to them. We can look, but we should only touch things if we are invited to’. Explain this calmly and positively, not as a list of restrictions, but as a way to show kindness and good manners. 

Practise respect through role-play 

Role-play the visit at home. Pretend you are entering a friend’s house and demonstrate asking politely before touching something. Let your child practise saying, ‘May I hold this?’ or ‘Can I play with this toy?’. Practising the dialogue helps them to internalise the skill rather than simply memorising rules. Children copy tone and gesture, so demonstrate gentleness by picking things up carefully, putting them back where they belong, and thanking the host for sharing. 

Reinforce owners£hip and empathy 

Children respect the belongings of others more easily when they understand ownership at home. Encourage your child to care for their own possessions and the things that belong to their siblings. Let them experience lending and returning items properly. When you visit someone’s home, remind them quietly before entering: ‘Let us remember to treat their things as we would want them to treat ours’. This approach helps to bridge empathy with action. If a mistake happens, help your child to apologise and make it right, perhaps by helping to tidy up or offering to fix what was broken. Correction through repair teaches responsibility, not shame. 

Model gratitude as the anchor 

Children learn best from watching you. Thank the host sincerely for their hospitality and involve your child in this process: ‘Let us both say thank you for letting us visit’. Gratitude frames the act of caring for their things as an expression of love, not an obligation. Over time, these repeated small moments will form a deep internal habit, and respect for the space and things of others will become second nature. 

Spiritual Insight 

Respect for the belongings of others is a branch of Amanah (trustworthiness). Islam teaches that every item, whether borrowed or shared, carries with it a moral responsibility. 

Qur’anic wisdom on honouring what is entrusted 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Anfaal (8), Verse 27: 

‘O you who are believers, do not ever be pretentious (in following the commandment) of Allah (Almighty) and His Prophet (Muhammad ﷺ); and do not misappropriate what has been entrusted upon you, whilst you know (the consequences of such actions).’ 

This verse reminds believers that betraying a trust is not limited to wealth or secrets; it also includes the misuse of what others own. Teaching children to handle a host’s belongings with gentleness is an early form of honouring Amanah. When they learn to treat the property of others as sacred, they begin to live by their faith through daily manners. 

Prophetic teaching on safeguarding property 

It is recorded in Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 1739, that during his Farewell Sermon, the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Indeed, your blood, your property, and your honour are sacred to one another like the sanctity of this day of yours, in this month of yours, in this city of yours’. 

This profound declaration places the protection of the property of others on the same level of holiness as life and honour. When children understand that touching or damaging someone else’s belongings carelessly goes against this sanctity, they develop a conscience that is rooted in reverence. 

Turning courtesy into worship 

Before each visit, invite your child to make a small prayer: ‘Ya Allah, help me to be gentle and respectful today’. After returning home, express thanks together to Allah Almighty for a pleasant and respectful visit. These simple rituals transform etiquette into an act of worship. 

Over time, your child will come to see carefulness not as a fear of being scolded but as an expression of love for Allah Almighty, a way of showing gratitude for trust and hospitality. Respect for a host’s belongings then becomes more than politeness; it becomes a living expression of Ihsan, which is doing what is beautiful for the sake of the One who sees all.