Paradise Under Your Feet — Page 70
70 shorts; however, the length should be to the knees. Shorts are permissible for boys on account of their sports activities otherwise long pants constitute modest clothing for boys. Parents should also make sure that when children are in the mosque they are appropriately attired for Salat. Girls should wear clothes which cover their arms and legs completely and boys should wear long pants. It must be noted here that modesty or Hayaa is not only about clothing. It includes how girls and boys interact with each other. Even in childhood, although complete separation is not required, children should be taught to play respectfully and appropriately. Boys should be taught to play with boys, and girls should be taught to make friends with girls. If a distinction is not made at a young age, it becomes harder to teach this later on. Taught at this stage, it becomes the norm. DAILY LIVING Family Time Part of raising healthy and confident children includes spending quality time as a family. Arranging such times may be challenging for working mothers, so a lot more thought has to be given as to what kinds of activities children will be engaged in when they are not in school and during summer vacations. Mothers should try to spend as much time at home as possible as children who are spending time in daycare centers will be exposed to outside influence more than those who are at home. There are many studies which address the harm of over-scheduling children. Each parent will need to determine how many extracurricular activities children can handle without compromising essential Islamic activities. The question which needs to be addressed is whether these activities will encroach upon the time needed to