How do I stop my children from teasing each other about their emotions? 

Parenting Perspective 

Set a Clear Family Rule 

Teasing can sometimes feel harmless to one child but deeply hurtful to another. When children mock each other’s feelings, for example, calling a sibling a ‘cry-baby’ or saying they are ‘too sensitive’, it teaches them to hide their emotions instead of sharing them. The first step is to set a clear family rule that unkind words about someone’s feelings are not allowed. When teasing happens, stay calm but firm. Sit your children down and explain how mocking someone’s feelings can make them feel small and ashamed. Use simple words such as ‘Feelings are never silly. We all have them, and we must speak about them kindly.’ 

Practise and Model Kinder Responses 

Practise kinder ways to respond. Teach your children to say, ‘It is okay to feel sad. I am here for you,’ instead of laughing or teasing. You can role-play different scenarios if needed.¹ Praise even their small efforts when they speak with care. If teasing happens again, remind them gently and consistently of your family rule. Children learn best from what they see, so let them see you speak kindly when someone is upset. Over time, your steady reminders and example will help them realise that feelings are not a joke but a part of being close as a family. This protects each child’s heart and teaches respect for each other’s ups and downs. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam teaches us to honour each other’s dignity and never mock what is in someone’s heart. Allah Almighty warns us against making fun of others in the noble Quran at Surah Al Hujuraat (49), Verse 11: 

‘Those of you who are believers, do not let a nation ridicule another nation, as perhaps it may be that they are better than them…‘

This beautiful Ayah reminds us that teasing has no place in a home where mercy and respect are meant to flourish. 

It is recorded in Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2594a, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stated: 

‘Gentleness is not in anything except that it beautifies it, and it is not removed from anything except that it makes it defective.‘

When you teach your children to respond to each other’s feelings with gentleness instead of jokes or mocking, you add beauty and trust to their bond. Encourage them to make a short Dua if they struggle, such as, ‘Ya Allah, help me speak with kindness.’ With patient reminders and your steady example, teasing will slowly be replaced with words that comfort and bring hearts closer. In this way, your children learn that a loving family guards each other’s feelings as a gift from Allah Almighty.