How do I protect their growing body from being objectified early? 

Parenting Perspective 

As children grow, they become more aware of their bodies and the way others see them. Protecting them from being objectified early requires building a healthy sense of dignity, teaching boundaries, and surrounding them with a culture that respects them for who they are rather than how they look. 

Affirming the Body as a Gift 

The first step is to affirm their body as a gift from Allah Almighty. Tell them that their body is precious because it allows them to think, move, worship, and serve, not because of how it looks to others. 

• Acknowledge their growth milestones with words like, ‘Alhamdulillah, Allah made your hands strong to help you write,’ or ‘Allah gave you legs to run and play.’ 

• Such language trains them to value function and purpose over appearance. 

Teaching Boundaries and Self Respect 

Teach them healthy boundaries early. Let them know that their body belongs to them and is a trust from Allah, not something others have the right to comment on, touch, or judge. Role play situations where they can respond if someone makes them uncomfortable. This equips them to protect their dignity without fear. 

• Home Environment: Avoid negative comparisons, body shaming remarks, or overemphasis on looks, whether about the child or others. Instead, highlight qualities like kindness, effort, or creativity. 

• Media Exposure: Monitor media exposure. Guide their viewing and discuss what they see. Ask, ‘What do you think this story is showing about people? Do you think it is fair?’ Such conversations teach them to recognize objectification rather than internalize it. 

Finally, celebrate their growth with modesty and balance. Show them that true confidence comes from self respect, gratitude, and good deeds, not from displaying themselves for others. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam protects human dignity by teaching modesty, self respect, and awareness of the body as an amanah from Allah Almighty. These principles shield children from being objectified by grounding their identity in faith rather than external opinions. 

Inherent Human Honour 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Isra (17), Verses 70: 

‘And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with definite preference…’ 

This verse reminds us that every human being carries inherent honour granted by Allah. It is not beauty, size, or appearance that makes someone honoured, but the fact that Allah has chosen to bestow dignity upon all His creation. Parents can use this verse to explain that no one has the right to reduce a child’s body to mere looks because Allah Himself has already honoured them. 

Modesty as a Shield of Faith 

It is recorded in Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 4184, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Modesty is part of faith, and faith is in Paradise, while shamelessness is part of hardness of heart, and hardness of heart is in the Hellfire.’ 

This Hadith teaches that modesty is not just about clothing but about behaviour, self respect, and dignity. Parents can gently explain to their children that modesty keeps their body safe, respected, and valued for the right reasons. 

When children nurture an awareness of their body as a trust, they grow with a sense of self worth that resists objectification. They understand that they are honoured creations of Allah Almighty, valued for their soul, faith, and actions rather than outward display.