How can I guide them to close a dodgy pop-up instead of clicking “just to check”? 

Parenting Perspective 

Pop-up advertisements that promise prizes or flash urgent warnings are specifically designed to provoke curiosity and impulsive clicks. When a child clicks ‘just to check’, it is rarely an act of defiance; it is a combination of curiosity, anxiety, and inexperience with online traps. Your role is to help them build ‘pause power’ the ability to stop, think, and act safely through understanding, practice, and calm guidance. 

Explain the Trick, Not Just the Rule 

Children are more likely to follow a rule when they understand the reasoning behind it. Show them how pop-ups work: ‘These are like digital traps. They use bright colours, fake warnings, or urgent language to trick people into clicking. When we click, we can accidentally let in viruses or give information to people who might misuse it.’ 

Teach a Three-Step Safety Routine 

Provide your child with a clear, automatic script to follow whenever a suspicious pop-up appears. 

• Freeze: Do not move the mouse or your finger. Do not click anywhere on the pop-up itself, including the ‘X’ button. 

• Close: Close the entire window. On a computer, this can be done by pressing Alt + F4. On a phone or tablet, swipe up to close the app completely. 

• Tell: Let an adult know straight away. A simple, ‘A weird screen came up, but I closed it safely,’ is all that is needed. 

Rehearse this routine with them through role-play to build their confidence. 

Create a Culture of Calm Reporting 

It is vital that your child feels safe telling you when something goes wrong online. You can say to them, ‘You will never be in trouble for a pop-up appearing on your screen, only for hiding it from us.’ When you respond consistently with thanks, a quick check of the device, and a gentle reminder of the rules, your child will learn that honesty is the best policy. 

Reframe Curiosity as a Form of Courage 

A child’s curiosity is a natural and positive trait that can be channelled constructively. Teach them that when they see something odd online, the brave and smart thing to do is to ask an adult about it rather than clicking to investigate alone. You can say, ‘Real explorers ask for guidance before they step into unknown places.’ By honouring their questions, you teach them to turn their impulse into inquiry. 

Spiritual Insight 

In a world filled with digital temptations, learning to avoid suspicious pop-ups is a practical form of training in taqwa a conscious self-control that is exercised even when no one is watching. Teaching a child to pause before clicking is teaching them to pause before making any wrongful choice. 

The Wisdom of Resisting Impulse 

The Quran teaches that true strength lies in awareness and restraint, especially in moments of temptation. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Aalai Imran (3), Verse 135: 

‘And when those people who have committed immoral actions, or wronged themselves; (they should) remember Allah (Almighty), and then ask for forgiveness for their sins; and who can forgive their sins except Allah (Almighty), and do not intentionally continue to persist on what (wrong) you have done.’ 

This verse reminds us that remembering Allah helps us to avoid persisting in wrongful actions. You can tell your child, ‘When you stop yourself and close a bad pop-up, you are remembering Allah and protecting yourself from harm.’ In this way, even the click they do not make is counted as a good deed. 

Guarding the Eyes and the Hands 

The teachings of our Prophet ﷺ link true strength not to physical power, but to self-control. This applies perfectly to the inner impulse of curiosity or excitement that a pop-up is designed to trigger. 

It is recorded in Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 6114, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘The strong person is not the one who can overpower others, but the one who controls himself when angry.’ 

This hadith reminds us that true strength lies in self-mastery. Closing a tempting or suspicious link becomes a small act of spiritual strength, mirroring how a believer restrains their impulses for the sake of purity and safety. By praising their restraint, you help them to see that these moments of quiet self-control are a form of courage that pleases Allah.