How can I teach not to use someone else’s paid login “just this once”? 

Parenting Perspective 

When a child says, ‘It is only this once,’ about using a paid account that belongs to someone else, their reasoning usually comes from a place of convenience, a fear of missing out, or the false comfort that a single slip is harmless. Your role is to help them see the moral logic and practical costs of that one slip and to give them the clear language and simple rules that will make honesty their automatic response. 

Start with Curiosity, Not a Lecture 

Begin by naming the pressure they might be feeling, without shaming them. You could say, ‘I understand that it feels easier to share one login, especially if it seems like everyone else is doing it.’ Then, ask a single, calm question: ‘If the account owner found out, how would that make you feel?’ By allowing them to articulate the awkwardness of the situation themselves, the gap between ‘convenience’ and ‘wrong’ often becomes clear. 

Explain the Principle Simply and Practically 

Use short, age-appropriate facts so that the rule feels sensible, not arbitrary. 

• Paid accounts are a person’s private property or a family expense. Using them without permission is like borrowing a toy without asking first. 

• It can cause real trouble. The owner could lose access to their account, the account could be suspended, or your child’s data might become visible to strangers. 

Frame the issue in terms of fairness and consequence, not just morality: ‘Accounts are usually bought for one household. Using them without consent can get everyone into trouble, and it is completely avoidable.’ 

Provide Ready-Made Refusal Lines 

Children need a short, confident script so that they can say no without getting into an argument. Teach them to say: 

• ‘I do not use accounts that are not mine. I will have to ask first.’ 

• ‘That is not my login to use. Let us ask for permission together.’ 

Practice these lines with them until they feel natural. 

Establish a Clear Family Policy 

Make a simple household rule that everyone understands: ‘We do not use someone else’s paid logins without explicit permission from that person or a parent.’ You can add this to your family’s technology agreement. When the expectation is shared, children are less likely to feel singled out. 

Spiritual Insight 

Refusing to take what is not yours, even when it seems like ‘everyone’ is doing it and no one would know, is an act of inner obedience. Teaching your child this small act of restraint helps to build a heart that prefers what is right over what is easy. 

The Importance of Clear Dealings 

The Quran teaches that all our dealings must be clear, honest, and properly recorded. Even small, private shortcuts undermine the fairness that Allah Almighty commands. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Baqarah (2), Verse 282: 

‘O you who are believers, whenever you contract with each other for a debt (payable) for a specified period, then write it down; and let the author draft (such agreement) between yourselves in equitable terms…’ 

You can teach your child that an account shared without consent is a breach of these clear and honest dealings. By choosing to do the right thing, they are honouring Allah’s guidance. 

Faith and Trustworthiness 

The teachings of our Prophet ﷺ create a powerful link between faith and trustworthiness. 

It is recorded in Jami Tirmidhi, Hadith 2631, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘The believer is trustworthy; he does not betray when entrusted.’ 

You can explain: ‘When you refuse to use someone else’s paid account without their permission, you are protecting your trustworthiness. That is what makes you reliable in the eyes of people and in the sight of Allah.’ 

Encourage them to develop a short habit: whenever they are tempted, they can say quietly, ‘O Allah, please help me to guard what is not mine.’ Over time, that tiny pause for thought will grow into a lifelong instinct to honour trusts, both online and off.