How can parents support a child who wants to explore coding, gaming, or AI without losing balance in faith and family life? 

Parenting Perspective 

When a child develops a keen interest in areas like coding, gaming, or artificial intelligence, it can be an exciting sign of their creativity and ambition. At the same time, parents may understandably worry that these passions could lead to excessive screen time, the neglect of other responsibilities, or a drift away from family and faith. The most effective approach is to support your child’s talent while ensuring that a healthy balance, clear boundaries, and core family values remain firmly intact. 

Encourage Their Exploration With Structure 

Show your genuine support for their passion by saying: ‘It is wonderful that you are so interested in learning to code. Let us work together to set aside specific times for it each week.’ This validates their interest while ensuring it does not overwhelm their other duties like schoolwork, chores, or prayer. 

Connect Their Tech Skills to a Purpose 

Help your child to see that skills in areas like coding or AI are not just for entertainment. You can guide them to understand how these skills can serve bigger goals, such as future career paths, creative problem-solving, or even developing projects that could one day benefit the community. This helps to build a sense of responsibility. 

Keep Faith and Family at the Centre 

Gently remind them that while their skills are a wonderful gift, their technology is a tool, not their entire identity. It is important to encourage regular pauses for prayer, reading the Quran, and meaningful family interaction. You can use gentle cues: ‘Your coding skills are becoming so impressive, and it is just as important that we strengthen our connection with Allah too.’ This shows that technology is a tool that must fit into a balanced life. 

Model a Balanced Life Yourself 

Children are always watching how their parents balance their own work, family life, hobbies, and faith. By demonstrating through your own actions that technology has its proper place, but not the central place, in your life, you can model the harmony you want your own children to adopt. 

By combining encouragement with clear discipline, parents can allow their child to thrive in their technological pursuits without losing their grounding in the values and relationships that matter most. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam encourages the pursuit of all forms of beneficial knowledge, but it also consistently reminds us that balance and a sincere intention are key. Technology and the skills associated with it should be treated as tools for achieving good, not as distractions from our primary duties to our family and our faith. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Qasas (28), Verses 77: 

‘“And seek (to discover) from what Allah (Almighty) has bestowed upon you for the abode in the Hereafter; and do not forget your (true) functionality in this world; and show favour (onto others) as Allah (Almighty) has shown favour upon you; and do not seek to spread (immoral) anarchy on the Earth; as indeed, Allah (Almighty) does not like those who spread (immoral) anarchy”.‘ 

This verse provides a perfect blueprint for a balanced life. It reminds us that our worldly pursuits, including developing our skills and talents, must always be balanced with our ultimate purpose of preparing for the Hereafter. 

It is recorded in Sahih Muslim, 2664, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘The strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak believer, while there is good in both. Strive for that which will benefit you, seek the help of Allah, and do not feel helpless.’ 

This teaching encourages us to pursue our strengths and to strive for what is beneficial, but to always do so within the framework of our faith and with reliance upon Allah. 

By grounding their child’s passion in faith and a sense of higher purpose, parents can help to ensure that their interest in coding, gaming, or AI becomes a tool for their positive growth, rather than a distraction. Over time, this helps a child to learn that true success is found in balancing one’s worldly skills with one’s spiritual strength.