The kingdom of Saudi Arabia is located in the Middle East and occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula which is the original homeland of Islam and the Arab people. Saudi Arabians express their main cultural identity being Muslim and Arab. In Saudi Arabia, children are born at home, sometimes with the presence of midwives who assist while giving birth. The newborns are taken care of by their mothers. They carry them wherever they go and also nurse them. In the case of extended of households, other women such as longtime domestic servants took part in raising children by teaching them the culture of Saudi Arabians and social morals. Throughout Saudi Arabia, children are raised around the Islamic traditions. Children are taught every aspect of Islam when they grow up.
Uncles, fathers, and grandfathers do not participate in raising children. However, they took part in caring for children by playing with them, teaching them morality, Islamic religion, and moral values based on their traditions. For example, the children were taught how to demonstrate hospitality and generosity as stated in the Koran. They are also taught that their behavior should be based on the doctrines of the Islamic holy book, the Koran.
The main memory for children is kin based and intense family socialization from where a child learns various aspects about their culture. In other cases, giving birth takes place in hospitals. Infant boys get circumcised immediately before they are taken home while there is no circumcision of girls. One issue that has caused many troubles among Saudi Arabians is Breast feeding. Raising children in any part of the world requires breast feeding. However, breast feeding an infant in Saudi Arabia is sometimes rejected because it is regarded as not being modern.
After the child has matured enough, they are taken to school and begin at kindergarten and follows the rest of the country’s educational system. Children are taught Arabic language and Islamic religious doctrines. Most of the life aspects that children are taught in school are commonly based on Islam because it is the core religious culture for the country. Children learn various aspects of life where they are required to demonstrate high degree of honesty and integrity.
In Saudi Arabia, children are raised and taught how to dress based on the Islamic culture. Young boys are required to wear an Islam attire while young girls should wear the burqa to cover the air according to Islamic traditions. In addition, young female children are not allowed to drive or to attend any public place without being accompanied by a male person. Life in Saudi Arabia is not the same as other countries such as the United States. For instance, the life in Saudi Arabia does not provide a central park for children to grow in. Children are mostly confined to their homes and it is rare to find children playing in a central park without the watch of their parents. Children are also taught about behavior especially when they approach their parents or other grown up people. They are also taught the type of food they should consume instead in the US where children are fast foods that makes them become obese.
In a nutshell, raising children in Saudi Arabia is mostly done by women. Women especially their mothers teach their children various aspects such as being obedient and hospitality. The system of education in Saudi Arabia is common based around Islam. Most of the traditional values, culture, and morals that children learn are based on the Islam tradition. Children are also taught to dress based on the Islamic culture and traditions.