That is why it is a common site in the Middle East to see children shining shoes, working as apprentices in craft shops or selling tissues in coffee shops. Then there are others who work as domestic helps or in the carpet weaving industry.

However, children still attend schools, where boys are encouraged to take up Quranic studies, while girls are tutored on various aspects of math and household chores.

The roles and responsibilities of children in the Middle East are well defined, with some task being specifically for males and others for females. Children are allowed few years of carefree living, after which boys and girls are segregated and taught based on their gender.

As the extended family structure is breaking down in the Middle East with progress and urbanization, many children take on the mantle of the caretaker and doing various household chores.

Although in a traditional Middle Eastern family, a man is suppose to support the family, children are still expected to contribute at an early age. Though many countries have laws against child labor, it is quite common to see children working long hours and getting paid very poorly. If the child's salary is not important for the family, the money is tucked away to marry a boy or girl in the future.

Therefore, one can say that due to the responsibilities that fall on children in the Middle East, they are forced to grow up well before their time, and are basically deprived of a real childhood.

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