Interviews in Saudi Arabia show that many families are divided on how to deal with the challenges facing this part of the world.

One camp comprises families that are fine with discussing politics, but only in the privacy of the home. Others try to ban the younger family members from discussing the topic altogether, even going as far as monitoring the youngsters' e-mail and Facebook accounts, or asking teachers to steer clear of political topics.

Mahmoud Farag, an Egyptian teacher working at a private school in Jeddah, said that discussing the winds of change has very much become part of Arab daily life — but he tries to keep his son from talking about revolution.

“Discussing what has happened in Egypt and what is going on in Libya, Bahrain, Yemen and Syria is important, I think," he said. "I would prefer for my son not to talk politics because he is only 21 years old, but, honestly, what do I do? After January 25, we as Egyptians got complete freedom to discuss and criticize, so my son should know what is going on — but he shouldn’t discuss it in public.”

Farag says that despite the fact his students rifle him regarding what he thinks about what's going on in Egypt, "I have tried to avoid talking about it.”

Syria has been rocked by clashes between demonstrators and security forces for weeks, and Syrian families in Saudi Arabia have begun talking to their children about the developments. However, many are pleading with their kids to avoid talking about it with their friends.

Karim Al-Shaher, a Syrian engineer working in a private construction company in Jeddah, said he has banned political talk at the dinner table, but the latest news from Syria has forced him to share his ideas with his children.

“The clashes in Syria have heightened my fears," he said. "My children have started to believe what has happened there is a revolution like in other countries, so it was my duty to give them my opinion. I told them that Syria faced a dirty plot.”

Like others, Shaher says he has ordered his kids not to talk about this issue with kids at school.

Muna Falah, a primary teacher at an international school in Jeddah, says she is hearing children tell jokes about Arab leaders and the revolutions that are taking them down.

“In the beginning I wasn’t sure whether I should allow them to behave like this, so I talked about it with the students’ parents. They were adamant that I shouldn’t allow it,” she said. “Most of the parents are not happy with the political views of their children.”

Spurred on by YouTube videos, children have become bolder in their criticism of leaders, something parents are trying to curb with threats of punishment.

“My mom and dad told me not to discuss politics, but they do so themselves! How can they not let me if they can?” said Yemeni student Khaled Basalem, who then answered his own question: “They threatened to withhold my allowance. That’s how.”

Basalem said his father is now monitoring his Facebook activity, too.

"He wants to make sure I am not joining any revolutionary groups," he said. "I don’t have any privacy anymore.”

Zeinab Radwan, a Lebanese student at a private university in Jeddah, said her parents simply took a direct approach: they asked her not to talk politics because they were supporters of all Arab leaders and were against revolutions as a matter of principle.