Risk Taking/Management in Young Children
This is an old answer I have listed from my old posts - it may help you partially - I hope so.
If you are talking about children being allowed to take risks, but being safe at the same time?
If so, we don't want to wrap children up in cotton wool, so they never dare try anything out. Remember the days years ago when you always saw children hanging upside down from a tree? I'm sure there were accidents, but on the whole, most children will only go (try) as far as they feel safe, gain experience, then next time feel more confident to perhaps try climbing higher.
It builds children's resilience and self awareness, relying upon themselves and having confidence to try new things out. These are all skills they will need as adults, so must practice them to perfect them or able to perform these skills to the best of their ability.
So, back to a pre-school, you see a child is hanging upside down on the slide/climbing frame, there are safety mats all around. You are a little worried (which is natural) as you are worried about their ability and their safety, but you have noticed the child has wrapped his leg around a wooden bar to secure himself. You are watching him, and you know if they do fall it is just over a foot to the safety mat and they will be more shocked than hurt. So you observe and will be there to reassure and comfort if needed. After a minute the child pulls himself up and then proceeds to go down the slide. A little bit of risk taking (and a thrill on the child's part as they like excitement) and the child is learning and having fun.
Now the child decides he's going to do this again, but he is now a super hero and he is going to climb the frame with a long cloak on. Now his risk taking is taking a slightly different turn, he may be competent hanging upside down, but the cloak hanging over his eyes, possibly getting tangled up in his legs, and there's the possibility he could end up hanging from it. He is not in control of himself, but is too young to reason against his idea of being a superhero hanging from the climbing frame ( a building in his mind).
You cannot allow this and you explain to him (in age appropriate language) why it is dangerous to do both activities at the same time. You give him the choice of climbing the frame without his cloak, or being a super hero on ground and after talking to him, he now understands your reasons. You may have to talk to him about superheroes on the television are not real etc, if he goes onto say that they can do anything.
So to allow children to take risks and build up resilience, we must watch out for safety, but not keep jumping in and stopping them when they are trying to learn and seeking out that natural excitement that most humans enjoy.
Heidi
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#3 09-26-2010, 11:00 PM
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