an example of the balance between safety & risk, challenge & protection for children

[newstart]

k2h26 give an example of the balance between safety and risk,and challenge and protection for children.
brian gone to sleep,thanks for any help.

[tinajpatterson]

All children need to be supervised but as they get older they also need to access risk themselves a very young child need supervising all the time to stop accidents .Where as the childs age and needs and abilities grow that supervision should always be there but not much as the child knows they are being supervised .A baby will have to be taken up and down stairs , but a child over 2 can do steps very well on their own but sill need to be watched so they don’t have an accident .Yet a 2 year old will have to be watched very closely like sat next to if small toys are being played with near the child to stop choking .Yet a 4 year old could be watched from the other side of the table A 4 year old will be watched with scissors closely but a 11 year will be watched from a far .Always watching for needs how to help the child develop .You should always be risk assessing what the children do no matter their age.

Hope this helps

T

[newstart]

thanks alot for your help

[Ruthierhyme]

Hi,

I'm not sure it helps but can you identify area/areas or resources in your setting where all four of these come together?

A climbing frame, Paints, easels, large dolls houses/garages, bricks, gardening equipment, sand & water play?

Safety can be seen as an 'environment - it's something or somewhere you make/have made safe.
Risk - are all opportunities to be hurt, harmed, injured
Protection are things you do to safeguard everyone & everything - these actions are what helps a place or item to become safe.
Challenge - is in activities or ideas that motivate, interest, engage ..

The balance or difference between safety and risk is in 'how safe do you make something if you want children and adults to experience levels of risk.

We'd never boil a kettle again if ultimate safety were in place.

Protection and challenge are a little similar ..
Protection against falling on a balancing beam/adventure playground could be to hold a hand - because this protects so well would you always hold hands regardless of the other's age and ability and how challenging would this all be for the person who's hand is being held.


Hth
xx