Risk & Play — Do You Agree? (1 Viewer)

[Laron]

This is of course focused more at the youngsters out there, as this is such a natural process of life whether a parent or guardian is around to suppress such activity or not — it is going to take place anyway.



As a parent, or even someone that simply cares another another being, we naturally want to stop people and animals from hurting themselves, getting maimed, or even killed. Yet it's helpful to keep this in mind—this reminder above of how important it is to go through this process and hurt ourselves; otherwise later on in life we might run into some major situations where if we are unbalanced and don't have the right knowledge, abilities and skills, could result in actually ending up creating real danger, or simply blocking progress that may be very beneficial for our path.

Does anyone disagree with the information in this sign? If so, why?

If you agree, what do you think? What can you add to this that may have been left out?

 

[Linda]

In theory, yes.
In practice - with reservations.

In the olden days, when I was a child, we were free to run around the neighborhood and play with other children. My brother and I usually had some kind of scrapes and cuts, and it was not a big deal. Two things stand out - we were accustomed to this life and we had parents who helped us to see a couple of steps ahead. One reason they could was because they had childhoods on a farm and ranch. You learn a lot in that environment because there are direct effects and consequences from weather, animals, crops, etc.

Thinking to some children that I know now - dropping them into this environment could disastrous because they've never had the opportunity to grow into this kind of life. The world of today's child has become so sanitized and cushioned that many have never had the opportunity to think on their own. There are classes for everything, which are rigidly managed.

How to get from where children are now to this environment described above?

It is up to parents to change their behavior first.

What is missing is natural consequences. An alert parent can manage these experiences. Certainly none of us would let our children climb a pile of broken concrete with rusty rebar sticking out, but we can let them climb rock piles and experience falls and success. It would be our hope that with this knowledge, they would recognize the danger of actual and metaphorical rebar and pass it by. (Rebar is the iron cable that is placed in wet concrete to make it stronger after it cures.)

Our theory of parenting was to give the kids many chances at making smaller decisions and living with consequences because once they were older, they would be faced with bigger decisions with corresponding larger consequences.

Bottom line - I think a lot of parents need to work on this idea first. Maybe a parents' day where they play in the park would be a start.

 

[Snowmelt]

Actual time with the family outdoors is a good one. And if it can include three generations, even better. We were taken on many family picnics as children, in natural bush settings. There was no playground equipment there, but there would be granite rocks, to jump off, or play hide and seek around. Trees, that might screen off the parents and their activities, (and the snoozing "oldies" later in the day). I was a terrible one for retiring to the car with a book. Enjoying a cup of hot tea from a boiled billy is a great family thing. We got to find out how to light fires and hang the billy over the camp fire. We were only allowed to start having fun on bicycles when we were about 13 or 14. But that was tremendous fun.

Then there were lots of organised activities, such as taking part in plays, attending drama classes, and playing tennis, and playing musical instruments. And I had quite a few solitary things to do such as painting at home. But books won out, all the time.

 

[Anaeika]

My second born definitely learns this way. My first born is very cautious & thoughtful, thinking before he does anything. He has been this way since he was a baby. Every child is different and learns differently. One climbs trees; the other wouldn’t dare.

 

[Laron]

I remember my childhood and things were so different. I could go anywhere on my own pretty much, but I was afraid to do that, but that fear had nothing to do with predators, simply the new and unexplored world. I would get around a lot on my BMX with friends.

I remember venturing out further and further each time, but not by much, and one day i decided to go all the way to this type of island, that partly would get cut off at high tide, which was a residential area. On the way there on my bike, my jeans got caught in my chain and all of a sudden I was stuck to my bike and my chain came off as I got free. I was so scared, so afraid... I didn't know what to do. I was far away from home.

I can't recall what I did, but I think I may have managed to get the chain back on and I returned home. I never made it to that island, but I broke through some barriers attempting it.