Monday, March 18, 2019

The risks we take

Sometimes I wish I could see the world through my son's eyes. For example, when we go to the large outlet shops near our home, he loves climbing/jumping/skipping around all the low walls, divided areas and various colored concrete sidewalk squares. Does he see that place as one big game level? If he gets a high enough score, will Mom get him a soft pretzel? (Hint: We always get the soft pretzels.)

I do recall being very young and jumping across the different-colored tiles in a large store once. I was looking down at my feet and trying to jump my way to my Dad. He had moved to a different display by the time I got to the spot he was in, and I accidentally grabbed a stranger's hand instead of his. I was petrified, but the man laughed it off. I ran off to find my Dad very quickly.

Other than that, I don't recall bouncing all over the place, but I am sure that I must have done it. And I try to keep in mind that the outlets can be a very boring place for a child (pretzels aside), so I try not to reign my son's play in, unless it is really crowded and I am afraid he will bump into other people. 

But this type of behavior is the relatively low risk play that a lot of children do. I wonder if my son will ever want to amp up his risk taking as he gets older. For example, he got over his trepidation of roller coasters last year and now wants to ride lots more. Is that a start? Explorers, adventurers, stunt performers...where do the seeds for those urges lie? I don't know, and evidently, researchers don't really know either. Maybe that's not a fair statement. Here's a better one: Researchers have ruled out birth order as a direct link to risk-loving adults

Some risks, of course, are good. I want my son to try new things and learn from his mistakes. I want him to enjoy his life. I also want him to always enjoy soft pretzels.

Do you encourage your child to take risks? Tell me in the comments.

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