6 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Kids Do

As a parent we want our children to be safe. We install baby gates so they won’t fall down the stairs. Child safety locks are put on all the cupboards with dangerous chemicals. We put them in car seats and we keep them safe in cribs while they sleep. These are all no brainers.

But have we become too overprotective?

Gever Tully is the author of 50 Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do) and he advocates that in our attempts to prevent bruises and broken bones we have also inhibited our children’s development of autonomy, competence, confidence and resilience. He suggests that as parent’s we have limited children’s opportunities to explore their world and this in turn has narrowed their ability to experiment and learn by doing.

By insisting on doing things ourselves because we can do them better, quicker or more safely, we have deprived children of the chance to fail and learn, to experiment and more importantly we have taken away their ability to decipher what is truly dangerous and what is just unfamiliar.

Here are a collection of 6 ‘dangerous’ things from Tully’s book as well as some of my own that I believe we should let children do.

Climb

This was an easy one for me as Clara is constantly climbing things and has been since she was able to walk. Few activities for kids can feel more liberating than conquering an obstacle. Learning to navigate their way up something increases confidence, problem solving abilities and can build resiliency. Trees and jungle gyms are a great start and for more structured climbing you can try Bolder Climbing Community or one of Calgary Climbing Centres locations.

Work with Tools

I say this with the caveat that you should obviously not hand your 2-year-old a power saw and let them go to town, this would definitely classify as a dangerous thing you should NOT let your kids do. Working with tools is a lifeskill and working with basic tools like a hammer and screwdrivers is something every person should know how to do. You can start by allowing your child to practice hammering nails with a ball peen hammer – it is lighter than a traditional hammer which makes it easier to use. As their ability improves you can upgrade them to a full-size claw hammer and layout a scrap piece of wood with some nails in it. They get some fun (and free) entertainment and you get some time to work on your own projects. If you don’t have many (or any) tools of your own, Calgary has an awesome resource in the form of the Calgary Tool Library, check it out!

Make a Fire

There is something about an open flame that is engrained in our DNA in a very primal way. When your kids are younger allow them to play with matches or small lighters (with your supervision of course). They will be amazed at making fire and will indeed learn that it burns. But a small flame from a match won’t hurt too much. As they get older you can get them to help you build a fire in the backyard fire pit, or while out camping.

Cook

Not only is cooking an essential skill for kids as they get older, but it can be a lot of fun learning to cook with your parents. While it can be a dangerous thing to let your kids do when you think of all the sharp knives and hot places kids can put their hands, learning in a controlled environment with you will help mitigate that risk. It may take longer and be way more messy cooking with your kids but it will also be a lot more fun and will create memories to last a lifetime.

Walk or Bike to School

The 24-hour news cycle and increased fear mongering would have you believe we live in dangerous times but the fact-of-the-matter is that we live in the safest time in history. Assuming you live within walking distance to your child’s school, walking to and from school is a great way for your kids to feel independent and explore the world around them.

If the thought of letting them walk alone fills you with dread you can always work up to it gradually. Start by walking the route with them pointing out where they need to cross the street, reminding them how to do it safely and reminding them how to deal with strangers.

Swim

As a former lifeguard and swim instructor I was astounded to discover that some parents don’t enrol their kids in swimming lessons or let them go swimming out of fear that they will drown. This seems almost counterintuitive to me. If your child never learns how to swim, what will they do when they’re older and near a body of water?

So please, parents, put your kids in swim lessons, show them that it can be fun. In fact, I’ve written more than once about how important it is for your child to be comfortable near water. Click here to check out the best swimming lessons in Calgary and what I think are MUST for every child.

This is just a small list, for more check out Gever Tully’s book 50 Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do) and let me know in the comments what other things you’d include!