The Biology of Risk
An interesting article on the physiology of risk taking. The basic premise is that people are more likely to take risks when calm and relaxed and they become risk averse when under stress. This finding has real implications on performance in sports, business, and life in general.
Read MoreWhat Parents Can Say to Raise Secure Children
Words have a powerful effect on your children. What you say impacts what they think about themselves and their world, the actions they take as they explore their world, and the emotions they experience as they interact with their world. Your words can create a child who is secure and comfortable with themselves. Or, your […]
Read MoreRisk-Taking for Your Children: How Much is Enough?
Some time ago, I wrote a post about a TED talk in which the speaker recommended that parents allow their children to engage in risky behavior, for example, play with fire, own a pocket knife, throw spears, take apart appliances, and drive a car. I agreed with his views though I also suggested that, because he wasn’t a parent, it was easy for him to say. In contrast, as parents, we all struggle with a fundamental question: How much risk for our children?
This question is one I ask myself often because I believe that parents these days are far too protective of their children. Many parents ‘bubble wrap’ their kids with the best of intentions to safeguard them from life’s dangers. I would argue , however, that these parents are actually doing their children a disservice by not allowing them to gain experiences that will build confidence and instill resilience that will be essential for success and happiness later in life.
This question arose in my mind over the weekend as my wife and I had some fun adventures with our two daughters (ages 8 and 6). Our girls rode their bikes, swam, and climbed high on play structures. At a more mundane level, we also hung around the house during which time they climbed up on the kitchen counters, cut vegetables with a sharp knife, and helped my wife cook dinner on the stove. Additionally, our daughters rode their scooters on the sidewalk in front of our house and went for a walk around the neighborhood by themselves. Next weekend, we’re going up to the mountains to ski.
Read MoreWe Did These “Dangerous” Things and We Survived
Following up on my recent post titled, 5 Dangerous Things Parents Should Do to Their Children, someone sent me this video, I Can’t Believe We Made it, which demonstrates all of the so-called dangerous stuff past generations of children did (it used to be called “stuff all kids did”) and still somehow survived. The video vividly shows […]
Read MoreAmerican Parents Can Learn from Their International Counterparts
I just read an very interesting and thought-provoking article about the differences in child rearing around the world. The recommendations are very consistent with my own views on raising children.
Read MoreInstill 5 Perspectives in Your Ski Racing Children
These days, children seem to be given every opportunity by their parents to experience success in ski racing and every other performance activity (e.g., school, other sports, the performing arts). Many young ski racers receive extra help from personal fitness trainers and summer camps. They are given the opportunity to develop every possible ski racing […]
Read MoreAre You Sending Messages of Competence to Your Children?
Competence is the most neglected contributor to self-esteem. So much emphasis in the “self-esteem movement” that began in the 1970s was placed on ensuring that children felt loved that the role of competence in developing self-esteem has either been ignored, minimized, or misapplied. Competence is so important because it provides the foundation on which children […]
Read MoreChildren’s Emotional Reactions to Achievement
These days, children seem to be given every opportunity by their parents to achieve success in school, sports, and the performing arts. Children receive private tutoring, coaching, and instruction. They attend summer camps devoted to their achievement activity. They seem to be assured of having every possible skill necessary to achieve success. Except one: emotional […]
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