Parents may have heard of the dangers of being a " helicopter parent ". Of hovering so close to their kids that they never get a chance to develop independence and resilience.
Authors
- Tonia Gray
Professor, Centre for Educational Research, Western Sydney University
- Jaydene Barnes
Associate Lecturer, School of Education, Western Sydney University
- Marion Sturges
Lecturer in Education, Western Sydney University
But avoiding this is easier said than done, especially when most parents would agree their first job is to keep their kids safe. As children grow older, into late primary and early high school years, this managing risks becomes even more difficult, as children want to push boundaries and develop their independence.
Our new report looks specifically at play and the 9-15 years group to explain what healthy risks are and how to encourage your child to take them.
Why do kids need risk in their lives
Young people need opportunities to experience healthy risks as they grow and develop. Children and young adolescents naturally seek out risk taking as a way of developing and defining themselves.
Adolescence marks a sharp neurobiological shift , during which sensitivity to rewards peaks, sensation-seeking intensifies, but impulse control remains immature.
Research tell us adventure and positive risk-taking help cultivate executive function (which includes planning and working memory), emotional regulation, confidence, resilience and social competence. This is achieved by focusing on challenging activities that both test and stretch a young person's comfort zones, developing tenacity, inner strength and different pathways in the brain.
If adolescents don't get healthy opportunities to experience uncertainty and challenge, research suggests they can seek other outlets for risk taking . This can be in in harmful, reckless, or antisocial behaviours .
So what is 'risky play'?
Risky play is not unsafe play - despite what some people might think.
Researchers understand "risky play" to be adventurous, challenging and uncertainty-based activities that offer developmental benefits .
It could include unstructured play, such as exploring in nature and away from adult eyes. Or it could be more structured activities, including climbing to the top of the equipment at the park or riding a skateboard down a steep hill.
It can also be inside, through rough-and-tumble play such as wrestling with siblings. Or indoor rock climbing at the local gym.
These activities offer children valuable opportunities to test their abilities and discover what they can do. Through these experiences, children learn to make decisions, solve problems, recognise their limits and work out how to stay safe.
We're not talking about unacceptable danger
It's important to talk about the distinction between a risk and a hazard .
A risk is something a child can encounter and learn to manage - whereas a hazard is something that could cause serious or unacceptable harm. For example, kids can climb on big rocks and maybe scrape their knee. They make break a wrist playing netball. But they shouldn't play on a busy road or swim at the beach without supervision.
Risk can also go beyond physical risk . But the transition into adolescence also involves emotional, cognitive and executive function, social and digital risk taking.
For example, social challenges such as introducing yourself to a new group of peers and facing possible rejection. Or emotional risks if you fail a challenging task.
How can parents encourage healthy risks?
For parents, risky play begins with understanding its developmental value: these experiences can build confidence, resilience and problem-solving . The goal is not to keep children completely safe from risk, but to help them to become better at dealing with it .
Sometimes we think "if it feels scary, it must be unsafe". But feeling nervous or excited is often part of the experience.
Parents should consider the context and potential benefits in allowing children to test their own limits and weigh them up against genuine hazards. For example, trusting a child's innate ability, experience, and judgement to climb a tree.
They can also resist stepping in too quickly when a child or young person encounters difficulty.
Allowing space and time for children and young people to work out the risks for themselves , make small mistakes, and navigate minor setbacks strengthens their capacity to manage uncertainty independently.
This does not mean stepping back completely, but rather, accepting and understanding that small injuries and scrapes are part of childhood and adolescence. It means giving children enough freedom to have a go, while being there when they genuinely need help.
Of course every child will have a different appetite for risk, depending on their age, experience, confidence, abilities and culture.
Parents can also support healthy risk-taking by modelling their own decision-making and being open about the risks they take, the failures they encounter, and the successes they achieve.
Michael Down from Notre Dame University is a co-author of the report mentioned in this article.
Tonia Gray consults to Play Australia and receives research funding from Greater Sydney Parklands and Greening Australia. She is a member for the NSW Greens and has previously been a candidate for the party. The research mentioned in this report is supported by Play Australia and the Victorian government.
Jaydene Barnes has worked on research funded by Play Australia.
Marion Sturges receives consultancy funding from Play Australia
