Overprotecting Kids: Is it the right Strategy?

Would you rather have  your child involved in a physically active play with outdoor playground equipment that offers both adventures and dangers of injury, or the video games that glue your child to a single couch.  Back in the day children would do anything they wanted and even come home with a swollen cheek or a bruised knee. Today, there are hardly any such circumstances as children have confined themselves in their little world of never-ending  digital gaming.

Is Over Protection Necessary?

Are we ruining our child’s health by overprotecting him? Yes and no. It is okay for parents to excessively worry about their children, especially when they are outside away from the scrutiny. However, it is not okay to keep your child from the physical activities just to make sure that he doesn’t come home with a bruised cheek.

Playground accidents are inevitable; there is no guarantee that a school playground equipment will keep your child safe and sound during the activity.  However, it is not a good excuse to incarcerate your children. As a parent, you have to understand that children need to learn the power of courage, self-confidence, and self-reliance and for that they need survival skills, which can only be learned from a generous physical activity.

Why Risks matter?

Research shows that reasonable risks  in everyday life are crucial for the overall physical and mental development of your child. Risks allow your child to develop strong survival skills that are impossible to garner from any other kind of activity.

School playground equipment today does not follow complex designs that would pose a threat to your child’s safety. In addition, most playgrounds do not offer children much to work with and mostly children indulge in active, physical play with their playmates. So, there is nothing to worry about as long as your children are in the nearby playground, or hanging around in the neighborhood.

Kids need to experiment with their life, just like you wanted to when you were a kid (come on, you know what I am talking about). So, put your fears aside and let your kid have a life that he deserves. Overprotecting your child will not only make your kid lose his courage, but will also create problems for him in the near future.

Got something to add to the above discussion?  Do not hesitate to leave a comment in the comment section.