Children take risks and learn different processes. Some children take bigger risks like jumping from height, fighting with teachers / friends, copying etc. Where as other children take smaller risks like cycling, playing, dancing, not listening to class etc.
It is common that they face adverse consequences ranging between getting suspended from school to breaking their own bones. Sometimes parents get blamed by society for the risky acts done by their children.
Biggest mistake that parents commit is, instead of teaching children how to take calculated risks, or take decisions based on ethical values, they try to completely shut the risk taking behavior of their children by punishing, criticizing and blaming.
When they do that, identity of child gets broken into pieces. Child’s life ceases then and there after loosing a method that he/she previously used to experiment and learn new things.
What children need from parents is not safety. Children need opportunity to do mistakes. Parents need to learn how to deal with adverse consequences of children’s mistakes. That is how they can empower children.
K L Niharika 