Why And How To Stop Overprotecting Children; Because Risk Is Worth It

Anything that makes a child feel uncomfortable, anxious, or wrong is now deemed "bad." Remember when adolescence was a time to toughen up for life's rigours ahead? Is that era well and truly gone?

Today, we have a generation of parents that’s erased adversity. Instead of helping kids face risks, the aim is to simply push all challenges out of the way.

Even playtime has become more structured, a far cry from the old “go outside and be back by dark” mentality that allowed kids to figure things out on their own.

Schools used to be one of the few places where kids could still face struggles, even fail and learn to try again. They seem to have fallen in line with the world’s aversion to risk.

The Fear Factor

No one wants to see their child injured, struggling, or emotionally hurt. These fears shape how we raise children, driving us to create safer, more controlled environments.

Have we taken it to the extreme by eliminating any potential hardship—from the sting of failure and physical injury to emotional struggles?

Coddling Culture And It’s Harmful Effects

While the intention is to protect, the outcome is often the opposite.

• Shielding children from every risk deprives them of opportunities to learn resilience, problem-solving, and emotional regulation.
• Coddled children struggle to comprehend their environment, others, and their own selves. The lack of comprehension means they don’t learn how to communicate or solve problems on their own.  
• Plus, there’s solid evidence that kids wrapped in cotton wool often push boundaries recklessly as teens when they finally break free from adult supervision.

Rethinking Risk, the Outdoor Learning way

Outdoor Learning approaches believe that risk is worth it. Risk is a powerful opportunity for growth, but finding a balance is essential. The key?

·        Create manageable risks as a toolkit that children can draw from throughout their lives

·        Guide children to assess risks thoughtfully instead of eliminating risks altogether

For example, the Forest School approach is a stellar demonstration of how calculated risk-taking gives children the opportunity to shine.

Typical scenes at a Forest School - children climbing tall trees, playing beyond the watchful eyes of adults, cooking over open flames, and whittling sharp knives.

To the outside eye, these activities might seem dangerous. So, how did risk become a foundational principle of forest schooling? Forest schools emphasise “managed risks.”

An example is children climbing trees. Children climbing tall trees fills most adults with terror and dread. The tendency is for us to jump in and say, "Don’t do that! It’s dangerous!"

Forest School implores you to try a different approach. Have you considered looking up at the tree together and planning a route? 

Ask the child where they intend to place their feet and hands. Does the branch feel strong or weak? Will it support their weight? Can they test the branch first? Is the ground or the tree wet? Could it be slippery? Should they try a different tree?

They might decide to try another day. Perhaps they may still want to try, even if they’re unsure. Remind them that it’s fantastic to give it a go, but it’s equally brave to come down should they choose to, or ask for help if they need it.

Risk-Taking on InSOUL treks

From river crossings and steep ascents to forest sections with no defined path - a trek has different levels of risks, and our facilitators approach each one accordingly. 

On our treks for children, the idea is to help children assess and manage acceptable levels of risk without jumping in to immediately help.

Shachi Tripathi, Programme Designer and Trainer at InSOUL, shares a few tips for fearful adults, “It starts with awareness. If there’s a lizard inside your home, do you tell your child it’s dangerous because of your own fears? Probably. Take a larger view. Is the fear valid? What are the major and minor risks? Give children the chance to figure things out themselves.”

We believe completely eliminating risks isn’t just impossible but also dull and counterproductive to learning.

In other words:

Step 1: Take a step back and assess whether you are projecting your own fears onto a situation.

Step 2: Assess whether the risk is appropriate to the child and to the environment. Objectively see what the minor or major risks are.

Step 3: Help your child take on safe responsibilities through dialogue. Discuss the risks together, give children the tools they need to handle the situation, step back and guide without intervening.

Practical Lessons for Parents and Teachers

Everyday environments (home, school) can adopt many strategies from outdoor learning to enable healthy risk-taking in children such as:

·        Encouraging free play and exploration

·        Allowing room for failure

·        Guiding children through adversity

·        Teaching children how to assess and manage risks in different situations

The benefits are long-lasting and profound:

Resilient, capable children: Giving children the space to make their own decisions builds self-confidence, resilience, and decision-making abilities. They can see you trust them.

Success in life, love, and work: Sustained exposure to manageable risk enhances critical life skills such as taking academic risks, standing up for themselves, and navigating careers or relationships.

Yes, there’s always risk in climbing trees, playing with fire, or hiking in the mountains. But a balanced, responsible, and healthy approach to managing risk can turn fear (whether a child's or your own) into something memorable.

The same is true in life. Healthy risk-taking builds confidence and resilience, preparing children for a world that might not always be easy or kind.