Every parent should read this book!
I found this amazing book at the library called “50 Risks To Take With Your Kids” by Daisy Turnbull
It’s a guide to building resilience and independence in the first 10 years of your child’s life. Nurturing resilient and confident kids is something that we strive to do everyday here at RSD.
The book highlights that the more children are allowed to play in mud, create games and find their own solutions to problems, the more they will thrive later in life – something we all want for our kids as parents!
While the book is a framework of 50 practical challenges or ‘risks’ that develop children’s physical and social skills, responsibility and character before they enter those ‘risky’ teenage years I wanted to share some of my favourite that I’m going to try with my young children – and encourage you to too!
- The first ‘risk’ is for the parents! Encouraging you to step outside your comfort zone and think a little differently about raising kids. Forget about all the judgement. That’s right – you have to do what feels right for you, do what is right for you and your family.
- Order their own fluffy. I’ve empowered my four-year-old to do this – “If you don’t ask, you don’t get” – It’s an easy win to develop confidence and taking ownership over his own wellbeing. He even asks for 2 marshmallows!
- Go hungry. There’s no alternatives in our house, dinner is dinner. You either eat what is in front of you, and everyone eats the same. I don’t expect my children to finish it, but we ask that they eat AT LEAST 3 big mouthfuls from then on, it’s up to them. A parent the other day was telling me they have a rule in their house that adults get to choose what to eat for dinner and if they children eat it all, they get to choose what to have for dessert! I thought this was a great idea, what an incentive!
- Once in a while it’s okay to get really exhausted! Our family really values adventures, opportunities, and experiences. If it means we are stay out late at night because we caught up with friends, watched the stars in the sky etc. so be it – making memories with family and friends is important to us. Taking part in a stage experience once or twice a year (getting home later than normal, rehearsal nights etc.) is an amazing opportunity for our littles ones, lighting up their passion for dance and will create magical memories that will last a lifetime! They can catch up on sleep the next day or two.
- Developing a sense of gratitude will take you far in this world, saying thank you. Ending each day talking about what you are thankful for, what you are grateful for, what you appreciate can promote a more restful sleep. Studies have shown that grateful individuals experience more positive emotions, are more satisfied with life, and experience fewer negative emotions including depression, anxiety and envy. Perhaps not surprisingly, more grateful people also tend to be more socially oriented. It’s also a heartwarming feeling when your preschooler says his favourite part of the day was playing uno with mum and dad <3
- I think the most important or stand part of this book for me was risk #50 Talk about risk knowing that taking risks is okay, as long as you consider and think about the consequences beforehand. Knowing what risks are okay – asking a stranger for directions – and what risks are maybe a bit more risky – jumping off a 6 foot wall onto concrete!
50 Risks To Take With Your Kids is a warm and funny book, not not about developmental KPIs, and it’s certainly not about judgement. It’s about teaching kids to recognise and assess risks themselves, and readying them to take on life and all that it brings. And it’s about having fun and connecting as a family along the way.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
