Losing the World is about not being controlled by the fears that sometimes accompany parenthood, but instead embracing that which causes us anxiety; turning our fear into opportunity.
I don’t know about you, but there is a tremendous amount of anxiety that fills my heart when I see my just-crawling son head for the stairs or my toddler for the knife on the counter when Daddy’s cooking. So what should I do with this fear? Opportunity!
There are a few dangerous activities that are necessary to teach children how to do properly early on in life, so as to protect them later on.
If your kids are going to do something anyway then you might as well teach them to do it right. Prevention, in this case, is not the only protection we can provide. Prevention coupled with instruction is priceless and can very well save a limb or a life.
Obviously there will not be consensus as to what age you should teach your kids these skills. The key is to know your own child and teach them/have them taught when you feel they are mature enough to understand.
Here are just a few different dangerous activities/skills that we think are important for kids to learn.
#1 How to Climb
My boys are climbers. Just a couple of days ago I was playing with my oldest when I turned to check on our crawler to find him halfway up the staircase. The crawler’s brother didn’t get the nickname The Monkey by flinging poo at us, either. Whenever we turn around, he is climbing, jumping, or hanging off of something he probably shouldn’t be.
Since our kids will inevitably try to reach those unreachable heights, let’s teach them how to do it properly. Many rock climbing gyms provide entry level classes for younger climbers. Consider enrolling your kids in one at your local gym to learn skills such as holds, footing, and moving between objects. Learning just the basics could be life-saving.
Additional Resources:
- Climbing Techniques/Safety [Kids Climbing]
- Kids Adventure, Climbing, Abseiling & Scrambling [Rock and Ice]
#2 How to Use a Knife Properly
Kids are nothing if they aren’t little watchers. Like little visual sponges, they soak up everything they see you do. They will see you chopping carrots and they will want to, too.
Whenever I am slicing up some vegetables for a snack or meal, I tend to forget that there are little hands reaching up for a bite. And what is usually sitting right next to where their hands are grabbing? A huge kitchen knife. The Monkey isn’t a problem so much anymore, as he knows he’s not supposed to touch it and sticks to that pretty well. His younger brother isn’t trained yet. He is just learning to walk and reach up and so keeping that knife further towards the middle of the table is imperative right now.
However, when The Monkey is a little older, when he’s able to understand that there are somethings that he can do, but only with Mommy or Daddy’s help, we will teach him how to do a little chopping action on his own.
Keep your little one’s little fingers intact by teaching them a few knife techniques. Just enough to make them not dangerous.
Here are a few suggestions:
- How to hold a knife properly
- How to sharpen a knife
- How to carry a knife (or scissors) when walking
- How to chop up their favorite fruit or vegetable
Additional Resources:
- The Right Way to Use a Knife [Slashfood]
- How to Use a Kitchen Knife [About.com]
#3 How to Shoot a Gun
Now, ideologically, you may be against the use of guns. And that’s okay! But I still strongly urge you to consider learning and teaching your child how to shoot a gun properly. One of these days they might choose to use a gun on their own. Let’s prepare them on how to do it right!
I remember having a BB gun growing up. My brother and I would go out shooting at everything, living or not, just having fun with it. While it never happened to me, there are many that experience that Christmas Story fear of having an eye permanently damaged by a kid that was fooling around with a gun. Even more unfortunate, we’ve all read the news of when some little kid accidentally is killed or kills someone because their parents didn’t store their gun safely.
I didn’t learn the importance of gun safety until I was learning to shoot an M-16 downrange in the Navy. My boys will learn long before that. Organizations such as the National Rifle Association regularly hold training sessions for younger kids on basic weapon safety.
Additional Resources:
- The Eddie Eagle Gun Safety Program [NRA]
- How to Teach a Child to Shoot a Gun Safely [eHow]
- Project ChildSafe [ProjectHomeSafe]
#4 How to Fight
Like gun safety, you may not want your boys and girls to fight. I know I don’t want to see my sons beating up on somebody. Yet, I do want them to be able to defend themselves or others should they ever have to.
When I was in the Navy one of my duties was to be a bodyguard for military chaplains. With that I learned many basic self-defense techniques using hand-to-hand combat. While I’m no Jackie Chan, I am pretty sure I could handle myself alright in a scuffle.
Consider enrolling your kids in a martial arts program at your local YMCA. Or, even better – as I think that education is best when it comes from the parents – take the class with them. Learn a few holds and a move or two. More importantly though, have a conversation about when and when not to use the skills they’ve learned.
Additional Resources:
- How to Defend Yourself in a Fight [AskMen]
- Defend Yourself [wikiHow]
- YMCA Karate
#5 How to Get Off from High Places
When our oldest was younger we had a very tall bed. With him sleeping with us more nights than not, we wanted to make sure he would be safe. So we did the only logical thing and taught him how to be dangerous; the right way.
Compared to some of the other “more dangerous” skills mentioned here, getting off the bed might seem babyish. And that’s because it is! Baby’s don’t know how to get off of anything, except to roll to and over the edge. Just because their mind will not understand you yet, that doesn’t mean you can’t teach their body.
By physically moving The Monkey’s body through the process of turning around, scooting backwards, and finally coming over the edge of the bed, when he was less than a year old, we kept him from falling. Now his little brother is crawling to the edge as well. We’ve showed his body how to get off properly and so far, he’s done it right each time!
As they grow older I will teach them how to climb down (or sometimes jump safely) off of higher things, matching to their size, such as the roof of our house.
Additional Resources:
- How to Jump Off a Roof [eHow]
With all of these and the many more dangerous activities out there, it is up to us, the adults, to set the boundaries with our kids. If you’re teaching your toddler about safe knife handling, make sure to also stress that is something to be done only with Mommy or Daddy’s help. Let little Jackie Chan know not to be beating up on the neighbor kid, even if she did take his toy. And please, please teach your kids to be safe with guns. Education is sometimes the best prevention.
And remember, these are not just for your boys. There are many little girls and young women out there that would love to send one downrange, throw a punch, or go rock climbing if Daddy would take the time to teach them.
[Photo by Jessica Bee]
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Very thoughtful and compelling post.
I really like your point of view on this subject, and I feel much the same way. I believe that it’s better to equip our kids for the challenges that we know they are going to face in life rather than shelter them from it and have them handle a situation badly when the time comes.
Very well said.
Thanks Jenn. With our boys the ages they are we either teach them to do these dangerous things now or buy stock in the local hospital. On second thought, maybe I’ll buy some stock anyways.
It’s refreshing to see a parent encourage the natural exploring nature of children to embrace the limitations of their bodies and just PLAY. It’s probably not necessary to TEACH these things, kids pick up- on it when they’re not coddled and “protected” from themselves to death. To the notion about teaching self defense, I’d also reckon that teaching nonviolent communication skills would also be important, very important.