Adventurer and educator Sash Nukada believes saying 'be careful' to children at play is counter-productive and can induce fear and make them risk averse.
He says it's more beneficial to explain what to look out for and how to avoid hazards Nakuda works for Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoors Education, Tongariro Centre, as the tertiary programme manager.
Nukada tells Kathryn Ryan that, while we don’t want children to come to harm, we shouldn’t be sending a message that life is dangerous and that they should avoid risk.
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“I’ve been preaching that for a long time. Instead of saying ‘be careful’, I challenge people to think about what they’re actually trying to say.”
He says that, as a parent, he’s guilty of it too and wonders if it’s a way of comforting ourselves as parents.
Instead, he suggests we be specific and say ‘pay attention’ or ‘watch where your feet are’ when children are at play and parents fear they’re going to injure themselves.
Another thing to do is, if your child is in a playground, prepare them for risk by asking them what would happen if they slipped or fell from certain areas so that they’re aware of consequences.
“I’ve seen some schools where chopped off all the branches on the tree so kids can’t climb it, can’t play bulrush, can’t do anything remotely risky. I think it’s that fear of litigation which I think is unfortunate. Outdoor education is slightly at threat in the school system, I feel.”
