Mental danish children's playgrounds

This playground is in Copenhagen, it's really cool but seriously high. 

U.K. health and safety would have a field day. 

But here's the idea.

You move, you learn.

You move too high, you get scared and go back, you try again, you go further. 

You fall, you get hurt, you learn, you try again. 

Action is a teacher
Fear is a teacher
Pain is a teacher 

As parents we see this. 

It's not always easy but we see it's necessity for learning.

We each have to decide for ourselves what is too dangerous for them. 

What is beyond them. What will hurt too much if they fall. 

The game is freedom at the same time as safety. 

We don't push them through fear but we do offer to guide them through. 

We know that there is only skill acquisition in the doing.

Where we create rules and do and don't we encourage rebellion which is to fight us rather than focus on learning. This is dangerous and life long. 

Where we force progression we create fear and life long paralysis. 

We can see this, the consequence is simple:

Fall get hurt
Fall harder get damaged. 

Control your child and they'll learn nothing at best and develop a life long fear at worst. 

Now apply this to food. 

Skilful eaters learn through natural consequences.
Troubled eaters were controlled. 

Now apply this to everything.

Skillful people learn through natural consequence.
Troubled people were controlled. 

Safety and then freedom it's the balance of life.

Ed Ley