Children are such creative beings. They love to play! They love to pretend. And although these characteristics are part of being a child or teen, as parents we need to educate our children about what is safe and not safe to do. As a parent of three children, I began educating my children about making choices when they were young and a situation would arise, where some education was needed. Often, I would not give them a YES or NO about something they were seeking to do or something they wanted, but we'd talk about the consequences of what a YES or NO might mean in their life.
Recently, I became interested in the research that I read about and studied in college as I was studying to be a teacher. Piaget and Erik Erikson both wrote about their findings about the stages of development in children, teens and even young adults. In some children, their brain doesn't reach full maturity until into their 20's. Thus, it is so essential that parents nurture good communication and keep a good connection with their children, so if a child, teen or young person is wanting to experiment in a way that may be unsafe, there is an open line of communication they can take advantage of and have an open and honest conversation.
During such conversations, there can be brainstorming sessions where alternative ideas may be presented that might satisfy the needs and desires of the child without doing any harm.
Taking time out just to have fun with your children, teens and even adult children is so beneficial in so many ways. And the memories you create are priceless!
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