One of the most important things we, as parents, can do for our children is allow them the space to make their own mistakes.
We constantly struggle with the desire to keep our loved ones safe and the importance of learning through trial and error.
Professionals use the terms “duty of care” and “dignity of risk.” While the “duty of care” experienced by parents is different than that of professionals we still need to consider whether our desire to keep our children safe is overriding our children’s right to experience life freely.
This short video from Workplace Mental Health Institute in Australia explains dignity of risk to human service workers.
Have you struggled with allowing your child to make his/her own decision on something? How did you decide what to do?