instead of stopping a child from learning to do things by telling the child he/she is going to get hurt, you could help the child to be successful. Instead of telling a child to be quiet, you could listen to what the child is trying to express.

Parents might also need to perfect what I call the “ho-hum stride” and use it to replace lunging towards the baby about to touch the dog’s dish and shouting, “No!”, or charging after the toddler who runs away when it’s time to go home from the park

“I was hoping to remember to stay afraid because that is the best way to stay alive and not make careless mistakes.” It’s good advice and a smart insight that applies to many things.

In an emotionally healthy childhood, the child learns that things which break can be fixed. Plans can go awry, but new ones can be made. You can fall over and start anew. The carer models how to plough on and remain hopeful. A voice of resilience, originally external, becomes the way the child learns to speak to themselves. There are alternatives t

Because you can swing from branch to branch as easily as that monkey. You can jump from tree to tree and branch to branch. You can climb as quickly as you can to the top, and scamper down again without falling. You cannot get hurt. Just enjoy yourself. Be filled with joy; there is no room for fear. You can do anything, but you must first believe th

We still have many sayings that espouse this attitude, such as “spare the rod and spoil the child” and “children are to be seen and not heard.”