Conclusion

The risks outlined above show that in trying to eliminate some kinds of risks in childhood, other kinds emerge: the risk of hobbling the development of a child’s ability to take initiative, thrive by themselves, and be self-reliant; the risk of atrophying a child’s ability to exercise competence, creativity, and critical thinking skills; even the risk of failing to forge good character itself. The formation of a strong moral compass is, after all, premised on the capacity to think independently, face one’s fears, and act with courage.

In treating children as if they are, in Gill’s words, “incompetent, fragile, unable to deal with adversity, [and] incapable of learning how to look after themselves,” they unfortunately sink to meet these paltry expectations.

What is further unfortunate, is that parental risk-aversion ultimately ends up affecting not only children, but the parents themselves, and even society as a whole. As economist Tyler Cowen has observed, cautious young adults are moving less and starting fewer businesses, and American culture is becoming less dynamic and innovative as a whole. He argues that we’re seeing the rise of a new “complacent class,” that, in craving comfort over conflict and risk, is impeding the changes needed for our society to improve and progress.

The solution to the modern trend of overprotective parenting is not to swing to the other extreme — leaving children naked in the woods to be raised by wolves. In fact, it is eminently possible for parents to keep the chances of harm to kids at the extremely low level at which it already resides, while still acquainting them with resilience-building, character-forging risk. In fact, it’s possible to do so in a way that will arguably make them safer, rather than less so.

To this balanced approach to exposing your children to a healthy amount of risk, and teaching them how to maturely manage it, is where we will turn next week, in the series’ conclusion.

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