50 Risks to Take With Your Kids: A Guide to Building Resilience and Independence in the First 10 Years

by Daisy Turnbull

When we take risks with our kids, we teach them to be better adults.

50 Risks to Take With Your Kids teaches parents and carers how to nurture resilience in their kids as they learn to take their own risks. It may sound counterintuitive to say that the longer you let kids be kids, the better they will 'adult' in the future, but it's true. The more children are allowed to play in the mud, create games and find their own solutions to problems, the more they will thrive later in life.

Written to combat a growing generation of kids who have not been given the room to learn and grow in their own time, 50 Risks to Take With Your Kids gives parents and careers an easy-to-use framework with simple, practical challenges for children aged up to 10 years old. In this book, you'll find risks that develop physical and social skills, responsibility and character. You'll also find some all-important parenting risks that will encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and think a little differently about raising kids.

Peppered with Daisy Turnbull Brown's own experiences in parenting, teaching and wellbeing, this warm and funny book is not about developmental KPIs, and it's certainly not about judgement. It's about nurturing independence and resilience, teaching kids to recognize and assess risks themselves, and readying them to take on life and all that it brings. And it's about having fun and connecting as a family along the way.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

Published May 4, 2021

Reviews

[Thu Nguyen · Rating 3 out of 5]

90% of the "risks" listed in this book should only be deemed risky by overbearing, over-anxious, helicopter parents. Normal families would naturally, instinctively do most of this stuff on a daily basis. Still, I find a few activities on the list are new to us and worth trying.
Having said that, I agree with the direction of conversation in this book. It's very short and tries to be funny and sharing rather than lecturing.
I listened to an audio version by Wave Sound the the narrator was really annoying, she over-dramatised the language way to much.

[Nick Lucarelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice, anecdote-heavy antidote to helicopter parenting. Remindme! - re-read in ~10 (?) years

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this as a gift for my daughter and took the opportunity to read it beforehand. It has a natural folksy style which is endearing. She comes across as a likeable, easy-going, ethical person. The book would be very helpful for anyone finding it hard to let their kids out into the world (like the mother of a 12 year-old whom I know who can't risk letting her daughter walk to school in the same street). I particularly loved the chapter on lettings kids be bored, which is the only way for them to learn how to amuse themselves. Advice on teaching very small children to order for themselves in cafes, pack their own bags for overnight or short trips and letting them experience the results of their own mistakes all made good sense to me. Not world-shattering, but worth reading.

[Christine Dabbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars based on the simple but super important idea I support, basically that grown-ups don’t do kids any favors by trying to eliminate all risk. And it had a handful of ideas I can try that I hadn’t thought of. It was an impulse library grab and I read relevant half (up to age 5) in an hour or so. Pretty happy with its concise delivery!

[Elly Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read and some good ideas. I liked the connections to research the most.

[Kyst · Rating 2 out of 5]

As I read this book, I discovered very little, except that my definition of "risk" does not match that of Daisy Turnbull. Washing the car and getting a bit wet is not risky behaviour.

But you know what? Yesterday, I had a run-in at a child's birthday party. My daughter and I were playing catch with a boy of four. We were having a great time. We were inside, but the ball was one of those light plastic bouncy ones that couldn't break a window if it tried, and we were actually inside a room that had been purposely set aside for play during the party - nothing was going to get broken. The kids were playing nicely, anyway; we did a few big throws, but it was all in the name of silliness. Anyway. My kid got bored, the boy wanted to keep playing, his dad took over. Then the mum arrived.

Instantly, she scolded the boy for throwing the ball, saying balls must always be rolled inside the house. The dad, understanding the unfairness and perhaps sensing the awkwardness of me being nearby to overhear, tried to muddle his way into a middle ground. The mum then declared that she couldn't handle being around to see this horrific misbehaviour and left.

I think that lady could perhaps benefit from this book.

Also worth noting: this book has a lot of casual Australian references in it. Everyone she quotes is famous in Australia and probably nowhere else. Don't worry, assorted international peoples. You're not missing much. Milk Arrowroots are actually very boring biscuits.

[The Book Squirrel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked that this book was short and sweet. It gives a risk (eg climb a tree) and says why it’s a risk (physical risk - can get hurt) and what the benefit there is to gain (self confidence, children learning how their bodies move and their own limits, etc).

Some of the risks are really obvious but there were also things that I wouldn’t have initially thought were “risks”. Some of them are risks the parent, rather than the child, has to take.

Overall I think it is a fantastic book for all parents. Some may let their children step out if the bubble they’ve created, some may be reassured that a kid getting a scraped knee is not the end of the world, and others will find new ideas for how to grow your relationship with your child by supporting their independence and autonomy.

[Andries van Wyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book.
Definitely worth listening to. In saying this, I listened to the audiobook and the narrator sounds like an AI reading it, which annoyed me.

Basically this book can be summarised into “have your kids partake in life.” This is a grossly over simplification of it. There are some really good ideas in here. The authors sentiment covers from a very good place and I think she does well in explaining that.
It’s debatable if some of these things are ‘risks’. It depends on your frame of reference. When you see some helicopter parents not wanting their kid to even walk bare feet outside, then you realise that they need this book!

With the audiobook, I found it a bit difficult to follow along - hence I’d arrives reading the book.

[Susan C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly an interesting book and made me reflect on my own growing up. In comparison to kids now, it was a pretty good childhood. Its sad that there is a need for a book such as this, but the advice is good and while I have no direct need, I feel I can apply it, moderately, to children in my acquaintance.

Perhaps this would be a good book to give a new parents - or perhaps more on the child's 1st birthday when the are not trying to navigate a new-born and when this advice should really start.

[Kaitlin Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I agree with other reviews that this isn’t earth shattering and that a lot of the ‘risks’ are actually things that I already let my children do. However, I loved the easy going and fun writing style and the overall meaning of the book which is to let your kids have autonomy and independence, even when it will mean it takes longer or doesn’t look as nice.
As a teacher I also related a lot to what she said about her students and especially some of the children coming into schools these days who are missing a lot of these skills and life lessons.

[heidiv zero · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent book with a good list of things to think about for my kiddos. I do already do a lot of these things - my kids love helping me cook and do often help with cleaning - mostly putting away their clothes, picking up toys. Some things I could work on: making their own snacks independently- even if it does make a mess of the Vegemite. Going into public bathrooms alone - I.e do the lock themselves even and not be afraid! Empty the dishwasher… help with their lunchboxes. Unpack their lunchboxes and put in dishwasher. Clean up rubbish from in the car.

[Taryn Laven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy poolside read that you can easily pick up and put back down. Great tips for parents with kids ages 0-10 on how to reasonably enable them to be independent through healthy risk taking. This is great content for an introduction to risk taking however you would need to look deeper into specific risks that you view as a possibility for your family.

[Arun Narayanaswamy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, sweet, quirky book on parenting. Even though the simple acts described in the book is common sense, many a time we forget the reasoning and importance of it. This book describes in detail the reasons to take some risks to help grow your child into a healthy strong adult.
The more you let you kid be a kid, better adult your adult will be.

[Elisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and easy read full of good ideas on how to incrementally build a child's independence - I particularly like the idea for preteens of letting them catch the bus and meeting them at the other end. I've been sending madam 10 in to get library holds on her own or to buy something in a shop and she is loving these little adventures and practising her trouble shooting skills.

[Irina Nikolaeva · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a Montessori educator a lot of the "risks" are just the bulk of the curriculum. For a person who grew up in the Soviet Union, the "risks" are just normal life. Exactly as the writer puts in the introduction, the book aims to help the more protective parents. In this context, the ideas should work really well for the families.

[Lauren Foushee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking for a short book to listen to on a recent trip and thought this one sounded interesting. I honestly just don’t think the author and I would have a lot in common in “real life” and some of the “risks” weren’t something that would rest easy with me. This book should be named “50 Skills” instead of risks.

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a great quick read to check in how you want to parent. I borrowed this from the library but I decided be buying it so I can ensure my baby girl will be challenged and embrace risk as she grows.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very easy to read and sensible. At times validating and at others inspiring. Every parent should consider giving their children the benefits of these risks.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a bit boring tbh. I think the title is a little misleading!

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfectly affirmed that it’s ok to be the parent I am

[Tan · Rating 2 out of 5]

The "risks" were mostly just common sense that most parents would already apply. Unless you are a helicopter parent in which case this book would be a useful read.

[Sabra Ann Rasmussen · Rating 5 out of 5]

this like many others is a book u could read once a year to b reminded of the easy things u can do to b a better parents, grandparent, and family member.

[Emily Skinner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful reminders to take risks, based on personal experience rather than research.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy read with a lot of great suggestions to help your kids take risks at various age bands up to 10 years old.

[Kimberly D Wunderlich · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay, it's really just a check list (in a way) of things / actions to take (or not take) when parenting. Have your child help with laundry at an early age, learn knife skills by cutting soap, etc. No earth-shattering advice here but there may be ideas or tips that inspire or suggest tasks, chores or activities with which your and/or your child might find some learning or skill building value. I did get a few ideas, but parents with common sense have likely already figured out most of these things.

[Jack Prebble · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely read that explores the incredible art of raising competent and happy adults by taking risks with them as kids.

[Bothaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب يفتح عينيك على كل نشاط صغير يعزز من شخصية طفلك و استقلاليته، كتاب صغير و ممتع انهيته في جلسة واحدة و الهمني بالكثير من الافكار لتحسين طريقتي في تربية اطفالي

[Yvonne Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was happy reading this, thinking we’re doing ok. Most of this is the way we’ve been trying to raise our boys, doing dangerous things safely. I think this could be really helpful for some parents and really obvious to others.