5 Dangerous Things To Let Your Kids Do

[frosgrim]

I came across this video and it brings up some interesting points. I am currious on what you all think.

[frosgrim]

OK,

That didn't work and I don't see the edit feature to get rid of the gobbly gook.

Here is a link to the the video instead:

5 dangerous things

[mattlanta]

The video worked for me. I think he made some good points too. However, I highly doubt that kids will learn what the 'intake' and the 'combust' of fire is when they fool around with it on their 'own terms'. The dangers of playing with fire are much greater than whatever they can learn from it. Next, pocket knives? These are kids he's talking about... NOT teens, NOT adults. Even teens should not be carrying pocket knives. I think the point he makes about a lot of these aren't meant for kids at all. I think they're meant for a much older group of people.

Throwing spears? Why not just pick up javelin-throwing? Why spears? And the last one I agree with. Deconstructing appliances can really help kids out to know how things work and increases their knowledge.

[frosgrim]

I agree Libib with many of your points.

In terms of the spear throwing, organized ball sports actually handle that a lot better than than the spear anyways. Go out and throw a football it exercises the same "ballistic computer" he is trying to make a reference to. Baseballs, basketballs, heck even a hockey puck will do something similar.

Re: pocket knives. Maybe becuase I spent so much time in South America, but I have seen kids do really well with knives as big as a machette. That said, I don't let my 4 year old play with my pocket knife, yet.

Fire: yeah you really need to be around to surprevise that sort of stuff. I still rememmber that guy on Survivor falling into the fire in Australia and having his hands messed up for life. That is the sort of learning experience I would rather my children not have. That said, my kids love helping putting together the charcol on the grill and then drowning it in starter fluid. I still light the thing, but both kids like staying outside and watching it burn down.

My over all take was that he has some good ideas that we encase our children too much in antiseptic, super safe environments, but I think he is going a little too far in some cases.