The human race has survived because we nurture our children for so many years. The danger lies in our becoming so over-protective that while stunting the natural curiosity of our youngsters, we stop their development on many different levels. There is no hard and fast rule as to what explorations we should allow or prohibit. Every parent struggles with this fine balance using his own set of criteria. Just look at how we treat our newborns.

Our first babies are treated with extreme care because we fear the common household bacteria which he may encounter. We provide him with his personal baby bath and all of the baby washcloths and bath blankets he can use. After stocking up on his special soaps and creams, we try to keep him as germ-free as our ingenuity can arrange. Many parents become hysterical at the sound of people coughing or sneezing within sixty feet of their newborn. They attempt to keep him in a sterile bubble as long as possible. Regular household linens are banned from his life, usually until the toddler stage.

It is always fun to look at the sweet little baby oriented linens available. Who could resist all the pictures and colors designed for baby’s enjoyment? But when the first set of linens is discarded, the infant will benefit from being allowed to use the regular household linens shared by the family. The germs he encounters will help to teach his system how to deal with germs. There is no need to use soaps designed to kill bacteria. If the child never encounters the mild, common pathogens, how can he adapt to them?

Lives are being saved by modern safety equipment for today’s children. Most parents try to keep their children from dangers for as long as possible. The use of baby safety monitors keeps many a child from choking to death. Baby’s early food supply is ideally breast milk. The development of the easy to use electric breast pump ensures baby’s safe nutrition supply at all times. Transportation of children is now safer than ever because of the tough new regulations surrounding child car seats.

But parents must know that as the child grows, he has to tackle his environment with a little less regulation in order to learn by his mistakes. There is no use expecting children to learn what their limits are if they never get to make decisions. We must allow them to make mistakes.

Tough as it may be, parents must learn to watch their children try and fail at times. If this does not happen, the child will grow up in total safety. What will he do when faced with danger?

Give your child the tools for the challenges of life by letting him make some decisions of his own about what is a good idea and what is not. This is the best safety training you can provide in the long run.