Preteens Who Take Risks Are Better?
I've always wished that my son would be more daring. When he was a little boy, his best friend climbed trees (to the top), snowboarded only on slopes marked with black diamonds, and wasn't afraid to trade barbs with kids who were 20 pounds heavier and meaner. Instead, Phillip would stand anxiously by, ready to call 911. I've always loved that about him, that he's a caretaker, but I also, at times when he was smaller, found myself hoping that he'd be just a tad more open to risk. I'm not talking skydiving or swimming in a thunderstorm, but riding a bike with the training wheels off? But that's just who he is. A teacher recently described him as "very cerebral," and maybe people who think a lot about what can go wrong don't do things that may be dangerous This winter he's been scared when I go running. Last year I fell on the ice and broke my wrist. "You're actually going running?" he says nervously to me as the sn...