If your child is encouraged to be adventurous, he will be willing to push himself to the limit and develop his full potential. A child of three or four has a very clear sense of self and his abilities and is discovering the limits of what is safe and feasible. If you are overprotective and don’t allow your child to test his abilities, master a new skill, and move on, you will hold him back and he will lack co- ordination and confidence as a result. You must separate his fears from yours; his fears will make him sensibly cautious, while your fears will cripple both his curiosity and spirit.
By the time your child is three years old, he can walk and run confidently. He has boundless energy, and is ready to tackle more demanding activities, so give him plenty of scope: running, climbing, and pedaling will improve his skills and help him burn off surplus energy. If you can afford it, set up a climbing frame, rope, ladder, or swing in your yard where you can supervise him from the house. Depending on your child’s skill and confidence, he may be ready to tackle roller skating and riding a bicycle with stabilizing wheels. Introducing your child to sports and other activities now could lay the foundations for a lifetime of enjoyment, so give him the opportunity to try lots of different things: swimming, dancing, soccer, or horse- riding. At the very least, try to make sure he has somewhere he can run, climb, or just kick a ball around.
You can always help your child tackle new and difficult tasks at first, holding his hand and guiding him through them so that you are secure in your own mind that he is component and therefore safe. Extend adventurousness and curiosity across the board, not solely in physical development but with toys, music, painting and books.
Balance and coordination
Encourage your child’s adventurous spirit by providing equipment such as roller skates.
