You might be familiar with the phrase sickening thud, but you dont really understand what it means until youve heard your childs body hit the ground.

As parents, its our job to keep our kids safe from preventable accidents. Its also our job to help them explore the world and discover some of its many wonders. Sometimes it can feel like these two goals are at odds with each other.

Bumps, cuts and scrapes are normal consequences of outdoor play, which we know is vitally important to our kids physical and emotional health. Falling is inevitable when a child is learning how to walk and is also likely when theyre learning new skills like bike riding or ice skating. Some safeguards are obvious and non-negotiable, like wearing a helmet when riding a bike. Others arent always so clear. How high do we let them go in that tree before demanding that they come down?