Why I do What I Do: Let My Kids Play With Fire

…or electricity.

With the recent addition of a two-year-old to our home, we have regressed to a stage with baby gates and those annoying little covers on every outlet within reach. We have created a “safe” environment that allows this little guy to explore, without getting hurt.

But I don’t apply the same standards to my older children. Sure, I want them to be safe, but more importantly: I want them to learn something. Especially for my boys, ages 11 and 13, taking away the risk, often takes away their interest. Things that are easy and safe are for babies.

So, I’m letting them try things.

They have access to power tools, which they have been taught to use safely.

In the basement, they have a workshop where they are restoring the “vintage” radio controlled airplane that I built—but never flew—when I was their age. They use razor knives and heat guns.

In the back yard they have strung up old ropes, pullies, and various used lumber… way too high up in trees to be safe.

And sometime recently, when I wasn’t paying attention, and inspired by countless episodes of Mythbusters on Netflix, they built a battery—technically a leyden jar—out of a Rubbermaid container and aluminum foil. They charged the battery with a long piece of PVC pipe and a furry hat, then discharged it by shorting the outside of the container to the inside with a short piece of wire.

I bet you didn’t even know that was possible. Neither did I. And neither did they, until they did it.

Which is where the learning came in. Sure, they could have watched someone else do it on TV, read about it in a book, or known theoretically that it was possible, but instead they actually did something cool. They actually made lightning bolts on our dining room table—and captured
some pretty awesome photos of it using my expensive digital camera set on a very long exposure.

I was very impressed by their accomplishment, but the true value was in their own feeling of accomplishment. The National Association of School Psychologists describes their accomplishment this way:

Children who experience success in meeting one challenge will become motivated, welcoming another. These motivated learners will choose an activity that is slightly difficult for them, but provides an appropriate challenge. When they successfully complete such a task, children gain a high level of satisfaction. Unmotivated children (those who have not experienced early success) will pick something that is very easy and ensures an instant success. With such easy success, children feel only a very low level of satisfaction, because they know that the task offered little challenge.

http://www.nasponline.org/resources/home_school/earlychildmotiv_ho.aspx

I want my kids to experience the kind of challenge that motivates them to higher levels of challenge, that encourages them to try hard things, to accomplish great things, and to make a difference in their world.