Latest / The Christy-Faith Show / Ep. 26 - The Importance of Risky Play in Child Development (Part 1 of 2) // Sarah Collins

Transcript

Ep. 26 - The Importance of Risky Play in Child Development (Part 1 of 2) // Sarah Collins · The Christy-Faith Show

• 0:00
  Christy-Faith: And I wanna learn a lot, and I want my mind changed on a couple of things. You know, like, for example, you hear these ER doctors. They always do these TikToks on the 5 things I will never let my kid do as a pediatric ER doctor. What's always on that list? The trampoline.
• 0:14
  The trampoline is always on that stinking list. Sarah, do you let your kids jump on a trampoline? Welcome to the Christy Face Show where we share game changing ideas with intentional parents like you. I'm your host, Christi Faith, experienced educational adviser and homeschool enthusiast. Together, we'll explore ways to enrich and transform both your life and the lives of your children.
• 0:41
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• 1:42
  You guys, I am so excited about today's guest, Sarah Collins, my personal friend and your homeschool OT. She is a homeschool mother and she serves you with your educational needs, all parents across the nation with her consulting services. She has a background in both pediatrics and home health and is a homeschooling parent herself. She currently serves families as an occupational therapist through her company, Homeschool OT. She focuses on helping parents make the match between homeschool and their child's current skill set all while working towards what their children specifically need and want to do to occupy their time.
• 2:23
  Hello, occupation. She does this by consulting with parents all around the world, teaching month long classes on specific topics, building community in an online membership, and communicating nationally as a speaker at conferences. I asked Sarah to come on the show today because a topic that is really important because we face this every day, especially as homeschooling parents where we want our children outside and playing, Charlotte Mason says they should have at least 4 hours or more a day of unsupervised, gasp, playtime with friends where they are just running amok, going wild, you know, skinned knees and all of that. Well, that brings up a very modern question to today where we have kids with significant injuries. You hear these news headlines of stories of young athletes getting injuries very early, getting head injuries, for example, with tackle football, and all of these nightmare stories that are valid and people's lives have really been traumatized and damaged.
• 3:32
  What's the what's the word I'm looking for that's even more I mean, people's lives have been heavily impacted by legitimate Yeah. Catastrophes and damages that impact them for their whole future. So and we don't wanna minimize that because accidents do happen. However, there is a benefit to letting go of the reins a little bit and not just a benefit like it makes our lives a little bit easier because we're not having to hover over our kids all day, but there's actually benefits to our children and their brains and how they are developing. And that's why I asked Sarah Collins on the show today who is an occupational therapist and knows a lot about risky play.
• 4:15
  Can you start out today? Oh, you know where I want you to start out? I want I wanna hear how you started on your homeschooling journey. First off, before we get into the topic.
• 4:23
  Sarah Collins: Well, sure. Absolutely. So it's actually interesting because I come at this from, like, 3 different sides. My first my first degree and what I did, like, immediately out of college was I was a recreation therapist. Right?
• 4:36
  So that really came about because I was a nursing major in school, and then I passed out my first day that I was, like, there to do my trials. I know. I didn't eat that morning. I was so nervous. It was awful.
• 4:51
  And I was, like, going into my first, like, clinical, and then I was, like, I clearly should not be a nurse. So I wanted to stay in the medical profession. The only other thing the school that I was going to at the time had was recreation therapy. So I did that. And I actually loved it.
• 5:08
  I worked at a children's hospital in Richmond, Virginia for kids whose medical needs were so severe that they lived at the hospital. And my job was really to help to get out into the community. I organized all the field trips. We went everywhere. In fact, super cool story.
• 5:25
  This summer, my daughter is going to DC as a intern for advocacy for Children's Advocacy Day with one of my really best friends. And they are highlighting the Children's Hospital Beach trip that I started 20 years ago and she's gonna go and like get to see it highlighted. So anyway, side note, super cool. So that's, that was the beginning. And then I became became an occupational therapist, went back to school that I finished school in 2008 and worked full time for, I don't know, a long time until 2017.
• 6:01
  And we were moving at that point and following my husband's career and we moved in March and they started public school and they were moving again in May to our current house. And I was like, this is dumb. Why are we going to another school again and again? And we started homeschooling. I said, we'll just, you know, figure this out, see how that goes.
• 6:22
  And that was 2017. We have never looked back. So that's kind of how that, you know, transition happened. But because of that, because of my background first in, you know, as a recreation therapist in play, I really valued it so much within my treatment sessions when I was working full time and really trying to make sure that I was, like you said in the intro, helping parents to ensure that their kids are able to do what they specifically need or want to do because that's different for everybody. You know, what you do through your day, what I do for my day, it's very different.
• 7:00
  But the one universal is that kids all need to be able to play. So that was really important in my sessions then and throughout our homeschool day, you know, prioritizing time for my children to be able to be outside. And I know you can't see it from here, but my office, like, fits a window and my boys are back playing with a ball right now. Like, I can see them. And I just watched my, speaking of risky play, just watched one son peg a ball with the other.
• 7:25
  So, you know, we got that going for us right now.
• 7:28
  Christy-Faith: That's a wonderful story. Can you explain what is risky play and why is it so important to child development?
• 7:38
  Sarah Collins: Absolutely. So and yes. Like every good, you know, classical educator, I think we need to start with a definition. Right? And so it is written and I'm gonna go through these 6, specific ways.
• 7:48
  So risky play is I got I rewrote down this was funny. Like, I had to go back and look up to make sure that I was doing these, you know, making sure I'm pulling at it right. So I'm like, let's I don't want to miss anything. Yes. So and this actually is coming from an article that was published in 2011 by Ellen Sandsetter and Evolutionary Psychology.
• 8:11
  So this is how it's defined there. So risky play is anything thrilling and exciting that involves some sort of risk of physical injury. So it can be handling dangerous toys, being near dangerous elements, such as fire and water, exploring heights, like climbing trees and rocks, speed such as skiing. That would be, you know, fast going down a hill. Any rough and tumble play or playing on one's own individually without direct supervision.
• 8:45
  So, like, am I saying, you know, we should go skiing downhill towards a fire with, you know, like an open hand at night to a somersault and land, you know, in the water? No. You know, that's that's not the point to do all of the things, but it is to consider how much risk are we allowing our kids to have during the day? How much risk are they initiating on their own? And how is that helping them to build their own confidence and their even their own ability to move?
• 9:16
  Now you mentioned earlier some really severe injuries that have happened. And I think there's 2 things to say with that. Number 1 is clearly we do not want to say that doesn't matter. But we also need to remember that because it happened to one person doesn't mean it's gonna happen to us. You know?
• 9:37
  So we don't you know, it's kinda two sides of it. We don't want to completely avoid everything because there is a minimal risk.
• 9:44
  Christy-Faith: We also,
• 9:45
  Sarah Collins: at the same time, need to kind of encourage it because there is more risk involved when our kids don't know their bodies, and don't know what they're capable of, and are taking in inadvertent risks because they don't know, because they haven't tried things. So, like, there's a a one step by step of recognizing, alright, what is a risk now? And are we taking too much or too little?
• 10:12
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• 12:32
  Go to christy-faith.com. That's christy-faith.com. Enter promo code podcast for $10 off your 1st month. See you inside. So that's fascinating to me because what what's coming to mind when you're saying that is is there you can have a lot of play where you understand your body and and all of these things, but it doesn't always have to have risk involved.
• 13:00
  Is there something about that risk that makes it different? What is the argument that these psychologists and occupational therapists or whoever is doing these studies because there are studies done on this what is that element that makes it healthy? Why is there this argument for it? Just so curious.
• 13:18
  Sarah Collins: Right. So it's kind of important to identify what a risk is for your child. Right? Because just like you have different things that you need and want to do during your day, risk is different for everybody. And so, for example, a kiddo who's been very sedentary for quite some time, doing any rough and tumble play, doing any sport, doing climbing up a, you know, a rock or going out walking on a sidewalk can be risky.
• 13:46
  So the advantage is 1, like, you're getting to know your body because we can't advocate for ourselves if we don't know ourselves. Right? And that is a huge, huge piece that we are seeing, unfortunately, as OTs and even some of the research is saying, like, diagnosis wise and things like that of kids that literally don't know themselves because they haven't been moving. Again, you can't advocate if
• 14:10
  Christy-Faith: you don't.
• 14:11
  Sarah Collins: So we kinda need to start there.
• 14:14
  Christy-Faith: Woah. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait.
• 14:15
  Wait. Wait. You okay. Back up. I need to back up and and unpack that.
• 14:19
  That is so profound. Can you explain that?
• 14:24
  Sarah Collins: So if we're thinking about alright. So let me back up. As an occupational therapist, when I am looking at an activity, right? I analyze what are your social needs within that activity. What are your motor skill needs?
• 14:39
  What are the cognitive skills that you need? Right? So, and we wanna look to see, 1, within that activity, how we can either adapt it to meet a person's needs, or what that person's the skill needs to be to to be able to do it. So even things like, let's say, riding a bike. Right?
• 14:56
  So you need clearly, you need the core strength. You need your visual skills to be able to scan your environment, but also to know depth perception. You need to be able to, you know, separate your right side and your left side.
• 15:09
  Christy-Faith: You need
• 15:10
  Sarah Collins: to be able to separate your head and your eyes. Because if you, you know, turn your whole head to look behind you and your arms are turning and then you're falling over, no, we need to make sure we have enough balance. So the vestibular system that's working in there, kids who aren't moving aren't really going to be able to do that. Right? And then we also have to think social skills wise.
• 15:32
  So you need to be able to talk to people or to identify like, alright, here's a sign. Like, what do I need to do here? Can I turn right? We need to know the signals of to keep yourself safe. You know, all of these social skills that come along with it.
• 15:46
  And then the cognitive skills oftentimes are involved with the executive functioning. So getting started, persevering if something is hard, you know, knowing what comes first, 2nd, and 3rd, so our sequencing in there. So there's so many skills within one single activity. If you don't know, because either a, you haven't tried, so you don't know whether you have all of those skills or B, you don't know which ones are lacking. How can you ask for help?
• 16:16
  You can't, right? And so now as occupational therapists, we're seeing so many. We have, I mean, waiting list and waiting list and waiting list because parents are like, my kiddos can't do this, and they can't do this, and we're really struggling here. And and it's it's so long, but a lot of it has to do with the fact that we're not trying, we're not playing, we're not giving that time to get out and move. So if we're providing the opportunity for this risky play, and again, I'm not saying that we're going down at, you know, our our we're starting with this huge risk, but we're starting with, I like to say, good old Andrew Poudoir within the homeschooling world, right?
• 16:58
  He talks about easy plus one. So what is easy for your children right now? What, and so maybe that's playing inside. Maybe that is playing with just your brother. Maybe that is that you go outside and you just kind of look around.
• 17:16
  Maybe that is, you know, that we are climbing a slide. Imagine that climbing up the slide, right? Oh, risk.
• 17:25
  Christy-Faith: You're not allowed to do that anymore.
• 17:26
  Sarah Collins: Do you know that actually, that kind of makes me laugh because that is one of the things that is so good for our, for kids is to climb up the slide because it's at an angle and the core strength and the upper body skills that that's going. You know, as homeschoolers, we have this unique ability to be able to go to playgrounds at times that not everybody's there. I'm up the slide, guys. It's okay. I'm up the slide.
• 17:51
  Christy-Faith: Yes. But so feel like, like,
• 17:53
  Sarah Collins: right? And, like, where is your child now? And what can we do to encourage just one little step further towards independence?
• 18:02
  Christy-Faith: So that resonates with me very much because I am in Colorado. And so most kids here starting at a very young age because they actually have a state sponsored program here to try to get kids hooked on skiing. They offer free skiing for young kids. It's a whole program here. Anyway.
• 18:19
  But you should see by the time these kids are in junior high, I mean, they are going down black diamonds and they it's like how can you possibly do this and not get killed? But that is an example of what you're saying where that is not as risky for them because they grew up on the slopes. They did this easy plus one for years until they reached that particular level. Why do you think Why do you think I I do believe that this whole, you know, there's a book out. I think it was called Free Range Parenting.
• 18:51
  Actually, I think that's by the same publisher as me or Free Range Kids or something like that where this kind of go outside and just and just let them be. I kind of grew up that way. It was like you you just stay outside and don't come in until the street lights come on and then come in for dinner. But it's not like that anymore and I'm not quite sure why is it. Is it social media?
• 19:12
  Is it news? Because risks are just constantly put in front of our face with child abductions and and all of this stuff. I want to grow today on this episode. And and I want to learn a lot. And I want my mind changed on a couple of things.
• 19:25
  You know, like, for example, you hear these ER doctors, and they they always do these TikToks on the 5 things I will never let my kid do as a pediatric ER doctor. What's always on that list? The trampoline. The trampoline is always on that stinking list. Sarah, do you let your kids jump on a trampoline?
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• 22:31
  Sarah Collins: There's trampoline in my backyard. You know I got a trampoline.
• 22:34
  Christy-Faith: No. Believe it. Okay. So speak speak to our hearts. Do you see what truth can you suss out here that we're that that we're not seeing here with the parents that are just really scared of a brain injury or, you know, all sorts of things, the risks that are out there that are put in front of our face every day?
• 22:54
  Sarah Collins: So I think you touched on a couple of things. Number 1 is that you were sent. You know, we are bombarded with the dangers on a day to day basis. Right? Let's just even take the playground, for example.
• 23:08
  Okay. So back in the 19 eighties. Right? That's that's when I grew up. Playgrounds looked completely, completely, completely different than than they do right now.
• 23:17
  So, I mean, I'm talking the metal slides where you burn, like, the backs of your legs and the merry-go-round where literally, like, yeah, they're spinning and the kids are flying off. Yeah. The swings with really long legs so that you can spin your whole body around, and then you're like unwinding. Right? So in the eighties, there was a court case.
• 23:37
  Right? Because of and because of some injuries that had happened. And that kind of started with this. Okay, now everything must be regulated and we wanna have, you know, literally 9 inches of either 9 inches of mulch or a padded, you know, bottom and things like that. Okay.
• 23:54
  So which is fantastic. And I'm not saying that there's great. I love
• 23:58
  Christy-Faith: it that we
• 23:58
  Sarah Collins: are trying to make things
• 23:58
  Christy-Faith: safer, but here's what
• 23:59
  Sarah Collins: happened is that it's not actually safer. The number of injuries on playgrounds in the 19 eighties, I actually relooked up the number the other day when before this started, like all of this whiskey play. In the 19 eighties was a 156,000. Right? The number of injuries on a playground right now, 218,000 last year.
• 24:23
  So you can say, like, alright. Why? Why is this increasing like that if we are so careful all the time? And we wanna be so careful because we do. We hear all of these things that are happening.
• 24:35
  And again, I am not saying that those things don't happen to somebody. Right? And and for an ER doctor, when you see the worst of the worst of the worst, that's what you is the norm. My son actually, my my husband and I were talking because I worked at Children's Hospital and a a few different I worked at Children's Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. And then after that, I worked at Kennedy Krieger in, Baltimore.
• 25:01
  And at that point, like I, I was working on it's called the specialized transition program. So it's kids coming out of rehab, but transitioning back into school. And so I was seeing car accidents. I was seeing skateboarding injuries. I was getting kids struck by lightning and working through all of this.
• 25:17
  And so we said like, if I have children, this was before we had kids, was I going to be a person that was like, No. Don't do this. Don't do this. Don't do this. Or a person that's like, it's an arm.
• 25:29
  You know, like you're gonna break an arm and it's gonna be okay and we're gonna move forward. And I have found like for myself, I'm somewhere in the middle where there's necessary risks and unnecessary risks. Like should you ride your bike without a helmet? No. Why?
• 25:45
  Why? But so put it on. Should you go in the car without a seat belt? No. Put buckle the seat belt, right?
• 25:51
  Take take the safety precautions, but don't stop the activities because somebody else was hurt before. And that so just a trampoline, for example. Right? So the jumping on a trampoline provides intense proprioceptive information. So that is information through your joints.
• 26:12
  It's something we, you might often hear it called heavy work. Okay. This is what helps us to regulate the nervous system. So frequently when you are becoming more heightened. So for example, like the lights are really bright or, you know, it's very loud and your clothes are itchy or whatever, and you're starting to feel really, really overwhelmed.
• 26:32
  What helps to calm you down is proprioception. It really regulates that nervous system. Jumping is one of the primary ways to do that. So not only are we calming the nervous system, but they're also understanding their body. They're using all of those joints and muscles who are getting stronger.
• 26:52
  We're regulating the nervous system, so we're getting calmer and they're recognizing what their capabilities are. So without that, 1, it's harder to organize your body and understand it. 2, you're not as strong. And 3, you don't know yourself. If you don't know yourself, not as strong and you're not as regulated, you're more likely to be injured.
• 27:17
  So let's Yeah.
• 27:19
  Christy-Faith: Well, and that's so true. I was just thinking that, like, the stronger you are and the more you're doing things and activities, we know this as adults, the less prone we are to to injury. Right? You know, like at my Pilates class, I love it. I love do it.
• 27:33
  You know that I do Pilates. You know that Pilates keeps me out of prison. I've told you this. If you're enjoying the show and you don't want to miss out on future episodes, hit that like and subscribe button and show us some love with your comments. Those 5 star reviews really do make a difference.
• 27:48
  You would have loved today's class. We're so gonna get on a tangent right now. But, oh my goodness, she had us balancing on one of those long tubes. So we were on it with our back like this. We were having to do different things with our legs than we were with our arms and not fall off that freaking tube.
• 28:06
  And a lot of us ladies were, like, catching ourselves with our elbows. Can I tell you though, I am so calm now? I don't it wasn't even the hardest workout, but it does something to my brain that I can walk into chaos after a 50 minute class and I'm calm. I'm not screaming at my kids. I'm not this.
• 28:28
  And I think that what when I when I get a little bit overwhelmed, like you said, close itchy, overwhelmed with light. I felt called out. Right? But but what it reminds me of is our kids need that too. Like, when I realize how much, wow, I haven't been to Pilates for 2 days.
• 28:44
  Maybe that's why I'm feeling like I'm crawling out of my own skin, and my mind is just right. And even I get negative thoughts. It's just there's something about and I don't get it from running. There's something about Pilates, which I'm sure you could have the scientific explanation for. But my point is how much that has really made me realize how much my kids need that.
• 29:06
  So in the middle of your homeschool day, if they're getting frustrated, dysregulated, what are some activities? Let's do some tangibles real quick. What are some activities that will address that proprioception to help them regulate if they, you know, if a couple outside and then if weather's bad, what are a couple things inside that just a 15 minute break can make all the difference?
• 29:27
  Sarah Collins: Yeah. So you need to think through climbing, crawling, pushing and pulling. And those are anything that would have those things is going to give you that proprioceptive input. So talk about inside. You can do things like chores.
• 29:43
  Imagine that We can carrots. Right? Girl, can we record you?
• 29:49
  Christy-Faith: All the moms listening are like, honey. Yeah. That's right. All the moms listening are gonna, like, put that on replay. Sarah Collins, the OT, says you need to be doing chores right now.
• 29:59
  Thanks for joining us for part 1. We hope you gained some valuable insights. Be sure to catch part 2 where we're gonna continue this great conversation.