20: When Safety Makes Our Kids Less Safe – The Case for Risky Play

Safety is critical in our children's play and learning experiences, but part of prioritizing this is also learning to let them take safe risks. Children naturally seek experiences that challenge their bodies and minds. They need opportunities to test their limits, develop planning and problem-solving skills, and build confidence in what they're capable of. Whether it's climbing a rock wall, helping prepare food with a child-safe knife, or engaging in rough-and-tumble play with peers, these experiences help them navigate the world with greater precision, awareness, and self-confidence. This kind of play—often called risky play—is also a key ingredient in developing resilience.In this episode, we have a short conversation about how we came to embrace risky play in our own motherhood journeys and how we navigated what can feel like the hardest stage: the early years, when our children are just beginning to develop coordination and confidence, and we're learning to trust their abilities (and our own instincts) right alongside them.About the ShowWe are two moms who met on Instagram years ago and quickly bonded over our love of the Montessori philosophy applied to parenting and over nerdy child development research. We decided to take the leap by finally taking our chats out of our DMs and inviting you to listen along as we chat about all things motherhood.Gloria is a former 1st grade public school teacher turned SAHM and now Montessori homeschooling mom to her 6 and 4.5 year old. She mentors parents on Montessori homeschooling online and has created multiple masterclasses for parents and educators on how to teach children to read at a foundational level. You can find more about her mentorship program by ⁠⁠clicking here⁠ ⁠and more about her masterclasses and other printables she has created for homeschoolers by ⁠⁠clicking here⁠. ⁠You can find her on Instagram ⁠@MontessoriMamaLife⁠Jenna is a mom of three, communications strategist and child development writer. With a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a specialization in sociology, she began her career in newsrooms and nonprofits before discovering her true calling in education. She partners with Montessori school teams to strengthen their outreach, refine family communications, and foster deeper connections between parents and educators. You can follow her musings on Instagram ⁠@holdingspacemontessori. ⁠