A Health and Safety Dilemma
It is important that children and young people are allowed to exercise their rights and choices, while maintaining health and safety requirements. This can lead a dilemma when children or young people wish to undertake a task that you may feel is not within their capabilities, or that is not safe for them to do so.
1. What are your feelings about the above statement? It is important for children to have opportunities to take risks in everyday tasks and activities. They need to explore and discover things for themselves and assess the elements of risk. 2. Can you think of any situations when this has happened to you? The children use lots of wooden play equipment outdoors and this allows them to climb and jump. A lot of the children climb higher than they have before and take risks when jumping off and trying to land safely. The younger children also take risks on this equipment whilst working out how to use the equipment. 3. Consider the following scenarios. How could you allow children to exercise their rights and choices, whilst maintaining health and safety requirements? Choose the answer you think is correct.
A. Chloe, who is two, wants to use the scissors to cut the paper.
a. Let her try by herself, whilst you supervise.
b. Give her the scissors to play with, so she becomes familiar with them.
c. Show her how to use them, and then let her try under supervision.
B. Thomas, who is 10, wants to walk to the park to play with his friends.
a. Let him go by himself.
b. Refuse to let him, and make him stay at home.
c. Walk the route with him a few times, so he is aware of the hazards.
C. Your group of four year-olds want to go out to play in the puddles, but it is still raining and they do not have waterproofs.
a. Explain they do not have the correct clothing, and put up a sign requesting that parents bring waterproofs.
b. Check that they have spare clothes, and go outside once the rain has stopped.
c. Set up a physical activity inside.
1. What are your feelings about the above statement? It is important for children to have opportunities to take risks in everyday tasks and activities. They need to explore and discover things for themselves and assess the elements of risk. 2. Can you think of any situations when this has happened to you? The children use lots of wooden play equipment outdoors and this allows them to climb and jump. A lot of the children climb higher than they have before and take risks when jumping off and trying to land safely. The younger children also take risks on this equipment whilst working out how to use the equipment. 3. Consider the following scenarios. How could you allow children to exercise their rights and choices, whilst maintaining health and safety requirements? Choose the answer you think is correct.
A. Chloe, who is two, wants to use the scissors to cut the paper.
a. Let her try by herself, whilst you supervise.
b. Give her the scissors to play with, so she becomes familiar with them.
c. Show her how to use them, and then let her try under supervision.
B. Thomas, who is 10, wants to walk to the park to play with his friends.
a. Let him go by himself.
b. Refuse to let him, and make him stay at home.
c. Walk the route with him a few times, so he is aware of the hazards.
C. Your group of four year-olds want to go out to play in the puddles, but it is still raining and they do not have waterproofs.
a. Explain they do not have the correct clothing, and put up a sign requesting that parents bring waterproofs.
b. Check that they have spare clothes, and go outside once the rain has stopped.
c. Set up a physical activity inside.