{"id":13277,"date":"2025-09-22T15:27:15","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T19:27:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.childrenscenter.net\/?p=13277"},"modified":"2025-09-22T15:27:27","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T19:27:27","slug":"sometimes-its-what-we-dont-say-that-matters-most","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.childrenscenter.net\/index.php\/2025\/09\/22\/sometimes-its-what-we-dont-say-that-matters-most\/","title":{"rendered":"Sometimes It’s What We Don’t Say That Matters Most"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Written By Efrim C.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in March, I wrote that telling a child that something is \u201cdangerous\u201d without any further clarification or context on the situation gives children neither actionable information about the world around them (what exactly is dangerous? Why? What might happen?) nor new ways to navigate it (what to do to avert an unsafe consequence? What is a safe choice that achieves the same goal?). I discussed how our reactions to children and the world we share with them have real material impacts on the reality they inhabit and how they interact with the environment and those around them.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In that earlier article I mostly addressed situations that apply to our waddler, toddler and\u00a0preschool population. I want to return to this idea again to emphasize that it also applies to infant and non-verbal children as well. Below are two short videos that demonstrate this\u00a0concept through clinical studies. The videos emphasize that when faced with uncertainty,\u00a0children of all ages will look to their caregivers to determine the level of risk they face. More importantly, however, they show that when supported and given the freedom and\u00a0opportunity to do so, they learn very quickly how to decide for themselves instead.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n