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A couple of months ago, my seven-year-old?s gym teacher approached me as I was leaving the school after morning drop-off. ?We have to talk,? he said. I knew what he was going to say?Molly disliked phys. ed. and didn?t want to participate. Sure enough, I was right. ?Get her to play,? he said.
Molly has never liked physical activities; she often refuses to get involved. She was six and a half before she even agreed to don skates, she refuses to try tennis, and when we signed her up for soccer one year, she mostly sat on the sidelines.
Molly is risk-averse?a characteristic that?s not unusual among five- to eight-year-olds, according to Toronto clinical child psychologist Joanne Cummings.
Just because it?s common doesn?t mean you should ignore it, however. Taking risks?like jumping into a pool or climbing a tree?plays a significant role in a kid?s level of confidence. ?When children learn to swim or ride a bike, it has positive effects that spill over into other aspects of their life,? Cummings says. ?They learn to feel what it?s like to master something.? She says kids who don?t take risks may end up with confidence issues. Fortunately, there are ways to help kids feel more comfortable with taking that big leap.
Find out why

Do your best to figure out why your kid doesn?t want to try a new activity, says Sandra Mendlowitz, a psychologist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.
Kids are often afraid of getting hurt. ?As they get older, they becom...