ABSTRACT
To develop social and emotional competence, children need warm, responsive relationship. Collaboration is another essential element of partnership, and young children are usually delighted when we join in with their play. Working with young children is a complex, sometimes overwhelming role, and pressure to prevent harm can cause adults to be overly surveillant. Working alongside children to support them to assess risk, and trusting them to take risks in their play that challenge them appropriately, leads to healthy decision making. Children need us to pay attention to their cues and respond sensitively. Children's relationships with their peers are also crucial. Collaborating in children's play and being a part of their world can actually put us into a playful mood, distracting us from worries and concerns. When children have sufficient time to work things out and explore different ideas in their outdoor play, they develop decision-making skills.
