What’s scarier than hearing that something threatens your children’s well-being? Parents are bombarded with warnings about how everything from their garden hose and bath toys to common playground equipment and gym class games are a danger to thier kids. Yet it is precisely this alarmism that’s the real danger to a child’s development. Parents should look beyond the scary headlines and take a balanced view of the risks that everyday activities pose to kids. We all want kids to avoid serious injury, but we can’t and shouldn’t regulate away every scraped knee. While safety and protection is certainly important, kids also deserve the chance to explore, have fun, and to just be kids.