Learning often requires taking various risks, whether it’s being willing to try something new or trying again after a failed attempt. For children, it’s this process of learning how to take risks and becoming comfortable with failure that can help them grow and develop. But encouraging them to take these risks, even when it’s scary and uncomfortable, can be a difficult task for parents. As research shows, a child’s willingness to take risks in learning can depend on what their relationship with their parents looks like.

In a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, children who perceived their parents as trustworthy were more willing to take risks in their learning. In the study, which included more than 150 children, participants were asked questions about their home life, including their relationship with their parents, and then played a series of games.

Children who perceived their parents as more trustworthy (e.g., by answering “yes” to questions such as whether they could count on their parents to pick them up at specific times, whether they would keep their promises, or whether they could predict their responses to different situations) were more likely to take risks during the games.

"The kids from more stable backgrounds are playing and experimenting in our games. They're using that to get a sense of how things work, which might help them earn more money or more points," Seth Pollak, a psychologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and lead researcher on the study, said in a press release.