Parenting in the Wild

Last week, I watched twenty groups of primary students step into a rainforest-themed escape room. Parrots hung from the ceiling, plastic vines snaked across the walls, and a Tree of Life stood proudly in the corner. The air buzzed with energy. The mission? Work as a team, solve the puzzles, and save the jungle before time runs out.

I created this escape room as part of my role as a STEAM teacher. Designing immersive, inquiry-based experiences like this is one of the most rewarding parts of being in the classroom. It keeps me connected to how children learn, communicate, and grow in real time.

But as I observed these young explorers, what stood out wasn’t just their enthusiasm or how quickly they found clues. It was the very real emotional journey happening under the surface. And it made me think about parenting.

When you put a child into a pressure-filled situation like an escape room, all the good stuff bubbles to the top: their communication style, their confidence, their frustration tolerance, their teamwork (or lack of it). It becomes a mirror. And mirrors are suitable for all of us—especially parents.

Here are a few parenting truths I was reminded of while watching kids try to escape the jungle:

1. Pressure reveals patterns.
Some kids took over immediately. Others froze. Some didn’t speak unless asked. The confident ones didn’t always have the best ideas, and the quiet ones often saw what others missed. As parents, we need to notice our child's natural responses to stress without judgment. Do they shut down? Get loud? Look for help? Try to control everything? Knowing this matters more than fixing it. Because how they act under pressure often reflects what they’re feeling, not who they are.

2. Teamwork starts at home.
Every group that succeeded did one thing consistently: they talked to each other. Not perfectly. Not always kindly. But they shared ideas, took turns, and included everyone. At home, we can practice this too. Family chores, game nights, even problem-solving around dinner can become practice grounds for listening, compromising, and contributing—the foundation of collaboration.

3. Kids need chances to lead (and mess it up).
Some of the most powerful moments came when a child took the lead, got it wrong, and regrouped. It wasn’t about being right. It was about being brave. As parents, it’s tempting to jump in and rescue. But what if we didn’t? What if we let them try, stumble, and recover? Confidence grows through experience, not perfection.

4. Clarity and calm are game changers.
Some students froze simply because they didn’t understand what to do. Others panicked because the clock was ticking. The same happens at home. Instructions that feel obvious to us may sound like a riddle to a 9-year-old. Add stress, and even the clearest kid can shut down. Our tone, timing, and ability to explain things calmly under pressure? That’s our superpower.

5. Purpose drives persistence.
No one quit. Not once. And why? Because they believed the mission mattered. Saving the Tree of Life wasn’t just a game—it felt important. At home, giving meaning to routines and responsibilities can shift everything. "Clean your room" sounds like a chore. "Protect our peaceful home" feels like a mission.

Parenting isn’t an escape room—there’s no clock ticking or final puzzle to solve. But the lessons are the same. Kids thrive when we let them think, try, collaborate, mess up, and lead. And sometimes, all it takes is a jungle full of puzzles to remind us how capable they really are.

And how capable we are too.

Empowering your family, one jungle at a time.