# McConaughey: Let kids take small risks and fail

> The actor says overprotecting children removes the confidence that comes from bouncing back after minor setbacks.
- Title: McConaughey: Let kids take small risks and fail | Shortify
- Summary: The actor says overprotecting children removes the confidence that comes from bouncing back after minor setbacks. Matthew McConaughey argues parents should…
- Keywords: matthew mcconaughey, parenting, child development, risk-taking, resilience, business, technology, McConaughey, Let, kids, take, small
- Source: Business Insider — https://businessinsider.com/matthew-mcconaughey-kids-allowed-take-small-risks-setbacks-failure-parenting-2026-10
- Author: Amanda Goh
- Published: 2026-10-15T05:57:11.47+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: matthew mcconaughey, parenting, child development, risk-taking, resilience, business, technology
## McConaughey on small risks
Matthew McConaughey, fifty-six, says parents should allow children to take small, manageable risks. He shared this view on Tuesday's episode of the Build or Break podcast with host Daniel Lubetzky.
## Kids aren't born afraid
McConaughey compared risk-taking to watching a child climb a tree. Kids aren't afraid of heights until they fall, he said, and a minor tumble onto grass teaches them confidence without serious injury.

> Look, kids aren't afraid of heights until they fall. Every parent knows this.
## The beauty of ignorance
Overprotecting children by placing a safety net removes what McConaughey calls the beauty of ignorance.

> You've already taken away a beauty of ignorance, which is something that I know has gotten me through a lot of pickles in my life.
## When to step in
McConaughey said parents should draw a line at genuine danger. Once a child is high enough that a fall could be fatal, a parent should quietly guide them back down rather than let them continue.
## His mother's approach
McConaughey learned this outlook from his mother, Kay McConaughey, whom he called the queen of denial.
## Failure as a gift
McConaughey said denial in this way is part of the resilience needed to reach a point where you realize that failure was actually a gift. This perspective shaped how he raises his three children today.

> that failure, which it was, was actually a gift
## Key takeaway

Matthew McConaughey argues parents should let children take manageable risks and experience minor failures to build resilience and confidence.