All of us have our own ideas about what boundaries are appropriate for that antique store. For some it may be a look, don't touch policy, for others it might be you break it, you buy it. The point we must all understand is that children are wanting our help understanding the boundaries, and we do them a service by training them to wait to receive those boundaries before proceeding into any new situation.

By increasing our expectations around kids' capacity to wait for and want our boundaries, we help ensure they can be trusted in a wide variety of new places. We need not fear they will get themselves hurt or killed by "curiosity," because they have learned to seek out boundaries from adults before exploring new places.

Additional Benefits:
Kids who learn to wait for boundaries will also . . . 
1. Develop their own internal checks before rushing into new situations.
2. Be able to be trusted with other adults.
3. Be safe when encountering strangers.
4. Be celebrated by other adults who witness their controlled, respectful conduct.
5. Feel greater security, knowing adults will help them avoid getting in over their heads.
6. Be able to explore with confident high-sprits, adventure, and curiosity, because they know what the limits are.

Ideas for Implementation:
Help kids wait for boundaries by . . . 
1. Being quick and calm to remove children from places they are not respecting boundaries.
2. Pausing before meals to give thanks, rather than diving into food.
3. Sitting at a table full of craft/project supplies without touching until given permission.
4. Intentionally keeping areas in your spaces that are off limits to kids to provide boundary practice.
5. Doing things with kids that are dangerous so they learn to respect potential dangers.
6. Picking an antique store, grocery store, or classroom in which to take training sessions with kids to practice self-control.
7. Going without child safety locks, etc. in the home so kids learn to rely on their own self-control, not external restraints.