This past summer we bought a membership to the local rec center so that we could pay money to feel guilty about not exercising. (We were doing it for free before.) They have a great climbing wall there and we've taken the kids several times so they can start training for American Ninja Warrior: Kids! (That's not a real thing, but don't you think it should be? How cute?!) The first time I took them, it was interesting to see how they approached climbing the mountain.
Chloe and Miles watched carefully to see how it was done. Harrison played basketball until it was his turn.
Miles would get stuck right here every time, repel back down, and immediately get back in line to try again. He never once got frustrated about it and kept everyone entertained while he waited for his next turn.
He tends to take the same approach in other aspects of his life. He doesn't care about being the leader of the pack, he just loves being part of the pack. I love his positive attitude, but find it odd that he never wants to push himself.
Chloe approached the wall slowly and carefully. She tried it over and over again, getting higher with each turn. Her arms were killing her by the end, but she never gave up.
I've always been impressed with her desire to get better at something. She's extremely competitive, but mostly with herself. She's often overly cautious, though, because she hates doing anything incorrectly. I hope she learns to let go a little. (But not while climbing a wall.)
She didn't make it all the way to the top that day, but we went back a few days later and she got to the top every time. Nice.
Harrison climbed the wall one time. He climbed very quickly and never looked down. He got to the top on his first try. It was very impressive.
The problem was, because he hadn't been paying close attention, he had no idea how to get down. Once he saw how high he was, he froze. His descent was pretty silly. Harrison loves tackling things head on and being first in every race (even if no one else is racing). I worry about his "act first, think later" approach to everything, but am proud of him for excelling in so many aspects of his life.
I love that my kids are so unique and (as hard as it is sometimes) I love seeing what personality traits they have inherited from Jeff and me. As I get to know my children better, I see what they've learned from me and then I know how to fix it before they are scarred for life.
For my next psychological experiment, I will see how each of them eat a Reece's.
1 Wisecracks:
Wow! That is really interesting that their personalities and inclinations were so apparent as they climbed the rock wall. I can't wait to see how they eat a Reese's!
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