Week 2 of the Friso Yes Experiment!

When I am at work, I always wonder what my kids are up to. Is Aiden cycling outside alone? Is Ian going through the chinaware cabinet? Did my maid forget to latch the staircase gate yet again and is Ian climbing up the stairs unsupervised? How I get any work done with all that worrying, is frankly, quite questionable. 

For Week 2 of the Friso Gold Yes Experiment, I decided to change my overprotective approach in small steps. Recognizing that Ian loves to copy whatever Aiden does, I decided to get Aiden to assist and help Ian learn how to climb appropriately. By getting Aiden in the picture, at least I am assured that Aiden can watch out for his brother when I am at work.

And Ian absolutely loved the experiment! The minute he saw the slide, he was running up to it to explore it. Aiden was such a champ, every time Ian climbed up; he was already waiting at the bottom of the slide with open arms. How he protects his brother is a sure sign that he is growing up to be a responsible big brother.

Next, I opened the gated stairs for the first time. Ian immediately grasped the gate and swung it open wide. With a cheeky grin, he crossed over the gate and “walked” up the stairs (with my help, of course). Aiden, being the very supportive big brother, jumped up and down in excitement the minute Ian stepped foot on the landing.

And last but not least… letting Aiden help Ian climb the piano stool unassisted. Major experiment for me! I mulled over the idea for a while, but in the spirit of “Saying Yes”, I decided to let Aiden proceed with this daunting experiment and trust that he would look after his little brother. The whole thing was done in one take – watch the video to see how nervous I was about the whole scene. Of course, nothing bad happened. And in the end I realized that I should protect my kids against obvious threats, but leave the rest to nature. Kids are born to climb and explore!

At the end of the day, Aiden asked for a reward for being such a responsible and adoring big brother, assisting Ian in the experiments. I simply couldn’t say no. And of all the things that he could have asked for, he chose to ask for a sandbox. *sigh* If you have been reading my blog for a while, you would know how particular I am about hygiene. And a sandbox is not something I want in my garden! But that… is part of Week 3, so stay tuned!

Check out the Week 2 experiment at the Friso Gold Yes Experiment microsite, to see how Aiden “taught Ian to go up the stairs and up the piano”. Too adorable! *smiles*