The way we play our role in life, according to the Human Design system, is referred to as Profile. This post offers tips for parents on what to expect if your child’s Profile shows a 3 in it, plus how to help these little Experimenters thrive.

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If your child carries a Line 3 in their Profile, they are here to learn through experimentation, hands-on experience, and trial-and-error.

But don’t worry: while you may have a curious little mess-maker on your hands, their courage for diving right into life, their willingness to figure things out, and their innovative approach to everything makes them incredibly unique and powerful!

Line 3 is referred to as The Martyr or the Experimenter in Human Design terms. That’s because people who were born with this characteristic always seem to be raising their hand to be first to walk into the fire.

They are driven by an impulse to find out what might happen if…

And so they tinker around with things in a way that could drive you a little nuts.

But have patience:

These curious scientists are here to build an understanding about the world around them by directly, physically experiencing it.

As kids, they seem to almost never be afraid to roll up their sleeves, dig their hands right into the dirt, and get messy.

Their mission in life is to try — and yes, even “fail” — because that’s how they figure out what works from what doesn’t.

Typical behaviors you likely notice in your Line 3 kiddo are:

• more-than-usual bumps and bruises, clumsiness, a tendency to ‘bump into life,’ literally and figuratively (broken lamps, anyone?)
• reverse engineering, i.e., taking apart electronics to find out what’s inside
• cobbling doodads together without advance planning (they love Rube Goldberg machines!)
• testing boundaries and limits
• testing friendships/relationships (they may dump a friend abruptly, for seemingly no reason, or threaten to ‘run away’ from home)
• an impulse to say “yes” to trying something new without much forethought
• innovation and creativity
• they enjoy hands-on work
• when you ask them, ‘Why?’ they’re likely to respond, ‘Why not?’
• fearlessness
• recklessness; “creating chaos”
• potential for (extreme) boredom
• experimentation with things you really hope they never discover*

(*Line 3’s are not necessarily more prone than others to drug or alcohol use, but it’s always helpful to keep their proneness to experimentation in the back of your mind, and to keep the lines of communication open when they’re old enough to discuss these matters)

As a mom or dad, it’s essential for you to remember: For Line 3 kids, there’s no such thing in life as “mistakes.” There are only experiments.

Here’s the rub. If they’re routinely shamed, punished or ridiculed for their Experimentation, they are at risk of developing low self-worth and tremendous lack of confidence.

These are beings who tend to easily shame themselves for all the things they break (whether they did so on purpose or by accident), and to fill with regret after realizing how their experiments went wrong.

So they can get really caught up in their feelings of low self-loathing.

If they’re not supported in embracing their Experimentational brilliance, they may feel too afraid to try anything new — especially if they’ve gotten burned from “messing up” so many times before.

“What did you learn from this experience?”

To support Line 3 kids and help them build confidence in themselves, parents can:

• Reframe their mistakes as learning opportunities
• Help them develop a practice of self-love and self-forgiveness
• Guide them on how to make appropriate, effective, sincere apologies if/when they need to issue them (because they surely will)
• Remind them that a desire to ‘break up with’ a friend is normal, but it may just be a fantasy. Ask them to, instead, first imagine what it would feel like to lose that friend entirely, and then see if they still think dumping them is the right choice
• Work with them to slow down before taking impulsive or erratic action
• Encourage their gift of innovation with regular compliments and pats on the back
• Supply them with an array of tools and toys for tinkering
• Ask for their help with home DIY projects that involve building, fixing, anything hands-on. They’d love to learn how to use power tools at the appropriate age (safety first, of course!)
• Keep them busy and feed their curiosity
• Boost their self-esteem with praise for their desire to experience things firsthand

To learn more about how this trait shows up in your child, uniquely, book a free consult with me or go deeper with a parent coaching package. I look forward to supporting you and your family!