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 6 in it, plus how to help your little Role Model thrive.

Grab your free chart here to discover your child’s Human Design Profile.

Trend-Setting & Leading the Pack

If you’re a parent who’s raising a child with a 6 in their Human Design Profile, you’ve got yourself a little Role Model on your hands.

Line 6 kids are here to experience as many of the ups and downs of life as possible, firsthand.

They’re here to embrace the (sometimes super-harsh) lessons that those experiences create,

and later, as they fully bloom, to emerge as the wise, mature, seasoned leader that others naturally follow.

Line 6 kids tend to be trend-setters, whom other children try endlessly to emulate. That’s because Line 6 children and adults alike carry a bit of a too-cool-for-school kind of vibe that just oozes the message: “Been there, done that.”

This unique characteristic comes with some complicating factors:

Line 6 kids are often seen spending the first 30 years of their lives experimenting, much like Line 3 kids.

But, where the true Experimenters never stop their trial-and-error process, the Line 6 Role Models take mid-life — a good chunk of their adulthood — to retreat, withdraw, remove themselves as much as possible from society.

And they spend that quiet time of solace licking their wounds, reflecting on all the lessons they’ve learned from their (sometimes) wild early years.

And then, later in life, after about age 50, Line 6 adults emerge to the full glory of their wisdom, of their lived experience, like a butterfly does when it reaches beautiful maturity.

By this time, Line 6 people have objectivity. They recognize why we tender humans do the shocking, sometimes dangerous, things we do. And so these beings are eventually ready to share the lessons learned from all their experiences.

Even if they are “late bloomers,” Line 6 kids ultimately are here to teach, guide or lead others away from making the same mistakes they did.

Some common behaviors and traits you may notice in your Line 6 kid are:

• a tendency to *experiment their way through life (and potentially make some big messes, both figuratively and literally)
• others tend to easily notice and often envy them
• they may be seen as the ring-leader by you and by their teachers
• taking the blame for others’ mistakes; being accused of causing the problem when it wasn’t actually their fault
• not trying to be the leader; they just naturally are, so others nominate them because of the exude their innate Role Model characteristics
• fashionable, ahead of the trends
• often getting upset by other kids copying them
• innovative, creative, progressive mindset
• aloofness
• a desire to stay out of other kids’ drama but often getting sucked into it inadvertently
• “wise beyond their years”
• an intense need to express, and be appreciated for, their individuality

*(*Line 6’s are not necessarily more prone than others to experimentation with drugs &/or alcohol. But it’s always helpful to keep their proneness to experimentation in the back of your mind. Remember to keep the lines of communication open when they’re old enough to discuss these matters.)

The Drawbacks of Being “The Coolest Kid in School”

But for the Line 6 kid, assuming a leadership role isn’t easy. And, ironically, most of the time, Role Model kids never asked to be put in that role.

They’re caught up in their life of experiencing things fully, and sometimes very painfully, feeling all the highs and lows and in-betweens that ‘being a person’ has to offer.

Line 6 kids are busy gathering up lessons learned the hard way. It takes a lot of guts and energy to do that.

Nevertheless, Line 6 kids often tend to privately shame themselves for ‘screwing up.’

Too many negative experiences, without enough gentle guidance, can cause their confidence to tank.

And, they may find themselves in a string of hurtful relationships over the course of their young lives. They may easily get their heart broken, and are prone to attracting friends or partners who at first will worship, then all of a sudden, punish them.

It can be baffling and very difficult to make sense of for the Line 6 child. So it’s no wonder they need to take some time off by the time they reach adulthood to heal, reflect, and recover.

So, to guide your Line 6 kid toward a life of confidence, healthy relationships and empowered individuality, here are a few things you can do:

• Keep the lines of communication open and free of judgment, ensuring they know they can speak freely with you about their friendships, teachers and what’s going on in their lives
• Honor the fact that they are often taking the blame for others’ bad behavior; help them understand this is a natural feature of their energetic makeup and give them the tools to advocate for/speak up respectfully in their own defense
• *BUT: Get all the facts from teachers before insisting “my child would never do that!”
• Expect lots of “mistakes” as these kids experiment their way through life
• Be there to let them cry afterwards, and keep any shaming language (e.g., “I told you so!” or “Why would you do such a thing?!”) out of your lexicon
• Work with your child on establishing healthy boundaries
• Speak openly about what trust means to you, what it means to them; who is trustworthy, what s/he can put their trust in, etc.
• Exercise forgiveness, and teach them to forgive themselves

Raising Tomorrow’s Leaders, Today

Now, every child has the ability to become a great role model and leader.

But, given that your kiddo is already being seen as one, without having to try, you can facilitate their growth toward powerful leadership in a great direction. Here are a few suggestions:

1. They’re going to have to make their own mistakes so that they can learn what kinds of wisdom and lessons they’re meant to share, once they emerge later, in adulthood, as the wise Role Model they came here to be. So you may have to sit by and watch them endure some painful experiences at arm’s length. Stay close and be there when they need a really tight hug or to cry it out.
2. Ask them regularly to think about what they might’ve learned from their experiences. It will be supportive to get them in this habit early. Then, remind them later, when they’re struggling through another challenging experience, how they managed to overcome the tough stuff before, and to use what they’ve learned to move into the future so they don’t keep repeating old “mistakes.”
3. Celebrate their innovative ideas and creations, and encourage them to keep up the great work on always being willing to set the stage for others to follow.
4. Notice and observe them closely. Then, offer plenty of pats on the back whenever they lead the charge in an empowered, compassionate way.
5. Sprinkle in helpful tips, over breakfast or in the car, on how they can become a great leader someday, since others already expect them to fill those shoes anyway (i.e., encouraging friends to do their best, inviting a classmate who’s alone to join them for lunch. Get more suggestions here from the Boys & Girls Club of America)

That’s a lot to tackle, but it’s so worth it to support your Line 6 kiddo!

If you’d like to learn more about how your child is hardwired to operate in the world, or how this particular trait in them combines uniquely with all the other elements of their Human Design, I invite you to book a free consult with me or go deeper with a full coaching package. I look forward to supporting you and your family toward experiencing more peace in your home and deeper compassion in your interactions!