The purpose of my observation was to witness the natural behavior of Aiden, a 5-year-old male who is the son of my brother and his girlfriend of nearly 6 years. Aiden interacts with his 6-year-old older sister in their home. He is of average height and weight for a boy his age (world, 2008). Academically, he performs well and behaves appropriately. Currently, he lives with his mother, father, and 6-year-old sister in a three-bedroom house that has a spacious backyard. Each child has their own bedroom and is encouraged to express themselves daily.
The mother is employed as an LVN at a nearby hospital and often has lengthy shifts, including overnight ones. Meanwhile, my brother serves as a stay-at-home dad, ensuring that the children are properly fed, put to bed on time, and prepared for school in the morning. He also oversees their completion of homework assignments and ensures they are cleaned up for dinner upon returning home. Aiden finds enjoyment in playing video games, engaging in imaginative play with action figures, and spending quality time with his sister. Upon my arrival, I observed various aspects ranging from the condition of their neighborhood to their driveway. Although not flawless, these elements remain safe and reflective of their lifestyle.
Upon arriving at my destination, I immediately spotted Aiden and his sister engaged in play in the front yard, my brother keeping a watchful eye. They took a break from their game to warmly embrace me. Being a beloved aunt, their enthusiasm is always palpable whenever I visit. Our familial bond is exceptionally strong. I initiated a conversation by inquiring about school, to which Aiden cheerfully responded with a simple “great!” It has always been evident that he enjoys his educational pursuits, but now he relishes the freedom of not adhering to dress codes enforced among his peers. Recently, Aiden switched from a private to a public school after the former closed down. According to him, this change has introduced an element of amusement as he can now dress according to his personal preferences.
His favorite shirts are his marvel shirts. I asked him about the game he was playing with his sister and they were playing soccer. I requested him to teach me some tricks and like any 5-year old, he started showing me how he was taught to kick the ball. Aiden also participates in various sports throughout the seasons, like soccer and basketball, so it was interesting for him to demonstrate what he has learned while playing for a team. I observed how he was teaching his sister specific details about kicking the ball, such as turning your foot slightly outwards and aiming for the ball to kick near your heel.
Impressing me was the young boy’s knowledge of soccer, as he demonstrated to her how to block the ball with his hands in the air, like a goalkeeper. It’s surprising considering he only played two seasons. Aiden, at the age of five, showed remarkably mature leadership skills. The children started feeling overheated and approached my brother for a drink. Later on, they took a break inside where they grabbed water and snacks. Before that, however, they each used the restroom to wash their hands and freshen up.
Aiden wanted to display one of his art projects to his sister at the table. He retrieved it from his backpack and proceeded to present it to her. He expressed his desire to teach her how to color like him and insisted on showing her immediately. Aiden got some construction paper, scissors, and colored crayons from the coloring bin they had. He reminded her to be careful with the sharp scissors as they could potentially cause harm.
His sister started giggling because she is a year older and already knows about scissor safety, but she still let him teach her. He proceeded to instruct her on coloring within the lines and tracing with darker colors. After they finished coloring, he reminded her to be cautious while using scissors and they cut out snowflakes to decorate the house. Once they finished their arts and crafts, it was time to clean up. Aiden started singing a familiar song from my childhood: “Clean up, clean up everybody everywhere, clean up clean up everybody do your share!” He encouraged his sister to join in and together they tidied up quickly. Aiden then wanted to show me his new action figurines that he received as a birthday gift a few months ago. He led us to his room, with his sister following after retrieving a couple of Barbies from her own room. In his room, she played a game of “house” using his action figures and her Barbies.
As I sat there, Aiden and his sister assumed the roles of parents. His sister mentioned that she had to go to work, and he immediately offered to get the kids prepared for school. It was impressive how closely they imitated their parents. I watched as they instructed each other to behave and listen to their father while she was gone. After they finished playing with their dolls (which Aiden called “action toys”), they cleaned up and got ready for dinner. They both went to wash their hands before helping set the table.
They prepared their own drinks or took them from the fridge. While having dinner, I observed that Aiden finished his food before everyone else. This prompted my brother to question why he was in such a rush. Aiden clarified that his favorite show would start soon, and he wanted to clean up and prepare for bed so he could watch it before sleeping. At this stage, Aiden had already learned the airing schedule of his shows, and the fact that he remembered to be cleaned up and ready for bed on time for his show displayed great maturity for a 5-year-old.
Aiden appears to imitate behaviors from both school and home life. Additionally, he displays strong teaching abilities and a sense of direction. This observation occurred on a Tuesday at around 4 o’clock pm at my brother’s house, where I stayed for slightly over two hours. Aiden’s level of maturity is noteworthy, especially when compared to other 5-year olds I have encountered. I will consider this when I start my own teaching journey.
