“When you see someone putting on his Big Boots, you can be pretty sure that an Adventure is going to happen.” – Winnie the Pooh
When my daughter, Miss O, was two or three-years-old, she took scissors to a squishy ball just minutes before we were supposed to leave to meet my dear friend, Katie. I was shocked – the mess, the destruction of a toy, our inability to be on time.
So when I apologized to Katie for being late and told her why, she laughed said one thing that changed my parenting experience forever (and for good). She said, “Everything is a science experiment.”
All of a sudden, the light bulbs went off in my head. Children weren’t supposed to sit in a corner and play according to the manufacturer’s directions – they were supposed to test things out, see what happens, and think outside the box. No wonder Katie’s children (already grown at that time) are such delightful people.
Two things stand out about this a-ha moment. First, the generosity of friends. Parenting doesn’t come with a manual so I have often relied on my friends to show me the way – and they have been so generous to do so. Second, the science experiment comment didn’t just change my expectations of how my kids should behave – it opened the door for me believing that I didn’t have to know everything about what we would try as a family.
I was fortunate to be able to explore that family adventure theme on this week’s The Life of Try episode with my friend, Natasha Dillinger. Natasha is an enthusiastic, yes-to-adventure, generous parenting friend who regularly shares her secrets on Instagram. In our conversation, three takeaways stood out to me:
- How saying yes to adventure can become a family habit
- Simple strategies for planning group trips
- Why flexibility and humor matter when plans fall apart
In our conversation, Natasha shares practical ideas for organizing group trips, helping children feel ready for unfamiliar experiences, making adventure affordable, and redefining success when things go wrong. Because sometimes the rain, the missed train, or the unexpected detour becomes the story everyone treasures most.
- Click this link to watch in a browser: The Power of Saying Yes: Raising Adventurous Kids with Natasha Dillinger
- Subscribe to The Life of Try on Spotify, Amazon Music, or Apple Podcasts
- Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@thelifeoftry
Links for this episode:
The Power of Saying Yes: Raising Adventurous Kids With Natasha Dillinger transcript
Natasha’s suitcasesinseattle on Instagram – If you are planning on visiting Seattle, the Pacific Northwest or just want adventure inspiration, I’d HIGHLY recommend subscribing!
Other Episodes You Might Enjoy
When Your Plans Fall Apart | How to Stay Resilient, Adapt & Keep Moving Forward
How to Create Opportunities in Life | Motive + Means = Success Mindset
The Courage to Try Something New | Lindsey Goldstein on Growth, Failure & Reinvention
Success isn’t always about finishing first. Sometimes the greatest victories belong to those who stay prepared, keep growing, and never stop trying.
(featured photo from Pexels)
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You can find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram wynneleon
Surprised By Joy 
Wonderful conversation, Wynne! Group camping is so much fun, especially the food. I also love the planning process – sometimes more than the trip itself – and yes, the spreadsheets help a lot and are satisfying to see come to life. I think the advice to carve out time to spend together as a group and on your own is so wise!
Mountains over beach over here too, although a cold beverage with a Mountain View is always a must!
Like your Five Guys experience, I agree that the setbacks encountered on a trip provide the best grounding and life lessons for our kids – and us, as caregivers! 😊
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I loved seeing your food from your last camping trip because camping fun is so fun, isn’t it? Love that the insight to do both together and on our own time landed for you!
Cold beverage — yes! Thanks so much for tuning in, Ab! I know this aligns so perfectly with your adventurous summer!
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Talk about hearing the right thing at the right time! These paradigm shifts are wonderful learning experiences, aren’t they?
And yes to the YES!
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Yes, yes, yes!! 🙂 Thanks, Dale!
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😊
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What a fun podcast Wynne. Clearly, you both know how to say yes to adventures, along with some good tips for group trips.
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Oh, I love this comment. Thanks, Brad!
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“Everything is a science experiment.” So true. I was always creating little messes as a child and explaining what I was going to discover. Then I’ll forget when my son flushed my expensive eye cream down the toilet and we had to buy not only new eye cream but a toilet too. Then he fed the VCR a PB and J.
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Oh, oh, oh — that’s an expensive science experiment. Wow, what a story, Elizabeth! But the slot on a VCR looks perfect for a sandwich!! 🙂
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Very expensive science experiments were going on all the time at our house!
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We recently have seen at least part of a family start to play kickball outside in the early evenings. It was notable because, 1) there were children around here actually playing outside (!) and, 2) one if not both parents were involved at times. Nice to see kids enjoying the outdoors and sharing it with other family members, Wynne.
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Oh, that’s so fun, Bruce! Isn’t it nice to see families doing stuff together? Love this story!
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I love the idea of saying yes to adventure can becoming a family habit. Wow, that’s awesome!!
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Me too, Erin! I think Natasha is right that it builds on itself so that it becomes its own habit!
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I love this theme Wynne, this is such a wonderful way to get through life raise a family and learn to be resilient. All roll into one.
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Love the reminder about the goodness of imperfect adventures! 😘❤️😘
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Each day is a “science experiment” Wynne, and we enjoy the adventure best when we engage it with the unfettered abandon our children do.
Keep Looking Up ^ … His Best is Yet to Come!
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I can see that there is a popular response in the comments to “everything is a science experiment.” It’s an a-ha worthy insight for sure. I love your assessment “they (children) were supposed to test things out, see what happens, and think outside the box.” Yes, yes, yes, yes!! I can’t believe that I am at my age and I am learning this wisdom today! And Natasha is great; so easy-going, positive , but has a plan. And if it doesn’t go as planned – even better! What a great lesson to teach children. Being adaptable, thinking outside the box, is crucial in this world. Thanks, Wynne.
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Yes, everything is a science experiment! There’s a lot to be said for free play. For the most part, play for today’s kids is structured which stifles their creativity. Looking forward to listening to this one.
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I love the story you shared about the squishy ball and the science experiment attitude. They say one of the things that keeps aging people young is maintaining that curious experimental attitude. But I believe that statement should come with a person who cleans up the messes for us.😁
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What a great discussion! Parenting is both hard and rewarding. I really like the idea of reminding children of past experiences to give them something to compare a new adventure to.
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The Winnie the Pooh quote and Miss O’s experiment are perfect introductions to this episode of adventure with family. We’ve learned with grandchildren that it’s always a great idea to have adventures planned, and be ready for those plans to turn into unexpected adventure. 😊
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Life is a science experiment … I can’t like that comment any more. Such a great way of growing and dealing with life’s highs and lows. Thanks Wynne.
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“Everything is a science experiment.” is profound and yes it applies to us adults too. Not every experiment may result in a desirable result but it also teaches us what can go wrong and make us better prepared for the next experiment 🙂
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