Back in January, I was blessed to hear a speech from Elle Luna. During the talk, she showed this image…
It literally brought tears to my eyes. I could just imagine my little Maddie Brooke in this photo- fearless, unconcerned with anything else. I quickly realized that my kids could teach me a thing or two and this post has been rolling around in my brain ever since.
5 Things I’ve learned from my children
Speak your mind
I imagine most of us would agree that kids are honest, brutally honest. They aren’t afraid to tell the truth. The filter between brain and mouth hasn’t developed yet. When my kids want something or think about something, everyone will know. They always say what’s on their mind.
As adults, that filter is ever-present. We’re afraid to speak up for ourselves because of what other’s may think or who it may upset. I’m not saying we should run around telling people that their breath is smelly like a two-year-old, but we could all loosen up the filter a bit.
Don’t be afraid to fail
My two-year-old is fearless. She has no concept that she is only two and not twenty. She doesn’t understand that she isn’t as big as the other kids. She doesn’t see that the gap between the coffee table and the couch is too big for her, she jumps anyway. My kids think they’re invincible. They have no idea that maybe they really can’t build the highest tower of blocks EVER. They try anyway.
Ha! Failure is one of my top deterrents in life. No one likes to mess up. No one likes to be wrong or unsuccessful. The fear of failure prevents us from doing so much in life. Let it go!
Be a good sport
My kids love to race each other. My five-year-old always wins but my two-year-old still shouts out “I WON” after every race. At first my son would get irritated and correct her, but after a few times I noticed that he would just say “Good job Maddie! You’re getting so fast!”
Instead of being so worried about being the best and making sure everyone knows it, what if we spent more time looking around- and behind us- to cheer on each other? We are taught to be so competitive that sometimes we forget to love each other. As a naturally, overly-competitive person, this is something I have to work on daily. I want to win and be the best, but I have to remember that it’s equally, if not more, important to cheer each other on.
Ask for help
My kids never have any shame in asking for help when they need it. Help putting on their shoes or opening a container. They’ll try and try and eventually if they aren’t successful, I get a big “MOM CAN YOU HELP ME!?” They don’t think twice about it.
I am THE WORST about asking for help. It’s crazy. I will work myself into the ground trying to figure things out before I ask for help. I’ve actually gotten a lot better about it as I get older, but I’m still horrible at it. Realizing you can’t do it all is difficult- you may not know how, or have enough time, and that’s totally ok!
Laugh a lot, cry a little
I read recently that kids laugh 300 times a day. That seems like an insane number, but I’m sure they laugh more than a majority of adults each day. Anything and everything is worth a laugh. On the flipside, I know my kids are quick to shed tears if something upsets them. No one has taught them to “toughen up” or try to hold their feelings in yet. They wear their emotions on their sleeves.
If you know me personally, you know I’m a big ol’ goober. My goal every day is to make people laugh- whether it’s with me or at me. ;) I love hearing people laugh and have a good time. Of course, there are so many days when I don’t get enough laughs. Those days always seem more difficult. Laugh more! It’s hard to have a bad day when you’re laughing. And you know what, let yourself cry more. Cry when you’re sad or hurt. Let it out. How many of us hold in our emotions for fear of being judged or looking foolish? My kids have taught me that it’s ok to have emotions and it’s ok to show them.
What have you learned from your kids? I know there are so many other things! Share with us in the comments!
Here’s a few answers we got from friends:
Amanda- If you slow down and take the time to walk just a little slower, you see so many more beautiful things.
Hilarie- Joy in the little things….swings, cloud watching, ice cream, hugs, sparkly shoes, etc
Lisa- Kids will keep you humble. Every time I judged others’ parenting, my boys would act out in some way and remind me that we are all human and make mistakes.
Martha- There’s no such thing as a small promise… The little things are often the most important things.