I was preparing my two and a half year old son’s lunch the other day and he turned to me and said “ Mommy, I’m so happy”. It made my heart smile when I needed it the most. Many can relate when I say it’s been a tough month with all that’s going on around us regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and many uncertainties. But in the eyes of my son, all is going well.
Kids and adults live in the world very differently. The way children function, view their surroundings, think, feel and process life can provide us with some valuable lessons that can help us during this time of crisis.
1. Enjoy Life
Despite the challenges that many kids may face daily, most are able to separate from their difficulties and experience sincere happiness, joy, and freedom. We often watch as our early learners find joy in the simple things such as blowing bubbles, running around in circles with friends, and listening to their teach read a book. With life’s many challenges and demands, adulthood can make you forget how fun enjoyable the simple things in like can be.
2. Live in the Moment
Kids, especially the early learner we care for, tend to live in the moment. They live with their bright minds, attention, and energy all focused on what is currently happening. What a great life skill this is to have during these perilous times. Too much worry about what the future holds makes for a more stressful life that can lead to increased anxiety and/or depression.
3. Be Creative
It’s a joy to see the creativity our early learners possess. While in our care, they build, color, draw, make, craft, and take part in all sorts of expressive activities. They sing, dance, and talk. Most importantly, they are creative regardless of the “perfectness” of their actions and outcomes of those actions. Even in adulthood, the ability to freely express one’s self through creativity is an amazing tool for living a fulfilled life and for identifying with one’s true self. When your creativity is activated, the sky’s the limit!
4. Ask Questions
Children tend to ask lots and lots of questions, especially our pre-school and school-age early learner. This is a wonderful thing and we welcome questions with love. Their questions show brain development, curiosity, a desire to learn, and a willingness to grow, change and self-improvement. Like our early learners, having questions in adulthood can support personal growth, personal wellness, and openness to learning, understanding, and compassion, as well.
5. Love Hard
Despite the many emotional experience’s children go through, they are able to have unyielding love for the people in their lives. Parent can attest that their children almost always want to be with them no matter how frustrated or upset they get with them. This is true even if the child’s words or actions say otherwise. Unlike many adults, kids forgive the wrongs of others with ease. As adults, how much peace, freedom and togetherness would it bring if we loved and forgave like that?
