Children are the most innocent and pure human beings on Earth. They’re full of excitement, creative insight, knowledge and simplicity that an adult just can no longer exhibit as hard as we try. Working with children for years has taught me more lessons than my countless years of schooling has and ever could. They’re some of the wisest little humans with some of the best hearts to match. Each of them are different and they all have their own unique set of characteristics, but some things stay the same around the board; I can see a little bit of myself in each of them. Here are some of the lessons they’ve taught me:
If they want a hug, be the second one to let go. You never know how badly some of the kids you come across through work really need a long, genuine hug from someone who cares. You may think you know the family, but you never really know what goes on behind closed doors. Who knows how long it could have been since an adult they loved gave them a long, loving hug at their request. Be that comfort that they need, even if you don’t think they’re lacking it, because it could make all the difference to them that day.
Happiness can be found in almost anything. Give a child empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls and they’ll build a castle that’ll leave them shrieking in excitement for hours. Give a child some old pots and pans and their face will light up at the sound of the “music” they’re making. Give a child broken puzzle pieces and they’ll still manage a way to put all of the broken pieces together. We can really learn something from their joy in the simple or broken things.
Not everything needs a reaction. Kids like to test our boundaries and get under our skin, but some things are better off left without a reaction. They don’t get the satisfaction of getting us riled up and we can save our energy for a bigger problem. The same goes for everyday life; your co-worker does something to get you in trouble with your boss, your friend makes a snotty remark, your high school peer writes something ignorant on Facebook- sometimes the best thing you can do is nothing. Let it go and avoid another fight. As my mama taught me, pick your battles because not everything is worth getting upset over.
Everything in this world is temporary. Children can be sobbing their eyes out, screaming and stomping on the floor throwing a full-blown, downright fit one minute and then the next they’ll be laughing and playing a new game with their friends. It amazes me and made me realize that my own sadness will soon pass as theirs did. Nothing- bad nor good- lasts forever so just accept that whatever is causing you grief now will be over soon.
It’s okay to ask for help. Children survive based off of how adults protect and care for them, which is a really interesting thing to think about. Without aid from an outside party, children wouldn’t get what they need in order to thrive. I feel like adults are the same way. Without companionship, love, friendship, and other people cheering us along, we wouldn’t be our best either. Not to say that we need someone to survive, but it definitely does help.
Life isn’t as technical and complex as we adults make it seem. If you ask a child “what is love,” like a couple of researchers did with a group of four to eight year olds, you’ll get responses such as, “Love is when Mommy gives me the last piece of cake even if she wants it for herself,” or, “Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.” Such simple responses with such truth behind them. We sacrifice things for the people we love, even at young ages. Some of my most favorite experiences at work are when children will try to cheer up their sad friend by rubbing their back and giving them their favorite toy. It usually works, and it’s amazing how simple gestures can make all of the difference.
Sometimes talking without a filter can be beneficial. While watching kids in arguments, I’ve noticed that they don’t sugarcoat how they’re feeling towards the person that may have hurt them. They tell it how it is and scream it out for a few minutes then they’re back to being best friends again. We adults can learn from this; we don’t always have to pretend we’re fine with the decisions and actions of the people around us. Talking it out, even yelling it out, can be more beneficial than holding everything inside until you blow up.
Some days, you may end up learning more than they do. Sometimes I think I’ve learned more from children than people my own age. They’re full of innocence and fresh knowledge that adults may never know (they’re also freakishly better at technology). Some days when I get home from work, I forget that I am the teacher in the situation because I come home full of knowledge just like they do. Their little minds hold much more content than adults would ever think.
