Over the years, friends have asked, “isn’t it amazing what our kids teach us as parents?” With all the questions and sharing of different parenting perspectives, I learned one very important thing along the way…when we first became a parent and brought our child/children into this world, we didn’t know the how to’s of parenting. No manual as we all know. We dove right into what we thought was right in how to raise them. There aren’t any hardcore lessons of parenting, but there ARE lessons that our children teach US.
Pre-requites Don’t Matter – Even if children have never tried something, they are willing and eager to go for it. If we observe how children take a stab at something new, or try a new adventure, even if they stumble, they are more apt to do it again until they succeed. This is not to say they are fearless, but rather more regulated and eager to explore the unknown.
Getting Over It Quickly – For some reason, kids just do. They have the capacity to get over things gone awry. They don’t let the stresses of the world stop them or overcome them. Young children are better at doing this of course since their maturity has not fully developed.
Play Time – The importance of play is how children let us know that the pleasures in life make a difference. Getting out of our brains and learning to have fun can alleviate the tensions that confront us. All work and no play is hardly the answer to living a happy, fulfilling life.
Honesty – You’ve heard the saying, “kids can be brutally honest.” Well, there’s a reason why. Filtering out what is appropriate comes with age and once again, maturity. If you ask them to name a solid, they may say “poop”. If you ask them to name a liquid, they may answer “pee.” And, if you ask them to name a gas, they could say “farts.” Yes, kids say the darnedest things and it’s because they haven’t been affected by the injustices of life. God bless them for their humor and ability to say what’s on their mind, even if at times, it’s not what you want to hear.
Being Spontaneous – Doing something impromptu or at a moments notice are admirable ways of children exploring the world. So, indeed, spontaneity can do wonders in terms of opportunities and choices. How many times have we rejoiced in knowing how good it felt when we were spontaneous and not consumed with planning or managing?
Bottom line is, parenting is challenging enough. The blessings and joys that go along with raising our children have much to do with what they bring to us every single day. We teach, we advise, we nurture, and we hope that the values and lessons they learn from us are taken and manifested in the way they lead their lives. The amazement and thrill of our children actually teaching US many things are what makes being a parent so incredibly rewarding. I will continually take all the lessons my daughters teach me and be grateful for making me realize that I don’t always have the answers. A hard fact to recognize, but true.