Kids really do say the darnedest things, but they can also be some of the best teachers we have. After logging over a thousand hours working with kids, I've come to realize that they are wise beyond their years. Whether you're 19 or 91, there is always something you can learn from working with these tiny people.
1. Everything can be a game.
It does not matter if you're waiting in line to wash your hands before lunch, cleaning up your toys or simply parading down the street. When you are with kids everything is a game and everything is about fun. Kids teach you to have fun with everything you do and never allow a dull moment to pass.
2. Kids are brutally honest.
Forget showing up to work on a bad hair trying to let it slide. The kids will surely let you know how messy your hair looks. Although they may point out the obvious, they never mean to offend you or hurt your feelings. Kids teach you to admit to and laugh at your own flaws, as nobody is perfect.
3. Food is always the highest priority.
The entire day revolves around eating: breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, snack (again), dinner, repeat. Don't think about going anywhere without emergency snacks in your backpack. Food is crucial to life, and kids will not let you forget that.
4. Kids are extremely observant.
Don't try to sneak cupcakes into a room of twenty preschoolers, you will not succeed. Kids teach us how to take in all of the world around us.
5. A hug can heal more than a Band-Aid.
Sometimes we all just need a little love and compassion from someone to make us feel better.
6. Some things are inevitable.
Kids are going to jump in that puddle instead of walking around it and they will always eat the candy in their lunch before the vegetables. It is up to us to let it go, smile, and move on. There is no use in getting upset over things that we have no control over.
7. Forgiveness can be for you too.
Some of the best medicine for kids in an argument is simply saying "sorry". When kids apologize, they usually end up running off together and continuing to play. This has taught me to be the bigger person and understand that giving an apology can help you forgive too.
8. Failure is an option.
Kids mess up all the time, but that doesn't make them any lesser. In order to succeed you must fail a hundred times, even if it is just when you're trying to learn to spell your name.
9. Live Simply.
Most kids don't need elaborate toys to have a good time. In fact, kids could spend hours doing something as simple as throwing rocks into a river or playing in a cardboard box rocket ship. Kids have taught me that some of the happiest times can come from pure simplicity.
10. Growing up is never over.
Even as a nineteen year-old college student who may consider herself "grown-up" at times, I've come to realize that I will never stop growing. Every year I will be a different person from the last, learning and growing along the way, and that is the way my life will forever be.
