Being a kid is easily one of the most vulnerable periods of your life-- physically and mentally. Your bones haven’t completely fused yet and the world is this huge unknown place, making us incredibly impressionable. We are easily influenced by our surroundings and experiences during this time. Whether we were told a million times or had to learn the hard way, the life lessons that we learn as children are some of the most important ones. Here are seven of the many:
1. You’re going to fall down every once in awhile
Whether you’re learning how to ride a bike or interviewing for your dream job, this is a guarantee in life. Everyone’s going to encounter a few bumps along the road but the most important thing to remember is to keep persisting on. Some people will get it on the thousandth try and maybe you’ll get it on the thousand and first, but it’s what you learn each time after you fall that is going to help you in the long run. Although at times it may not seem like it, dusting yourself off and getting back up again is always an option.
2. Parents know (and always will know) everything
From helping with math homework in elementary school to teaching laundry and cooking skills in college, our parents teach us everything we need to know about life and more. Whether you don’t know how long to put something in the microwave for, or which medicine to take when you’re sick -- you’ll find that there’s rarely a question that parents don’t have the answer to. The best part about this is that no matter how old we get, our parents will always be our parents and we’ll always be their kids; and they’ll always know what’s best for us.
3. Music heals and unites
I learned this early on in preschool and kindergarten during the music portion of “circle time." Despite the fact that some students’ first languages weren’t English, they knew all the words to each and every song just as well those who weren’t bilingual, and in that moment we were all the same.
I saw how music was used as a common ground for bringing together people of various different backgrounds and cultures. I’ve found that this still rings true today. For example, friendships are formed through common interests in music genres and artists. The power of music is best exemplified in times of need, such as Michael Jackson’s ”We Are The World (USA For Africa)” for the people of Haiti. Music has the ability to capture and speak to an audience’s exact emotions, eliciting feelings of hope, sadness, or unity during certain times.
4. Dream-- because anything is possible
One of my favorite quotes best illustrates this:
As children, we’re told that we can be anything we want when we grow up. As we grow up, we discover that there are social, racial, and gender barriers that may stand in the way of those aspirations. It’s hard not to feel a sense of betrayal, that we were lied to, that we really can’t be anything we want. It’s even harder to see children today dreaming of the same things we did, and resist telling them to be more realistic when it comes to dreaming.
The truth is, life is like one giant obstacle course. We select our course when we choose which goals to pursue. Although some courses are more difficult than others, it all comes down to the individual-- if the individual has the strength, courage, and endurance to chase their goals all the way to finish line. So dream, if you want it bad enough, you’ll work for it.
5. Treat others the way you want to be treated
The self-explanatory “Golden Rule” in grade school and in life. This goes for kindness, forgiveness, and all other attitudes towards others. The ultimate ‘put yourself in their shoes’ ideal. It’s simple and straight-forward, if you wouldn’t want it done or said to you, don’t do it to others.
6. Nobody’s perfect
As stated in Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana’s iconic song “everybody makes mistakes, everybody has those days," we all mess up from time to time. We are only human. It’s important to remember this when forgiving others but more importantly, when forgiving yourself. There’s no such thing as perfect, and the world would be a boring place if everyone and everything was.
7. You are responsible for your own happiness
No one can you make you feel inferior, lesser of a person, or insignificant except yourself. Your opinion is the only one that matters in a world where criticism is such a common occurrence. Whether it’s a bully on the playground or hostility from a random stranger, the only person who can make you feel bad about yourself, is yourself. So be kind to yourself, think positive thoughts, and talk yourself up because you are in charge of your own satisfaction.
