I spend the summer months teaching at a daycare back in my hometown. The other day, I was working in the five-year-olds classroom and spent some time just sitting back and observing what the kids were doing. The boys had been playing with toy cars and the girls with dolls, both completely absorbed in the fictional world they'd dreamt up for themselves in that moment, with laughter ensuing often.
While I was captivated watching them interact with each other, what struck me the most in that moment was how simple their world is. They aren't affected by the ups and downs of life yet and are so naive and innocent in their every action. I realized that us adults could learn a thing or two from the lifestyles of these young ones. Over my time with them, I've picked up on a few things myself.
1. Never take yourself too seriously.
Every day I watch my kids running around outside on the playground, and every day I watch them trip and fall (because no matter how many times I ask them to [please!] stop running, it never seems to faze them). But, every time they take that plunge down onto the sand, they simply let out a belly full of laughter, turn around, and keep running to catch up with their friends. The embarrassing moment they just had is already long forgotten by the time they catch up. They remind me to not get so worked up the over small things and that sometimes it's easier to just laugh at yourself and move on.
2. Make your emotions transparent.
It's not hard to guess how a five-year-old is feeling; they are notoriously open books. If they are sad, they will cry until their face is a shade of bright red. Mad? You can expect some feet-stomping, arms being crossed tightly against their chests and (sigh) toys being thrown. But, when they are happy, their giggles will fill the room, and their grins will stretch from ear to ear. They remind me that keeping things bottled up inside does more harm than it does good in the end, and that it's okay let out some tears or kick and scream sometimes if that's how you really feel.
3. It's okay to make a mess if you had fun making it.
One of the perks of my job is picking up after a bunch of pre-kindergartners, who are undoubtedly some of the messiest people ever. Whether it be painted-covered hands after finger-painting, an obstacle course of Legos on the ground or (the worst of them all) a deadly combination of glitter and glue, the room is always a little banged up by the end of the day. The smiles on their faces while they were making the mess make it worth it, though. They remind me that there will always be time to clean, and that some of the best memories come from those times of chaos.
4. The little things in life are worth getting excited over.
Perhaps the most uplifting part of working with kids is watching them find pure joy in the smallest pieces of their day. If they're having breakfast for lunch (their favorite) or their mom or dad comes to pick them up early, it is a cause worthy of celebration. Nothing warms my heart more than seeing them squeal and jump up and down happily over the small victories in life. No day is ordinary because they can find the best parts of each day and embrace them. They remind me that if you put too much focus on waiting for the big triumphs in life, then you will miss out on all of the little ones surrounding you at all times.
5. Don't stress over anything that's happening beyond today.
The most important thing I've picked up on from these five-year-olds is their ability to live in the moment. Sure, some of them might tell you that they want to be a pop star or a professional athlete (because you've got to dream big) when they grow up, but the truth is, they aren't really thinking about that. Their future plans don't span much further than their trip to the zoo that weekend. They aren't worried about what's happening tomorrow, as long as they had fun today. They remind me that you can only plan for the future so much, and that if you felt good about today, then that's enough when crawl into bed at night.
It's a funny thing, I'm the one who was supposed to be teaching them, but maybe they've been the ones teaching me all along.
