I babysit. A lot. While most people my age are lifeguarding, waitressing or bagging groceries, I'm watching children's movies, running around outside and telling bedtime stories. To be honest, I wouldn't want it any other way, despite the occasional feeling of "I'm too tired to play tag right now," and the lack of contact with people my own age.

While I've found that babysitting does not necessarily offer too much room to think and reflect — as there is not much time before one child tries to grab an extra cookie and another attempts to play hockey in the house — I've been able to observe the behaviors of the toddlers around me. In doing so, I've realized that there are actually quite a few things I, and everyone as removed from their early childhood as I am, can learn from a child's actions and attitudes.

We need to love more.
Kids have so much love inside of them, and they aren't afraid to show it and share it. They're happy to make friends, happy to make room for tons of new people in their lives. I don't know when exactly the friend-making process becomes more than the innocent "Wanna be friends?" and the holding of hands, or what causes it to change, but we need to hold onto the fact that children are willing to be friends with just about anyone they meet. Why do we start life so eager to share our love with others and progress into reserved and judgmental adults who are not always kind to others upon first encounter?

We need to be more accepting.
People aren't born believing that they are superior, inferior or somewhere in the middle. They're raised to think those things, as they're shaped by experiences and stories that somehow decide whether or not they are better than others. Children don't judge, they don't stereotype, they don't assume their superiority. They accept people for who they are.

We need to be more fearless.
Most children that I've come to know do some crazy things, mainly because they trust that no matter how high they jump, someone will always be waiting to catch them. Now, while adults probably should not apply this lesson to every aspect of their lives, in many cases, it's obvious that we need to take more risks. Leap a little farther, reach a little higher. Have more courage and trust, whether it's within yourself or among those around you.

It is always strange to imagine a teacher learning from a student, but times in which reversed-role learning takes place can be just as informative and sometimes more enlightening than the other way around.

The next time you spend time with a child, whether he's your sibling, your cousin or a complete stranger, take notes.