Lessons from a child!
Posted on November 10, 2007
Our children can be an amazing source of knowledge and inspiration if we all take the time to pay attention and learn. Children are not bound by their past learnings or by other people’s influence. Children do not care what others think or what the consequences of their actions. Children are innocent and live that way until they are influenced by us. I have a 15 month old boy that has taught me so many things about life and how to live in general. He is quite a handful to my wife and me, but he is the best blessing we have ever had. He approaches life with our any inhibition or fear. He inspires me to become better and live life to the fullest more than anyone else I know. Pay attention to your children and learn the lessons of life from a child.
Lessons from a child #1:
Do not take anything for granted and realize how miraculous this World is!
My son has taught me to keep in mind how amazing this life really is here on this great World. He loves the outdoors and is amazed by everything he sees and hears. It has really been eye opening to see his expressions and smiles as he learns about this World. He gets so excited when something as simple as the wind blowing and rustling the leaves. He is all smiles when he sees a squirrel or bird hopping along the ground. When he hears an airplane he instantly looks up until he finds it with a smile all over his face. Children are so in tune with the very things that each one of us takes for granted. Children appreciate the simple things in life and literally take the time to “smell the roses”. Stop every once in a while, take a deep calming breathe, and really listen and see the World around you. Think about how amazing it really is and give thanks for being here!
Lesson from a child #2:
Expensive toys are not always what makes you happy!
My wife and I have been very good about keeping ourselves and our son’s grandparents in check from buying to many toys. It is not that we do not want our son to have the best or enjoy toys but our house is not gigantic and he has more than enough to entertain him. Now that he is 15 months, we have realized that the number of toys would not matter any way. He is far more entertained with the simple everyday things that we use around our hose than any toy we have purchased anyway.
Easton’s Favorite Toys
1. Balls – any and every ball or similar shaped object. Ball was his first word and he will run one down when ever he sees one. It does not have to be some fancy or colorful one it just has to be round and fly through the air. His favorite balls are:
- Our cat’s toy ball with a bell in it.
- A plush baseball he has had since he was born.
- A toy football that plays the Auburn University fight song when it hit something.
- An old tennis ball from the courts down the road from our house.
2. Pot and Pans – plastic, iron, steel, or any other type that he can drag out of our kitchen cabinets. He love to push them around on the kitchen floor and make noise with them. He bangs on them with an old wooden spoon we have turned over to him. He also loves to spin them around and even take rides in the larger ones.
3. Cups – the kind you drink from. He loves to stack and throw his plastic drinking cups. We leave them in a bottom cabinet so he can get to them and he plays with them almost daily now. He is entertained for hours stacking them and moving them around. He also loves to remove and replace caps on bottles. I guess he learned that from my wife with all the bottled water that she drinks.
Lesson from a child #3:
Eat because of necessity, not habit or because your bored!
Our son is pretty small, our doctor always jokes around that he will definitely not be the center he will be the point guard. He is very healthy and not abnormally small, but he takes after his mother and father and will probably be smaller than the average man. He is also always active which probably keeps his weight down. We try to feed him to keep his weight up, but he does not conform to the way many of us have become accustomed to eating. Many of us will eat because it is time to eat, we are bored and eat, or because eating is just a habit to us. Our son only eats when he is hungry. This sometimes frustrates his parents, but is actually not a bad thing. If every one in the United States would eat when they are hungry we would not have near the weight problems.
Take time to notice and learn from your kids. They have a vast wealth of knowledge if you just pay attention and tap into it!!
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[...] We all love the outdoors and have recently, since the time change, been grilling out almost every night. It gives all of us time to appreciate all the positive things we have going and to really enjoy the outdoors. We let our little one run around while my wife and I get some good quality conversation time. He runs around pointing and is amazed by everything. It is so evident that we all need to learn lessons from our children. They take on life with an appreciation for everything and do not hesitate to explore and enjoy life. Children are almost always fearless until they are influenced by us. It is so nice to see him run and play and just live life with out a care in the world. Even when he falls he will just pick himself back up and keep going (he even laughs and does it on purpose quite often). Children appreciate a bug, a flower, a leaf falling from the sky, an airplane going by, and even the wind blowing gently. Imagine if all of us would just appreciate the little things in life and focus on all the positive things happening around us. The power of positive thinking is unlimited! Adults are bombarded by so much negativity from main stream media that it is easy to forget the simple pleasures in life. You should never allow negative thoughts to limit you and your ability to succeed and grow. Stay positive and you are more productive, happier, and healthier! [...]