It is all good and dandy that we grow up and mature—that is a part of life. However, there are so many things we lose as we grow older that a child still has. There is a spark in their life that we as adults need to find again.
It is said that honest hearts produce honest actions. Boy, is that true with kids. Kids never sugar coat anything, they never talk behind anyone’s back. If they don’t like how you’re treating them, you’ll know. This concept has become so hard to grasp. Actually saying what we think and how we feel?! Kids have that part right because they are not reading between the lines. Things are black and white in their world. If they do something wrong, they feel a sense of guilt that many adults have become numb to. Honesty is just a given to kids, and it makes their world an easy place to live.
Kids have stressors in their life. They might worry about their parent’s picking them up from school, what they’re going to have for supper or how to write cursive. Although the things that worry them may not be as extreme as finding a new job or worrying about bills that are due, both are stressors. Kids find a unique way to handle stress. They think about it for small amounts of time and then move on. Rarely does something bother a child for the entire day. Yet, it is so easy for us to get tangled up in what is on our mind and not live in the moment.
One of my favorite things about kids is their appreciation of the little things. The excitement they get from being able to use the scented markers or that they are going outside to play a game of four square brings them so much joy. They feel gratitude for every gift or treat they are given. Adults find it hard to see the beauty in the little things. Unless it’s big, we tend to overlook the joy that it could bring to our lives. We tend to forget this when doing things for others as well. It takes something as small as opening the door for a person to make their day. Little things are able to bring us happiness.
Children know who the adults are and how we should treat them. Getting scolded for being rude can really impact them. When an adult says that how they are acting is not appropriate the child almost always listens. I am speaking for a large group when I say Millenials are losing this fear of authority. We no longer listen as closely to what our teachers and professors are saying to us. We disregard the advice the elderly is giving to us. If we get yelled at by a cop, we get upset and angry instead of understanding that they care for us. We lie and disrespect our parents when they are the ones who are guiding us through our whole life.
Have you ever told a child a joke? It could be the simplest little joke and yet they will act like you are Will Ferrell. They will giggle when you pretend to take one of their goldfish crackers or when you spin them around in a circle. A child does not take the world so seriously and is able to find the humor in every situation. Their carefree spirit brings them an ease of happiness. Life was not made to be complicated and hard, and a child knows that.
I think this is my favorite thing above all about children. There is no judgment. No stereotypes. No cliques. They don’t care about who they play with. They don’t care about who they sit with at lunch. They are kind to everyone. They do not see their classmates based on their race, religion or popularity. They treat everybody the same, and they do not have to try to be inclusive because it comes naturally. As we grow older, why do these things become important? If we simply treated everyone the way a 5-year-old does, the world would be so different.
Wet your pants? Fell off the monkey bars in front of the entire class? Share your favorite little blankie during circle time? Kid’s do not care what others think. They are completely honest and open with their thoughts and feelings. They do not waste any time trying to put a front up. They fully embrace who they are.
We need to be more like kids. We need to be honest and kind and free again.
