I took my son to go skating. He had gone once before with one of his friends, and I had no idea that he didn’t know how well to do it. He fell so many times last night it was heart wrenching to watch. However, he didn’t stop trying for the entire hour and a half we were there. He left there with a smile on his face and he was begging to go back. He even came home and begged for a pair of skates.
1) Kids teach us that just because we don’t know how to do something, doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. I know I am having a hard time staying calm playing pool with my family because I haven’t played it since I broke my middle finger on my left hand. It is totally a game changer for me. I do just fine when no one is looking at me. However, when there is the slightest bit of attention on me I can’t sink a ball in the hole to save my life. I am following my son’s lead, and not quitting.
2) Even though my son was the main one falling down; he was lending a hand to those who fell around him. I was so proud to see him have compassion for those around him. He was stopping and helping others up who fell down. (He did cause a few people to fall with him, but they all laughed about it and helped each other up.) It’s inspiring to see how kids are willing to help others without thinking solely about themselves.
3) Kids are willing to help others around them even if they don’t know them at all. Kids don’t see others as strangers. They just see another person to talk to or play with. A person’s skin color, their sexual preference, the amount of money their parents make, or many of the other things that adults tend to focus on, doesn’t mean a hill of beans to the young kids. It starts to mean something when we as adults teach our kids that it matters, when in all out honesty it shouldn’t!!! Every person should be treated with love, kindness, and respect, even when that person doesn’t return it to us. (Yes, I have failed to do this piece of advice from time to time in my life, but I have done my best to not fall short on this trait.)
4)Kids sense things adults don’t take the time to sense. My sons can tell you how I’m feeling without me saying a darn word. They pay attention to my every move and word. They may not “follow directions or listen” all the time, but I can bank my bottom red cent that they did hear me. They just may have forgotten what I said ten seconds ago in their excitement. Since I have hipper kids (some of them are born with that extra hipperness!!) it’s really hard for them to stay focused all the time. I struggle to remember that is the honest to goodness case for them. They honestly don’t mean to disappoint me or to break something. They are just excited and enjoying life.
5) Kids have a very forgiving heart. Kids forgive people so much faster than adults forgive others.
I sincerely believe that if adults would slow down and start thinking like a young kid more, that life would be better. Yes, as we get older we have more responsibilities, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy life as we’re making ends meet. It also doesn’t mean that we should seek to benefit only ourselves or our families. I stress that because even when I did sells for a living, I NEVER sold something to someone who couldn’t benefit from the product that I was selling. God richly blessed me and my family. I almost never went below my sales quotas, and I usually was within the top ten of any company I worked for sells wise. I am a firm believer of if you “treat others the way you want to be treated then it will come back ten fold.”
What are some things your kids have taught you??
