It isn’t
really until you are an adult that you truly appreciate childhood. I guess it’s
like everything in life, hindsight is 20/20. Childhood moves quickly and you
suddenly find yourself trying to navigate the waters of adulthood. Then one day
when you have your own children you are given what some may say is a second
chance.
I didn’t
start having my children until my thirties. If you are anything like me by the
time you hit your thirties your vision of childhood is somewhat clouded. You
forget what it was like to think like a child and while some people have not
forgotten how to act like one you have certainly put that behavior so far in
the back of your mind that you sometimes forget how to bring the child in you
back. Luckily for me my children have helped me find her again. I’ve reconnected
with the child in me and it’s amazing. Here are the top ten things my children
have reminded me of that I had long forgotten:
1. Laugh. Don’t just giggle or politely
laugh at someone’s joke…really laugh. Laugh until you cry. Laugh until you look
ugly and have mascara running down your face. Life is funny and laughing feels
amazing! Laugh with friends. Laugh with family. Don’t just write LOL actually
laugh out loud. It’s good for the soul.
2. Cry. Don’t worry about what the
person next to you thinks. Don’t worry about keeping your emotions to yourself.
If you feel sad and you want to cry, then do it. Tears are cleansing and
sometimes there is no cure for sadness other than feeling it.
3. Run.
Run around with your kids. Don’t just watch them run. Every now and then
get up and run around with them. There is a reason your kids are constantly
running. There’s a reason no matter how many times you tell them to stop
running in the house they find it impossible to listen. It’s invigorating. It
reminds you that you’re alive.
4. Dance. Dance when you hear music.
Dance when you don’t. Dance if you have rhythm, dance if you have none. Don’t
worry about what you look like.
5. Find something new and exciting in the
everyday. All too often as adults we greet the day with the negative and what
we are dreading. We think about the things that we don’t want to do that day. The
meeting we have to attend or the running around we have to do. We want to fast
forward to the end of the day before it’s even begun. Find something amazing in the simple things. The
way the sun feels on your face at the bus stop that day. The way your child
waved at you at preschool drop off. The way you enjoyed every bit of your
coffee on your commute into work. Find something to be excited about each and
every day. It will make you happier.
6. Tell someone you love them. As adults we can be so very guarded with our
feelings. While sometimes it’s necessary most of the time it’s not. It’s our
pride. It’s our worry of feeling silly. Don’t think about it just say it. Call
that friend you haven’t spoken with in all too long. Tell them you miss them.
Tell your spouse you love them for no other reason than you were thinking it.
Call your Grandma tell her she’s awesome. Don’t hold back. If you feel it, say
it. My kids are constantly telling people they love them or they think they’re
funny or pretty. They don’t care about rejection. They want to shout their
feelings for the entire world to hear.
7. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. If
you don’t try it you will never know. If
you aren’t making mistakes well you’re not learning. Learning helps you live
longer….I don’t have anything to back that up other than common sense. If we’re
learning we are participating in life and that keeps us living.
8. Don’t be afraid to get dirty. My kids
run out into the great outdoors without a care in the world. They aren’t
thinking about their hair, their clothes or their nails. They are thinking that
the worms in the dirt look like cool things to study that particular day. Get
outside. Go on a hike. Take your kids fishing. Touch the worm it won’t bite.
9. Lean on the people who love you. Kids
are never afraid to ask for help. If they are unsure about something they ask
for guidance. If they are afraid of something they ask for support. As adults
we have this thing called pride, and it gets in the way A LOT. Don’t let it.
When we lean on those who love us the bond becomes greater. I haven’t gotten to the end of this road of
life yet, but I would imagine that the greater the bonds we make along the way
the easier it is at the end.
10. Let go of the ever growing need for
more materialistic things. I’m not always good at this one. I would be a liar
if I didn’t say I like a nice bag or a great pair of shoes but the reminder
that they really don’t matter is good. I’ve
watched my children receive gift after gift at many a birthday party and then I’ve
watched them play pirates in the backyard for hours with nothing but each other
and empty paper towel rolls (ahem telescopes) They show me time and time again
that all they need is each other and a little imagination.
Children are
constantly showing us that life is so much simpler than we make it out to be.
Sure we have adult worries that they know nothing about like mortgages and work
deadlines but if we are able to take
their cues and add some of these into our adult lives we will be all the better
for it. Get to know your inner child
again. You’ve been missed.
