Babysitting Adventures: Conclusion
Before you think I hate kids, I don't. If you've been paying close attention to what I've been saying, they can be funny little people. Conversations go something like this:
My friend's son: (to his sister) "Hey, let's play hide and seek."
My friend's daughter: "No."
My friend's son: "C'mon! Come find me!"
My friend's daughter: "Go find yourself!"
While adults spend a lot of time teaching children how to be responsible mini-me's, I think we miss on things we can learn from children.
1. They're open-minded/open-hearted. Life has not yet let them down. Superhero work and being a princess are potential career paths, not things for make-believe. Try to take a moment to view life through a child's eyes. Regain the wonder. If you can't do this, then take five minutes for yourself. Go outside and look at the sky. Sit somewhere and listen to the wind as it rustles through the leaves of a tree. If you're lucky enough to live by a beach, go and stand barefoot where the water meets the sand. Everything is new when you are too young to have experienced it; try to find that place, if only for a few moments.
2. They say what's on their mind. My last year of college, I nannied a little boy. He had just been potty trained and was very proud of this. I usually followed him and waited outside in case something went wrong (or he decided to unroll all the toilet paper from the roll, just for fun.) One day, while we were playing with his toy trucks, he sat up suddenly, his face a mixture of concern and discomfort. He then stood and began running for the bathroom. A few steps from the door, he skidded to a stop and turned to me. "Stay there!" He said, holding up his hand. "It's gonna stink!!" I'm not saying share your bodily functions, but be direct with people. And yes, you can be direct without being a jerk. "An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips"* not a slap in the face.
3. They take things at face value. Years ago, before video was available on your cell phone, there were those monstrous shoulder-held "camcorders." Remember those? You know, the ones where you put in a video tape to record life's little moments. Anyway, we borrowed one from friends to make a video to send to family far away. We went to my brother's soccer game. My sister, who was maybe 3 at the time, was being "interviewed" by my mother. "Where are you?" My mom asked. My sister looked at her with a confused look on her face and answered: "I'm wight hewe!" (She couldn't really say her "r's" yet.) The point? She answered honestly based on the question. No hidden meaning. I feel like the older we get, the more suspicious we are. (Or maybe I'm the only one.) Take a chance and trust someone. Take them at their word. People today are big on saying that they love taking on a challenge--so prove it! Give someone the benefit of the doubt. That is a challenge.
4. They think you're pretty special. Kids have an amazing ability to see past the flaws we so often see in ourselves. I talked a few posts back about the lack of patience and grace I extend to myself. I see my faults every time I look in the mirror, even if others don't. When I stopped growing at a grand five feet, zero inches, I realized two things: 1) my future career as a supermodel would never materialize, and b) my basketball dreams were done. Neither of these things mattered to the kids in my life. To them, I was pretty enough to be a model and tall enough to be a basketball player (at least on their miniature basketball hoop--I dunk Nerfs like a pro!)
5. They don't worry about tomorrow. Ever notice how kids live in the moment? They're not worrying about the next ten things that have to happen. The only time this may not be the case is when they're choking down their least favorite vegetable because they have to finish five more bites before they can go back outside to play. Take a moment and focus on what's in front of you. Tomorrow will get here soon enough.
It is too easy to be cynical. Challenge yourself to think like a kid. And maybe take a moment to be grateful you're not. (Bedtime? Psssssh.)
*Scripture reference: Proverbs 24:26, niv
My friend's son: (to his sister) "Hey, let's play hide and seek."
My friend's daughter: "No."
My friend's son: "C'mon! Come find me!"
My friend's daughter: "Go find yourself!"
While adults spend a lot of time teaching children how to be responsible mini-me's, I think we miss on things we can learn from children.
1. They're open-minded/open-hearted. Life has not yet let them down. Superhero work and being a princess are potential career paths, not things for make-believe. Try to take a moment to view life through a child's eyes. Regain the wonder. If you can't do this, then take five minutes for yourself. Go outside and look at the sky. Sit somewhere and listen to the wind as it rustles through the leaves of a tree. If you're lucky enough to live by a beach, go and stand barefoot where the water meets the sand. Everything is new when you are too young to have experienced it; try to find that place, if only for a few moments.
2. They say what's on their mind. My last year of college, I nannied a little boy. He had just been potty trained and was very proud of this. I usually followed him and waited outside in case something went wrong (or he decided to unroll all the toilet paper from the roll, just for fun.) One day, while we were playing with his toy trucks, he sat up suddenly, his face a mixture of concern and discomfort. He then stood and began running for the bathroom. A few steps from the door, he skidded to a stop and turned to me. "Stay there!" He said, holding up his hand. "It's gonna stink!!" I'm not saying share your bodily functions, but be direct with people. And yes, you can be direct without being a jerk. "An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips"* not a slap in the face.
3. They take things at face value. Years ago, before video was available on your cell phone, there were those monstrous shoulder-held "camcorders." Remember those? You know, the ones where you put in a video tape to record life's little moments. Anyway, we borrowed one from friends to make a video to send to family far away. We went to my brother's soccer game. My sister, who was maybe 3 at the time, was being "interviewed" by my mother. "Where are you?" My mom asked. My sister looked at her with a confused look on her face and answered: "I'm wight hewe!" (She couldn't really say her "r's" yet.) The point? She answered honestly based on the question. No hidden meaning. I feel like the older we get, the more suspicious we are. (Or maybe I'm the only one.) Take a chance and trust someone. Take them at their word. People today are big on saying that they love taking on a challenge--so prove it! Give someone the benefit of the doubt. That is a challenge.
4. They think you're pretty special. Kids have an amazing ability to see past the flaws we so often see in ourselves. I talked a few posts back about the lack of patience and grace I extend to myself. I see my faults every time I look in the mirror, even if others don't. When I stopped growing at a grand five feet, zero inches, I realized two things: 1) my future career as a supermodel would never materialize, and b) my basketball dreams were done. Neither of these things mattered to the kids in my life. To them, I was pretty enough to be a model and tall enough to be a basketball player (at least on their miniature basketball hoop--I dunk Nerfs like a pro!)
5. They don't worry about tomorrow. Ever notice how kids live in the moment? They're not worrying about the next ten things that have to happen. The only time this may not be the case is when they're choking down their least favorite vegetable because they have to finish five more bites before they can go back outside to play. Take a moment and focus on what's in front of you. Tomorrow will get here soon enough.
It is too easy to be cynical. Challenge yourself to think like a kid. And maybe take a moment to be grateful you're not. (Bedtime? Psssssh.)
*Scripture reference: Proverbs 24:26, niv
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