And why they’re wiser than we think
When working with kids it’s easy to feel omniscient. They’re eager to learn about the world and they treat you like a gatekeeper of knowledge who designed it. But children have just as much to teach us adults about the ways of the world as we do to them. As somebody who has worked with kids since high school and plans to do it forever, here are three valuable, philosophical lessons that have skyrocketed the quality of my life – taught by children who don’t know how to cover their mouth properly when they cough.
1. Learning about the world is exciting
Kids are in the very early stages of becoming acquainted with their surroundings, and they’re psyched about it. Their insatiable “why” can make your brain feel like it’s going to explode. But is it not valid? The constant “why is it raining?” “Why do we have to do math today?” “Why didn’t you brush your hair today?” stems from a genuine curiosity that eats them alive all day long. As adults, we don’t question the day-to-day functions of the world because we once learned why they happen and that was satisfactory enough to accept them forever. But kids truly don’t understand why, and they want to so badly. Finding out why rain falls is so exciting, and learning why we need to do math makes us more motivated to learn, and knowing why I didn’t brush my hair today helps strengthen our personal connection to each other. Kids have shown me that staying unapologetically curious about and endlessly enamored by the world around you will make every day feel like an opportunity to explore.
2. Listen to understand, not to respond
Curiosity is only valuable when accompanied by an open mind. I think kids get an unreasonably bad rep when it comes to their ability to listen. Yes it may take them a few reminders to follow expectations, but when it comes to subjects they themselves want to learn more about, they lock in. Kids are constantly being told they’re the least knowledgeable person in the room, which makes them impressionable. They’re willing to hear you out on just about anything, and they still don’t have that voice of skepticism in the back of their head seeking out reasons you may be wrong. Of course skepticism can save us from the temptation of false information, but sometimes listening with a completely impartial mindset is what we need to truly understand somebody or something. So allow yourself to be humbled from time to time, even if you feel like a child, and hear people out.
3. Find play in everything
You could leave a kid in a room with a toothpick and a gum wrapper and you’ll have a new game within five minutes. All kids crave play, and they seek out the opportunity for it in everything. The creativity children demonstrate during their play is unmatched by anything I’ve seen by adults. I don’t remember when in my life play went from being an essential part of my day to an unproductive use of time, but working with kids helps me unlearn the switch little by little. Play is actually highly beneficial in adulthood. It stimulates the mind, boosts cognitive function, relieves stress and strengthens social relationships. Why do we deem these things crucial in childhood, but useless in adulthood? I’ll tell you. As adults, we measure our value based on how much we contribute to society. Kids don’t care about that. They’re going to maximize how enjoyable life can be for them and they’re not gonna question whether or not they deserve it. We could use this mindset as adults every once in a while. It’s not only okay, but it’s beneficial to let ourselves play here and there.
Amidst the chaos of adulthood, it’s so easy to overlook some of the most simple yet profound life lessons that children have mastered. Yes they bite each other and mix up please and thank you and don’t know what student loans are, but I think if I could go back to when all those things were acceptable I’d be a lot smarter in a lot of ways than I am now. Once I had the humility to see kids as rich sources of wisdom rather than just blank canvases waiting to be fed the knowledge of adults, they became my most valuable teachers.