One of our family friends recently had a baby boy. Getting to meet him for the first time last weekend really got me thinking about how much we have to learn from children. They live their lives a certain way and I think in some sense we should do the same:

Everything is new

Isn’t it amazing how children find even the simplest experiences completely amazing? I’ve seen toddlers completely mesmerised from chasing each other between two pillars at a shopping mall or jumping off a step, climbing back up, and doing it again. The smallest things in life can be really fun. While I’m not suggesting we put everything we come across right into our mouths, we shouldn’t depend on every little gadget or gizmo to make us happy.

Live in the moment

The concept of time is something a lot of young people don’t quite grasp. And I think that’s great. While sometimes it might be necessary for parents to teach that actions now have consequences later (like how spending all their pocket money might mean not getting to buy themselves a new toy) but there’s definitely value in only caring about what’s happening right here, right now. The past is gone and the future isn’t here. Appreciating the present is priceless.

Express your emotions

One other thing children are good at doing is letting their feelings out. Yes, there are the occasional sulks and pouts, but mostly it’s a case of laughing when they’re happy and crying when they’re sad. As we grow older, we find that we constantly need to keep our thoughts and feelings bottled up inside. At times it might be necessary to exercise a little restraint, but I definitely believe that learning to fully express whatever it is you’re going through does far less harm and far more good.

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