5 Life Lessons Kids Can Help Us Realise

Amy Taylor August 18, 2014

Kids and adults tend to view life in very opposite perspectives. But even though they are less experienced and still have many more things to learn, children can also provide us, adults, essential insights that can make our life better and happier.

Here are some of them.

Mindfulness boosts mental and physical performance.

Kids, especially younger ones, are good at being mindful. When they are engaged in a task, they give their full attention and energy to it, unlike adults. Well, being a grownup is never easy. You don’t just think about the homework you failed to do or the project that is near the deadline. There are so many other things to worry about – the finances, personal conflicts, unresolved issues with friends and loved ones, competition at work, unattained goals, and so on. All these worries prevent grownups from staying present in the moment and living it as if there’s no tomorrow. But instilling awareness is an effective tool to manage stress and anxiety, and increase our performance. Worrying about the past or the future prevents us from doing our best in whatever activity we do.

Creativity is essential to living a fulfilling life.

Kids love taking part in all sorts of creative activities, whether it’s dancing, singing, painting, telling stories, etc. What’s more, they manage to stay creative despite the outcome of their actions. Engaging in creative activities is one great way to boost your cognitive function, overcome stress, develop better solutions to problems, and live a fulfilling life.

There’s such thing as ‘unconditional love’.

You probably remember crying every time your mum is out of your sight, or when you are with unfamiliar faces. Kids have this unconditional love for the people in their life, even though sometimes their actions say otherwise. Even if their parents get angry at them sometimes, they still don’t hold grudges. Yes, children forgive easily. When they are sad, they just cry and sleep it off, and when they wake up, all the hurts are gone. Loving unconditionally is something many grownups can’t do. We tend to put reservations, maybe because we fear that we don’t get loved in return or we will just be hurt. But the reality is that in whatever kind of relationship, being hurt is unavoidable. However, our capacity to love unconditionally will help us resolve conflicts and strengthen our relationship with others, especially with our loved ones.

Being open-minded takes you to big opportunities.

Most of the time, kids listen to other people’s viewpoints, and try to incorporate their suggestions of doing things. Instead of being closed to learning new things, kids are open to learning and hearing what others have to say, as long as the lessons being taught or views being shared don’t put them in a defensive stance. As adults, it is sometimes hard for us to take into consideration other people’s opinions, even if we know they are simply trying to help. We find it hard to accept their views as we find it hard to understand them. But being open-minded can lead you to many opportunities in life.

Life is worth living.

Kids have the natural ability to find joy in whatever life they have. Despite the difficulties they bear, they still manage to smile, laugh and have fun. Life is more worth living when you add joy to it. You may be dealing with a lot of problems right now, but that doesn’t mean to say you should stop smiling and let those unwanted emotions fill you up instead. You can feel better if you are going to adopt a more positive attitude and perspective in life. Smile more. Laugh harder. Life is worth living.

When life seems so dull and situations are unfavourable, just tap into the child in you. He or she has many useful insights to share with you.