THE TOP 25 THINGS WE CAN (RE)LEARN FROM CHILDREN

THE TOP 25 THINGS WE CAN (RE)LEARN FROM CHILDREN

As parents and teachers, we expect children to learn from us. But we sometimes forget that we ourselves can learn much from fresh young minds—including many things we knew well at the same age, but have allowed ourselves to misplace amid the rush and “musts” of adult life.

Here’s my list of things worth remembering, things that kids know instinctively but adults often forget:

1. 1. Severe-weather days and “something going around” periods shouldn’t be resented for interrupting business as usual: taken as unexpected days off, they can be a lot of fun.
   2. When you have a bad cold, there’s nothing wrong with staying in bed and being pampered.
   3. When you’re restless, get up and run!
   4. Enjoying yourself is just as important as being responsible.
   5. Having fun for its own sake is still worthwhile.
   6. You don’t need an excuse to laugh or be silly.
   7. When you play, let yourself go with exuberance.
   8. When you work, concentrate on the project rather than the deadline.
   9. Watching ants cross the sidewalk is great entertainment.
   10. If you don’t have time to pick a flower or pet a cat—you’ve got too much on your schedule.
   11. “More experienced” people aren’t always right about everything.
   12. “The way we’ve always done it” still should be required to justify itself by rational explanation.
   13. If at first you don’t succeed, stick to it till you get it right.
   14. If after seven tries you still haven’t succeeded—that still doesn’t mean you’re ready for someone else to step in and do it for you.
   15. If your block tower or your bike tumbles, five minutes is time enough to cry before you pick it up and start again.
   16. No amount of pride is worth losing a friend over.
   17. Durable possessions that stand up to rough handling, are the best kind of possessions.
   18. The expense matters less than the experience.
   19. Our bodies, not the clock, tell us the best times to go to bed and get up.
   20. Good friends don’t interrupt when you’re venting—and the best friend of that type often has four legs and fur.
   21. The biggest and strongest person isn’t always the person to blame for starting the trouble.
   22. There’s nothing wrong with asking for a special treat simply because you want it.
   23. There’s nothing wrong with asking questions that have no easy answers.
   24. The idea that everyone says is silly may be the best one.
   25. If clouds aren’t made of bouncing-bed trampolines with a kingdom of fairies playing on the other side—they should be.