3 Things that Grown-ups Can Copy from Children

If you visit a park or a school full of young children, and try to simply observe their behavior, you would most likely have a good time. You would notice how they mingle with their peers and how as individuals they seem to behave. It is very interesting how they act and handle themselves in front of a teacher, a parent or any adult. In most occasions, you would see their candid moments and could somehow pick up a few things about their varying personalities.

Some might say that it could be difficult to be in the presence of many children, because they can be too loud, too energetic and just oozing with their youthfulness. But their youthful mind-set and fresh outlook actually make them very special people. Grown-ups should sit down and observe them, because they possess traits that are worth copying. Here are some of them:

1. Copy children's spontaneity. Young children do not try to hold back but express themselves most of the time. When they are very sad, scared or hurt, they would just cry. When they are very happy and pleased, you would see them feel ecstatic and beaming with joy and glee. Many adults try to conceal their emotions because of fear of being criticized. Others might say that they are too sensitive when they cry, or may be over reacting to situations. This attitude of children is worth copying because it is often healthier to just express what you feel, especially those pent up emotions. Some adults experience stress and related health concerns because of not expressing their feelings. They do not speak when they are upset and mad, and would keep their anger inside. They could be tired or lonely, and they would say that they do not want to bother others who may be burdened with their own concerns. Would it hurt to talk to a friend? Expressing your anger does not necessarily mean banging people's heads against the wall or screaming at the top of your lungs. A good conversation to explain your side would be the mature way of handling it.

When children want to appreciate, they are very spontaneous in doing it. They do not feel embarrassed to jump after receiving a wonderful gift. They would quickly give a hug and a compliment once they feel so excited about a good news or an upcoming fun trip. As people get old, it seems that they become stingy in showing their appreciation for people, people's actions and feelings. Remember to show your gratitude and your love to others. Say it outright or send a note or extend a kind gesture. They say that "thank you" is one of the most magical phrase ever.

2. Copy children's resilience. A common scenario for most parents, teachers or sitters is when children sometimes fight between and among themselves. They would fight about winning game, a toy, or about not being included during play time. They would tell adults about it endlessly. They would sulk, show their long faces and mope about it for a day. The following morning, you would notice that they are chitchatting again or playfully enjoying each other's company as if nothing happened. They do not hold grudges.

There was a priest who said that holding grudges is like carrying a bag of potatoes wherever you go. If you hold on to your pain and hatred, it is like holding on to those potatoes that slowly get rotten and smelly. They would get soggy and heavier. Children bounce back quickly and do not carry unnecessary baggage most of the time. Usually, forgiving and forgetting is very quick for them.

Smaller children learning to walk would not give up and would simply keep on trying. They would walk a few steps, and if they fall down, would attempt to hold on to something to pick himself up, and take a few steps again. For some grown-ups, blaming others to recover from a downfall is the better alternative. Or they would turn to drinking or drugs, because they feel the world abandoned them. Perhaps, it would be much better to sit down for a bit after a failure, then hold on to a friend, or to one's faith and optimism.

3. Copy children's ability to have fun. And do they! Whether these are children of olden times or now, or whether they are from this or that culture and place, it seems that for children, knowing how to and when to have fun is a common denominator. Try driving a group of kids to a certain place. Notice that right there inside the car, they would already find something that would amuse them. There would be endless laughter and shrieks. They may not be using any toy, but they could still have fun.

Sometimes it would take a lot to please adults. They would attend a play, watch a move, catch a concert. You would find them complaining about something. The wait was so long. The music was too loud. The actors were lame. The people were too rowdy. Grown-ups sometimes forget to look at the other things, and simply have fun. Simply enjoy.

Grown-ups should relearn to look at the simple things and appreciate them. Go back to the basics. There has been too much focus on technology and advancement. There is still fun in going out to the park and running with the kids and the dog. Learning how to skate is still a great activity with friends and family. Board games would not really bore you all the time.

Take some time to look at children and their behavior. Who says that we can not learn from them?