What can parents learn from their children? Adults are too busy trying to get things done. (I’m guilty of this…)
But when you are present with your children, they will teach you a lot of things. That will help you reflect on your parental beliefs to be a happier parent! (I’m still in progress.)
In this article, I will explain what parents can learn from their children.
What do parents learn from their children?
Background of the story
When I was a nature preschool teacher, I had a family whose daughter attended our nature summer camp. She enjoyed the experience in nature including the beach, hills, trees, huge rocks…
So when their son turned preschool age, they registered him with us. Since they just recently had a baby, the father took paternal leave. Which also meant he was the primary caregiver to his children. He also told me that his son goes to indoor preschool twice a week. Just imagine how challenging it can be to keep track of all your children’s activities.
The story of their morning
One morning they arrived a bit later than usual. While the smiley dad started telling me about his morning, his son was already playing with his peers.
He was busy getting ready to drive his son to the preschool. You know how long it takes to leave the house with little ones – feels like forever! Even a parent with patience, you sometimes feel like you are losing your mind. You start asking children if they have this and that. Without a doubt, he did the same just before they walked out of the house.
Unlike his son, the father felt in a rush. But he remembered to ask one last question: ” Do you have a toy with you?” His son looked at him with the plain expression of ‘what are you talking about?’
“Dad, do you remember? We don’t need toys. We have toys in nature!” He quickly realized it was nature preschool day, not indoor preschool. During their drive, his son explained a variety of toys he’d played with within nature. Just imagine how proud his son was teaching his dad!
What can adults learn from their children?
In this case, his son’s words made him pause for a moment. Then he realized that he had learned two important things.
The first was to slow down and engage at the moment. When he was busy, he had mixed up the date. That was the reason why he reminded his son to bring a toy.
The second thing he learned was to discover his son’s imagination. Nature benefited his son and taught him how to see and think out of the box. When his son said “We have toys in nature”, it captured his son’s ability. What else could be better for his child than to see nature items as special toys?
As a result, the stressful moment turned into a learning opportunity for the father.
For some reason, we forget to allow ourselves to take time for imagination. Do you remember when you were young? You probably have spent a lot more time in nature when there were endless possibilities. We can most definitely learn from our children what’s important in our life.
Now, let go of our egos and learn from our children.