It seems logical that adults know more than kids, right? Here’s the irony in that statement—I’ve learned some life lessons from someone I least expected: my 2.5-year-old daughter. And, to her I’m forever grateful for these lessons.
Find the joy and excitement in the “little” things. With babies and toddlers, they’re experiencing things for the first time—the same things that have become mundane and ordinary to us. But to them, it’s full of “wow” and “ooh” and “ahhh.” I’ll never forget the first time my daughter spotted a butterfly—it was truly magical. It’s the little things like this—seeing a baby cow walking with his mom or spotting flowers blooming—that can help experience joy and excitement each and every day, in everything we do.
Slow down a little—it’s good for you. The rush to get out the door for, well anything, with two kids is stressful. Whether it’s a diaper blowout on the baby or we can’t find the princess dress my daughter insists on wearing, it seems to be a major undertaking to leave the house most days. This is usually when I lose my cool and find myself saying, “come on, let’s hurry…” A few weeks ago, as my daughter was walking out the door at a snail’s pace, she turned to me and said, “lub (love) you, Mommy.” Any stress I felt just seconds prior was gone. It’s funny that it took that for me to take a step back and realize, hey, it’s OK to slow life down
Your actions speak louder than words. My daughter can be a little mimick, which is adorable… and also great insight into who I am and my actions. When you have two little eyes following you around everywhere, you learn that what you do and what you say even when you’re (almost) all alone speaks volumes.
Smile more often. As my daughter’s favorite song says, “If you’re happy and you know it then your face will really show it.” My daughter always says to me, “Smile, Mommy!” I’m grateful for those reminders. We all know it’s pretty hard to NOT smile when you see someone else smile (kind of the like the whole “yawns are contagious” thing!).
I’m so blessed to be this little girl’s mom and to learn some of life’s most precious lessons from her.
Read more of my motherhood musings on my blog, xo, lauren and jane. Follow along on Instagram and Pinterest, too!