We thought we’ve got life figured out, up until parenting comes along. To say that parenting is eye-opening is underrated. As soon as the positive line in the home pregnancy test appears, our lives begin to transform. From changes to our diet and lifestyle to the constant decision making throughout the entire nine months, pregnancy marks the beginning of what we can learn from our children.
It’s undeniable that parenting is an exciting adventure filled with ups and downs of emotions. Just when you thought you’ve finally figured out the best way to make your baby nap, everything changes and here we go again finding solutions for the new issue. Keep your eyes open, your ears alert, your mind humbled – and you’ll find that children make one of the best life teachers around:
1. Imperfections are completely okay
Got dark circles under your eyes and frizzy hair all over? Spotting a stained shirt with mismatched pants? No problem, your children still love you to bits. To them, you are perfect all the time – stretchmarks and all. Mistakes are okay, imperfections are fine too. Our kids teach us that what’s within is most important.
2. Forgive and forget
Children, especially the younger ones, are big on this. One moment she’s crying her heart out because you refused to give her a cookie and the next minute, she’s hugging you because you are her most favourite person in the whole world. Kids teach us one of the greatest skills in life – to forgive and forget so we can go on with our lives and continue making happy memories.
3. Count our blessings
Rocks on the pathway, dried leaves in the garden, birds on your way to school – we see these things all the time yet never really noticed them. Children, on the other hand, will embrace their surroundings and marvel at its beauty, taking every little thing in. They are a good reminder that we should count our blessings for the little things in life.
4. Keep trying and don’t give up
Ever negotiate with a child who wants something badly? You’ll know that it’s a challenging task as they will go all out to have what they want, even if it’s near impossible to get it. To them, if there’s a will, there’s a way.
5. Feeling your feelings is not a weakness
Angry? Scream! Sad or frustrated? Cry it out! Excited? Squeal! Children have no qualms about letting the world know their feelings. And while throwing a tantrum isn’t the ideal way to handle our emotions, it’s often good to be honest about how we feel.
Happy parenting!
