Toddlers Sure Can Teach Us A Lot About How to Live... If We Let Them

“No! I can do it by myself.”

It’s the current mantra of my two toddlers that echoes throughout the walls of our home, the doors of our car, and sometimes what seems like the clouds in the sky.

Getting dressed. Putting shoes on.
Brushing teeth. Putting car seat buckle on.
Doing hair. Putting soap on.

Walking. Cooking. Eating. Playing.

You get the picture.

These days, we’re literally no where on time...and the energy they give off is fierce all of the time,

but

I am learning to be easy on myself when we show up late a lot of the time and, my goodness, do I admire their energy 100% of the time.

You see, in the moment, their independent insistence can be frustrating, but when I step back and look at their eyes, I can clearly see that each of my children is a force to be reckoned with—

and that amazes me.

They make me think:

What if I took on my daily challenges the way they do?

What if I faced my fears the way they do?

What if I unabashedly acclaimed out loud that I was just going to try as best as I could before asking for help with humility the way they do?

What if I took the time I needed to process failures the way they do?

...

So often, toddlers get a less than endearing reputation; they can be moody, irrational, impulsive and even explosive.

But just imagine for a moment the amount of strength and bravery and straight up gumption it takes to try new and hard things by yourself—

with an audience of seemingly “pros” watching you,

with a feeling of pressure lurking over you,

with a will to succeed enveloping you.

Imagine for a moment the amount of humbleness and tenacity it takes to know you didn’t quite get it right the first (or tenth) time,
but to still show up at the plate again and again day after day.

Imagine for a moment what toddlers must be feeling and going through on the inside and

just let that sink in.

It’s amazing isn’t it? The way toddlers live life. The way they learn about life. They way they embrace life.

Sure, toddlers may have a lot yet to learn still, but so do we,

and I think these little ones have a lot to teach us about how to live—

if we let them.