Big lessons from a little person

In the nearly two years since I became an aunt, my heart has grown a lot larger. My niece has a huge influence in my life now, and I’d like to think that I have a big influence in hers, too. Going to University means I spend a lot of time looking at photos and videos my sister sends me of her, and even more time looking forward to when I see her next. But being away from home also means I notice the changes in her as she grows more than ever before. Spending the day together today, I was thinking about how pure children are and how it’s a shame that so much of that is stripped with age. And here are a few things I think we could learn from the little…

1. It’s fair to share

 I know that children go through that stroppy, selfish kind of age, but right now my niece is precious with her sharing. Sat having coffee today, she eats her packet of Pombears and after munching on one herself, gives one to each person around the table and starts again. Likewise, when you are eating something, she will point at each person around the table as an indicator that you should offer it to them as well.

So often I find myself digging into something I’ve been craving and just praying that no one will ask me for a bite. Yet, think of how annoying it is when you eye up someone else’s food and think ‘why aren’t they offering me any!’.

If an 18-month-old toddler who hasn’t fully developed social awareness yet knows it is fair to share, then we should too.

2. Why be lazy?

I can’t talk for everyone, but I will take the car at most given opportunities and moan if I have to walk somewhere even remotely distant. It is true that we get lazier with age! Toddlers are always clawing to get out of their prams and be given the chance to walk, and it’s often tempting to jump in their empty seat. Maybe it’s purely because little people have more energy than us, but they also have little legs which demand a lot of energy for even the flattest inclinations. So, that’s not an excuse… walk!

3. Laughter is the best medicine

One of my favourite things about spending time with my niece is that she is always giggling! Whether that be at a game of peekaboo, whilst chasing her around the house as she screams ‘Catch me! Catch me!’, or even in a sadistic way when you hurt yourself and she finds it utterly hilarious. Whatever the reason, her mischievous smile and gleaming eyes as she laughs away is contagious. Toddlers don’t worry about things, they don’t overthink or stress unnecessarily. I think this is a trait we could definitely all work on.

There is no better feeling than when you are laughing so hard you can’t breathe, or to the point that you forget why you are laughing in the first place.

4. If you don’t ask, you don’t get

Not to be confused with greed (although there is a fine line), toddlers- when not going through the inevitable shy phases- have no inhibitions. The amount of times in the day that I hear my niece say ‘Juice’, see her try and open the fridge, take someone’s food or ask for second servings is uncountable. But it’s rare the answer is no, so something must be working.

I feel that the older we get, the more socially conscious and almost awkward we become. Or maybe that’s just me… Anyway, sometimes I’m making such an effort to be polite that I overthink it and it’s just unnecessary. For example, sometimes I am offered something, and I immediately say ‘no’ by default, but in retrospect I really wanted it.

The point is, if you want something; just ask.

The bottom line?

Toddlers are so easy to influence, and the way you influence them at this age has big impacts for them later in life. But what we often overlook is the way in which they influence us back.

They are sometimes the best models of behaviour in that they aren’t burdened by responsibility, past experiences and emotion in the way that you are with age.

So, it’s time we pay more attention to the big things we can learn from little people.