6 things I have learned from my toddler

Parenting toddlers, so many learning opportunities in such a short amount of time! Not only do our children teach us how to be parents, if we spend a little time observing, but it’s also easy to see how much they have to teach us about being better people too.

Our children can help us to let go of bad habits, take situations lightly, and use every opportunity that we have to learn something new. After spending 2 years raising my daughter at home, I’ve learned so much about the ease at which children pass through life - and it’s made my day-to-day experiences even more incredible!

Here are 6 of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned from my daughter during my journey into parenting - lessons that I will be eternally grateful for!

1.  Forgiveness

Toddlers let things slide. They don’t hold grudges, they don’t spend all day being angry with us for upsetting them in the morning. It’s incredible to even imagine how light they must feel at being able to let negative feelings slide away in less than 1 minute!

We could all do with a lesson in forgiveness. Watch how willingly your toddler goes to play with a friend that bit them yesterday, and you’ll soon realise how much more pleasant it is to forgive and forget.

2.  Friendship

Head to the local park with your toddler and watch how they’ll have made a new friend by the end of your 20-minute stay. It’s wonderful how easily toddlers open themselves up to communication with their peers, and I think that there’s a lot to be learned from it. This could go for colleagues, fellow mums who you repeatedly see at the school drop-off, and can even help with strengthening your existing relationships.

3.  Awe and wonder

Watch the world through your toddler’s eyes and you’ll quickly see that there is beauty in everything. New experiences, objects, sounds, and people are fascinating to children - they become sponges ready to soak up everything that there is to learn from all new things and situations.

4.  To fight for what I want

Toddlers know what they want and they are notwilling to give up easily. They’ll cry, throw a tantrum, sneak it away when you’re not looking, or talk about it until you give in. Whatever they have to do to get what they want, they’ll do it!

5.  To slow down

Though it might be frustrating when it takes 20 minutes to walk 100 metres, stop and take a second to observe why it’s taking your toddler so long. More often than not, it’s because they are stopping to play or look at something new! On your next walk to the local shop, enjoy the journey instead of focusing only on getting to your destination - you’ll have much more fun.

6.  Truthfulness

Toddlers can’t lie - it’s amazing! We can get them to tell us anything we want to and they will own up to everything. And doesn’t that kind of honesty just make things so much easier? Imagine how it would feel to tell the truth all of the time, you would be raw and honest with people as well as thinking about your actions so that it’s not necessary to lie. What a world that would be. 

When things get tough, take a deep breath, and behave as your toddler would.