Becoming a big kid

I used to think of adults as the people who had it all together. It never occured to me that my teacher was only pretending to be impressed when I learned to multiply double-digits or write my name in cursive. It never occured to me that perhaps she even rolled her eyes when I walked away, annoyed that I always had to be a show-off. I thought all adults were honest and kind and caring. After all, they were always telling us to treat other the way we would want to be treated, and adults always practice what they preach.

....Riiiiiight.

I'm 24 now, and I'm realizing that adults don't always do what's right either. In fact, if there were a time-out corner for adults, I'd bet it fill up quicker and stay full longer than the kiddie corner. Sure, most of us don't go around flinging boogers at our enemies or throwing ourselves on the ground in a fit when we don't get our way, but that's just because we don't have the nerve. Kids are, for the most part, innocent and untarnished. They just don't know any better than to act on raw emotions. We are conditioned, as we get older, to uphold certain standards. In other words, you gotta act like you got some sense!

I'm thankful for that. Really, I am. I can't imagine what kind of world we'd be in if every adult acted like a child in every situation. We all know a few who do, and I think we can agree that the world doesn't need anymore. Adulthood requires the ability to hold it all together while your world is falling apart. Still, imagine a world filled with people who had the HEART of a child...

I work with kids every day. I must tell a dozen kids every hour to tell another kid they're sorry. The crimes range from stealing a sand bucket to calling another child a name. Where I work, the rule of thumb is that every apology is followed by a hug. The impact that an apology and a hug has on a child is incredible. I witness this over and over, day after day, and it still never ceases to amaze me. A child will instantly stop crying after his friend hugs him and apologizes for pushing him. Two girls frolic to the swingset holding hands after they share an apology for fighting over a doll. Once you seek an apology from a child, the war is over.

I watch these kids in awe on a daily basis. They drive me absolutely crazy, but there is nothing more rewarding than hearing a slurred "I love you" at the end of the day from a snotty-nosed three-year-old, despite the fact that you've put him in time-out 18 times since lunch. He doesn't even care. Chances are, he doesn't even remember. Kids remember what's important about us. They know who takes care of them, loves them, and makes peace in their classroom, and that's all they really care about at the end of the day.

We could all stand to learn a few things from the children. It's easy to let the responsibilities of adulthood replace the fundamentals from childhood. Just because we're older now doesn't mean it's any less important to "follow the rules." Forgive and forget. Apologize when you need to. Follow the Golden Rule. Do everything you did when you were a kid. Just do it a little smarter now that you're older!