Lessons Children Teach Us
Lessons Children Teach Us
Some of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met have been children.
And we all know that life with children is not everyday sunshine and roses, but there is almost like this raw cry from heaven that comes to us from their lives that tugs on our hearts, changing us, getting us to think and to dream just a bit bigger.
We were all kids once, but sometimes life gets in the way and it is harder than we think it will be, and we lose that perspective. We grow up.
I think there are lessons children teach us about life that we cannot learn any other way, but through them. And I want to share three little things we can learn from the lives of kids everywhere.
Keep your wonder.
Remember when you were a kid, remember when even the little things held wonder? And how you always were thinking in questions even if you never said them out loud. Do you remember that feeling of awe that swirled in your stomach and how it was like if you just reached out your hand, your dreams were in your grasp? There was wonder in the first snowfall, in the dawn of Christmas morning, in floating on the waters of the lake, in watching flour and eggs became a cake. Children see so much out of wonder.
Wonder makes life a gift and it transforms life from a performance into an adventure. It inspires us to run harder, dream bigger, play more, dance longer, laugh louder. It makes life like an ocean, dive in, hide in the centre of the wave or splash the ones you love, just dance with it.
We can be encouraged by our kids to get our wonder back and to see life as less of a burden and more of a delight. To try new things, to let go of how this will make us look and get more wrapped up in the joy of getting to live this incredible life.
Ask questions.
You know that period of time where to every single thing, the toddler in the back just says, “but why?” And then sometimes it takes you aback, because you don’t actually know the answer and so you fluster around thinking up something quickly. And maybe once or twice, it actually does stay with you, “but why?” There is a hunger and thirst to know in so many of the children that I’ve met. They’re so intrigued, so interested. And they want to know just genuinely because they want to know.
They want to know how much longer this is going to take or why it is raining or how did that baby get in my Mom’s stomach or where is that person going.
They want to know not because they have an agenda or they’re busy, but because they just genuinely want to know.
When is the last time you asked a question just because you genuinely wanted to know? Has there been a time recently where you’ve researched something just because, not because it was for work or in a stress-induced situation? Have you asked someone a question lately just because you wanted to know, just because you wanted to know about their heart?
Don't forget to play.
Children are the champions of play. They know how to get messy when it comes to crayons, dolls and cars. They know how to build up stories that they play out in wild imagination or create something out of nothing. They know how to wrestle through their questions and the things that they have seen and heard through playing it out.
In our culture that is centred around work and responsibilities, we can learn from children how to make time and space to play. How to just sit down to create just for the sake of creating. How to lose inhibitions and fears about our ideas and thoughts through just having fun. Sometimes especially for creative people, we get stuck around fear of our work not being good enough or perfect enough, that we lose our ability to actually create the art we were made to create. Play sets us free in that.
Let’s make more time for it, more space.
So no matter if you have kids of your own or you just get to visit with one every once in awhile, let their imagination and spark for life be contagious. Let their littles lives speak into your life about how huge and incredible this life really is. And lean in and allow them to share a part of their story, allow them to give voice to the things that they see. Invite them into your creativity, whether you’re writing a story, taking a picture or just making a list.
Let the song that their lives sing call out to the song in yours. Let their little dreams call out to the dreams in you that maybe you laid down long ago. Let their hope remind you that simplicity is powerful and life doesn’t have to be as complicated as we have made it out to be.
So this week, find your wonder, ask some questions and make some time to play. And if you have kids, invite them into it, even for just a moment. While you’re at it, take some pictures.
Because these are the moments we hold onto, the ones we absolutely cherish.
About This Family Session
Beautiful parents Tracy and Scott wanted to do something special to celebrate their daughter Cadence's 6th birthday. Her big sister Corissa and younger sister Claudia were happy to oblige.
I'm sure raising these three girls has it's challenges, but Tracy and Scott have obviously learned a ton from their kids and from each other as they do it. From dancing in the window light to blowing bubbles and cuddling, there was nothing but love, smiles and patience from these sweet parents. I just adore when kids can be kids, make themselves at home and just play here in the studio. And these three siblings were able to dojust that.
Their Family Album Design
Hi there, I'm Karen Byker from Grimsby, Ontario, Canada. I'm obsessed with newborn baby yawns, giggling kids and fancy flavoured tea.
I'm a mother of four that understands the overwhelm of the every day, but I've learned how to embrace and enjoy the beauty of it. I believe we should be able to enjoy this life we chose.
I've been a professional photographer since 2005. I've helped hundreds of mamas to slow down, pause and use photography as a reminder to take a breath.
I'd love to talk with you about documenting the beauty through your chaos. Let's chat!
