Don’t you miss being young and naïve? When you were full of wonder and awe, ready to take on the day with child-like enthusiasm. When did that end for you? Can you remember the day you “grew up”? Was it a specific age? Was it a defining moment in your life? Perhaps life circumstances forced you to mature “too early” and you feel as if your childhood was cut short? Did you wake up one day and wish to go back to a time when things were simpler, slower, and more carefree?
Maybe you are like me and can’t remember any of the exact answers to the above questions but also like me, you find yourself all too often rushing through life. Are we also rushing our children through life?
Anyone with babies and/or toddlers knows that the every day grind can become a monotonous blur of errands, laundry, diaper changes, repeat. I have to stop and remind myself to soak in the goodness and innocence of my children during this young stage of their lives.
“I can do it!” is a phrase used (ok, screamed) by my 2.5 year old daily. Likewise, my 6 year old is first to volunteer with a “Let me show you” or “I’ll give it a try.” As parents, we are always praising them with phrases such as “You’re such a big girl!” and “Look what you learned!” Even though their personalities are vastly different, they are both excited by “being big” and “so grown up.”
I want to empower my girls to learn new and exciting skills and absorb all the information they possibly can about life’s vast lessons.
But when they are ready. I need to let them be little.
I want to relish in their victories and walk through their failures with them.
But when they are ready. I want to let them be little.
I want to be the person that explains all the “S’s” to my girls. From subtraction to Santa to society to salvation to sex.
But when they are ready. I trust to let them be little.
Why do we (moms and dads, friends and family) force our children into “being big” so quickly? Why do we place this rush of independence on them?
Sometimes we push them for our mutual personal gain, as if we assume “maybe if my child learns a specific new skill I will be alleviated from a chore.” Or perhaps we over communicate before their small minds can fully perceive the information. Hoping that “maybe if my child is informed about a certain subject matter earlier in life that they will somehow make a better decision or mature into a better caliber of person.” Instead of worrying so much about who they will grow up to be, we need to be focusing on who they are in the present. Little souls loving life!
A child is innocent, trusting, naïve, humble, joyful, and content.
Let them be little.
Next time you find yourself rushing a child-like moment, take a step back and instead cherish it for what it is and simply decide to let them be little for one more day.
