Life Through the Eyes of My Four Year Old

Sometimes I like to stop and think about life as my kids see it. To put myself into their little shoes for a few moments and look around me. It’s often times very different from the way I see the world as a “grown-up.” (Although I guess as a grown-up I’m supposed to call myself an Adult, oops). It’s a good exercise to do once in a while – it makes you appreciate the “little” things.

It’s easy as an adult to get busy and caught up with everything and miss out on special moments. You’re too busy working, or worrying about the bills, or you’re just so tired you can’t really think straight. But every once and while I try to slow down – even if it’s just for a few minutes and I try to think like my kids. To see the world through their eyes. When I think of how my four year old sees the world, I realise sometimes I’m missing the point.

To him, everything is still new and exciting. It’s all an adventure waiting to happen – there’s always something to discover, to explore and to learn. He doesn’t get bored. Have you ever noticed that? Toddlers and young children don’t really ever get bored. They find something to do; to amuse themselves. Their curiosity fuels them and so they can’t be bored or lack something to do. Even if it’s playing with sticks and grass outside – it’s discovery and imagination time – there’s no boredom.

My four year old is not afraid to ask questions. In fact he asks an average of 1000 every day. 🙂 This is how he learns (I remind myself of this when I’m answering the same question for the 10th time). But for him there’s no thought to – if it’s a good question, what I will think of him for asking such a question, if he should already know the answer – none of that – he just asks whatever pops into his cute little head.

Hopping, skipping, jumping and running are not part of an exercise routine for my four year old – they are just the different ways he moves around. He doesn’t really walk. Anywhere. Apparently walking is not as fun as the before mentioned modes of movement. He doesn’t worry or fret about getting enough steps in that day – activity and movement are just part of his daily life – because he enjoys them.

My four year old can laugh at just about anything if he’s in the right mood. He finds humour in the tiniest things and his laugh is contagious. You can’t help but laugh yourself. In those moments when he’s laughing and I don’t really know why but I start laughing because his little laugh is so funny – in those moments there is true joy. It’s nothing monumental or amazing, it’s just life. Four year olds know it feels good to laugh; so they do.

Somewhere along the way as part of the growing up process we tend to lose some of these things. We start to think we know all the answers and so things aren’t as interesting. We start to become more self-conscious and don’t ask questions for fear of what others might say or think. (For many of us) skipping, running, jumping and hopping are not normal ways of getting around anymore but have become part of an exercise regime we drag ourselves out of bed (hopefully) every morning to do. Sometimes we can go a whole week or longer without really laughing. I mean laughing – out loud – from your gut – for really no good reason at all! We’re too busy for these things. The little things. The “childish” things. But let me just say. Four year olds know how to have fun. They enjoy life. They aren’t stressed or worried; they take things as they come. They bounce back quickly. They forgive quickly. They love passionately. What if we could manage to keep some of these traits as adults. Still managing to be mature and to make wise decisions and to take care of our families – but at the same time remaining curious and adventurous. Not being afraid to say what we believe or think or to ask a question when we don’t understand something. And to laugh. To laugh because it feels good and it is good and it sets you free a little on the inside. What if?

We all seem to want these things – to be happy, to have joy, to forget past wrongs, forgive and move on, to enjoy the little things – the things life is made up of. To live and love passionately. More often than not I think I have so much to learn about living life to the fullest from my kids. They know how to do it. They’ve got it figured out. I just hope I can help them hold onto to these things even as they grow and mature.