Life Lessons Taught by My Baby

As adults, we assume we know everything. After all, what can a small baby teach us? Often we say “You’re a child, and you don’t know what is it.” However, when I look at my baby I find many things that we can learn from him. In fact, I feel they are life lessons that this toddler of mine is teaching me. I’m sure all babies have the knack to teach this to their parents. If only we could really pick it up from our babies! While spending almost the whole day and night with my toddler I have learnt important lessons in life, which I would love to share with you today.

Positive energy/Enthusiasm: Lack of energy is always one thing we all complain about. Eg: It’s been a long day or I’m totally stressed out or I feel tired all the time. Sounds familiar? But when I see my baby no matter what he seems to be bustling with energy all the time. He takes rest when needed, but other than that he seems to be energetic all the time whether at home, going to bathe, having food or just playing with toys. He displays positive power in small day to day tasks which in turn motivates me also to do perform my duties with positive energy! If a toddler finds so much life in daily tasks, then definitely I can do better!

Curiosity: They say curiosity is the mother of all invention! Remember the last time you were curious to know about how a particular machine functions? Or how things work? As we age, our curiosity to learn new things fades away. On the other hand, my baby is curious 24/7. Wanting to know how everything is done. How do we eat, drink, dress? How do gadgets function? Or simply how does a cupboard open! This behaviour of my toddler has made me realize that I have lost my curiosity a long time back. I don’t intend or wish to learn anything new, I’m carrying on with my daily routine without the quest for learning or questioning? Being curious gives a positive workout to our brain. And hence we must be curious about things which interest or matter to us. It not only gives us knowledge but enhances our mental well-being too.

Being happy for no reason: In today’s world, the definition of happiness is often associated with material wealth or any particular situation. Eg: I will be happy if I go for a holiday or if I buy this phone. We have forgotten to find joys in everyday life. On the other hand, my toddler is happy always. He smiles when he wakes up in the morning. He is happy when he looks out of the window. He is overjoyed to see his father return from work. He laughs watching TV or just happy and joyful for no reason at all. A big lesson for all of us is here, to be happy in all situations of life. While cooking, cleaning, working or doing day to day tasks. We must be happy with ourselves and not attribute it to anything, person and situation. Happiness is contagious, it can brighten the lives of others around us, just like when we smile for no reason looking at our babies.

Being non-judgemental: Often, we end up judging people very quickly based on their looks, work, talks etc. We don’t wait for a second before passing judgments. Sometimes it’s without even knowing someone! My baby, on the other hand, greets and meets people, whoever he comes across without being fussy or cranky. I know a baby doesn’t have the knack to know people. But in today’s world, is it not important to love people more, be kind and compassionate towards them, lend a listening ear, give a helping hand instead of judging them all the time. The world needs love and acceptance more than ever to make it a beautiful place to live in! Let’s love people first, let’s be more kind. It will come back to us in ways we never know!

A fighting spirit: A fighting spirit is something we give up on very easily. If we wish or want something, we show eagerness or enthusiasm in the beginning, however as time passes we lose our spirit on the way of our journey. Well, my baby displays a very powerful fighting spirit in all the ways he can. If he wants something he will try to get it by any means. If he wants something that is out of his reach he will find different ways to approach it. He will jump, pull, bend, run and keep on trying till he reaches his goal. This behaviour has made me realize that we must try as much as we can to reach our goals too. Fighting back with a zeal that’s what my baby taught me.

Expressing emotions: They say showing emotions is a sign of weakness. Really? On the contrary, people who hide emotions end up with mental stress or feel lonely. My baby shows all his emotions freely be it love, joy, laughter, anger, tears, frustration. I know exactly what he is feeling and so I act accordingly. Why we adults hide our emotions? Why don’t we express them as freely as our babies. Expressing emotions is lost in our society today. Everybody just puts up a fake show all the time. Then we end up with the wrong things in life. If we communicate our feelings correctly, people will understand us better and we can be ourselves always! The role of EQ is studied in psychology and is considered one of the important aspects of success and development. So showing emotions is a sign of being strong and not vice versa.

Dependency: My baby is dependent on me for everything as of now. Feeding, cleaning, bathing etc. And I love taking care of him. Being independent is the new fad. We don’t want to be dependent on anyone for any of our needs. But then, where does the role of our family fit in? There must be interdependence in the family where we live in, so as to make our bonds stronger. There is nothing to shy away about it. Family support always plays an important role in our most challenging times. So be dependent on each other, to complete our lives fully.
Surprised? Yes, a small toddler just a year old teaching me so many things! Did I miss out on any of the points? If yes, do share with me in the comments section.
To sum up, I’ll quote a beautiful line, ‘Let’s look at the world from the eyes of a baby! It looks like heaven every time!’ My baby and my journey continue. See you on the other side soon!