Why children are the best teachers

I spent one year of my life in a parents-run children’s group in Vienna/Austria for my volunteer service with the ESC. There, together with a great team of other caretakers, I accompanied 14 little humans as they grew up and I learned so many new things about myself, the children and the world.

During this year, many people from different countries, cities, and backgrounds influenced me – but I probably learned the most from and through these children. Why?

I appreciated them for their…

… honesty: Children this age are usually straightforward about what they think and how they feel. They tell you why they are angry with another child who doesn’t want to play with them. They explain to you why they think you are stupid when you don’t allow them to do something. Or tell you while playing that you look really ugly without glasses…. I want to take this honesty more into my everyday life and stand up for my needs and be honest when I just don’t feel like doing something.

… power of fascination: Children can see the beauty of everyday life in such a light-hearted way and are fascinated and interested by the smallest things. From them I have learned that instead of complaining about the bad weather, just put on your rubber boots and jump in the puddles or dance in the summer rain and then blow dry your shoes afterwards. Let’s be more fascinated by our wonderful surroundings and the apparent normality!

… ability to set boundaries: “Stop, I said stop!” Never before have I heard people setting limits as clearly as children. In the children’s group, it was considered an important part of the pedagogical concept to teach the children this ability to stand up for themselves and their boundaries. There is no need for setting boundaries for the children, it is enough for them to learn to set them for themselves and to communicate and stand up for them to others. I really vision a society where we first start setting boundaries for ourselves before we start with others!

… patience: When children have gotten into an activity, they have usually pursued it with the utmost concentration and perseverance. Trying things again and again, even if you don’t get it right the first time – I want to take this patience from the children and be more patient with myself and others!

… to take life with humor: What’s the point of getting angry about everything we can’t change anyway? Laughing about little mishaps, laughing about myself and with others – that makes the world more beautiful to me and I love to see children’s laughter and pure joy in their eyes!

All these great qualities and skills I was able to observe and learn from the children during my volunteer service, because life and our experiences are the best places to learn!

Let’s be more honest, more fascinated by small things in everyday life, let’s set ourselves boundaries that are good for us, and most importantly – laugh more!