Secret to happiness! What Kids Can Teach us!
ByAs a parent, I found that kids don’t want “Quality time” with you. They want “quantity.” If they could get it they want all your time. They need interaction and communication, but just your presence there in the house means the world to them. Just ask your kids if they would like to go to Disneyland for a week or have you around every day and night?
I did a survey on fourth graders to see what makes them happy. Here are the answers that I received:
Happy is: seeing my dad, seeing my mom, family reunions, seeing my cousins, seeing my uncles and aunts, my friends ,eating food, oxygen, singing, riding my bike, running, seeing my sister smile, when I get to play, good night sleep.
To make a long story short, everyone of the children I interview, mentions family. “When they spent time with their family.” What are children trying to tell us as parents and grandparents?
We have to stop over protecting the kids and learn from them. For starters we have learned that they’re much more capable than we believe they are. If you turn a group of kid loose in the outdoors, they learn to work together. They learn how to build forts and solve problems, like, how do we cross this ditch or this creek? That’s how we all find out what we’re capable of. They figure out how to entertain themselves without the electricity, without all the fancy toys.
We as parents and grandparents think we can buy their happiness with material things, when all they want is us. To be able to play, learn to be adventures, solve their own problems. Make their own mistakes, but know we are there if they need us.
I have learned from my own children and grandchildren that they have given me a small glimpse of how God must feel about us. Your spouse is capable of doing something where you wouldn’t love him or her any more or less and the same goes for your kids. It doesn’t mean you don’t get angry or frustrated with them, but you cannot NOT love them. They’re great awesome gifts. I kind of think that’s how God looks at us. He probably says, “Oh, good grief, you’re so stupid, you’re driving me crazy, but I still love you.”
You want to find happiness, start watching the children. Let them be kids, stop protecting them so much. Turn them loose and watch them play and learn. Forget the trips to the toys stores and see what they come up with in nature. The sticks, rocks and all the goodies already out side. Money is tight right now. It is a good time to let go of all the material things and get back to the basics and nature. The kids are going to love it.
Do your own survey and find out what your kids really want, what makes them happy? They can help lead you to your happiness.
Let me know what they said with your comments. This is going to be fun. We are never too old to learn from children. They can be great teachers. After all they don’t have all the hang-ups we have accumulated through the years. They don’t care what the neighbors think.
Look forward to hearing from you!
Debbie Dee
