My little boy stood on the stool facing the mirror. While I brushed his teeth, I caught my daughter’s reflection as she climbed up the stroller parked behind us. In a flash, she stood in its seat, arms upraised, giggling. I spun around to grab her, but she scrambled toward the handlebar. Because I had the brake on the stroller, the shift in weight tipped the stroller over and my sweet girl crashed to the ground.
After the fall, my daughter cried a bit, but we cuddled and, pretty quickly, she seemed OK. The next day, we visited the aquarium, and it wasn’t until I examined pictures on the train ride home that I realized something was wrong. In one photo, my daughter held her wrist in an awkward position. I discovered she’d broken it and that night, she got a little pink cast on her arm. I felt so guilty! But now I can see her ability to calm down and carry on was a form of emotional regulation. And it is a tool that will help her throughout her life. Seeing it in her was a life lesson for me—I learned the impact emotional regulation can have. Here are 7 other important life lessons I’ve learned from my baby that have helped me live life well.
1. Stay positive.
My daughter was a happy baby who laughed whenever her big brother played with her. She rolled with things well. Not all babies—or adults—are like this, but I think her naturally positive outlook kept things going well for her, even when her brother occasionally did something to bother her. Learning to recover quickly from setbacks and to keep a positive outlook has been something I’ve worked on ever since my baby was little. It has helped me to live life well.
2. Enjoy the little things.
As a baby, my daughter took great pleasure in eating. It was funny watching her chew with only six teeth. It went so slowly! But she savored new flavors just as she savored new textures between her fingers—the softness of a velvet blanket or the slipperiness of slime. She took her time with new experiences. There are so many little things we take for granted, so I am trying to notice more these days and appreciate the little things.
3. Marvel in nature.
I used to push my baby in her stroller down by the river and often brought bread for the ducks. As she watched the birds gobble the crumbs, swimming and darting about in the water, I watched her face. Pure joy. When was the last time you stood outside marveling at something not man-made, like a goose or a squirrel? These are creatures I don’t love but my baby finds delightful. Maybe God created them simply to show us His love, reflected in our babies’ eyes.
4. Be slow to anger.
Do babies get angry? I think they get frustrated if they can’t reach something and cranky when they’re hungry, but I’m not sure they know anger when they’re very young. Anger tends to come from hurt or disappointment or another complex emotion. I’m trying not to jump to anger and instead sort through another underlying emotion first.
5. Be kind to strangers.
Babies smile, wave, grab fingers. My baby loved the attention she received from strangers and didn’t have any fear. I loved her openness and ability to connect with others. I could take this cue from her to be more open too. That might look like offering a smile or greeting someone in the grocery line, even if I don’t feel like it.
6. Assume the best in others.
My baby girl trusted in my ability to take care of her—even though I failed to recognize her broken wrist right away. She still cuddled me and loved me. Sometimes, it’s easy to accuse others of wronging us on purpose. “She didn’t text me back. She must not prioritize our friendship.” Instead of thinking the worst, I’m trying to do better: “She’s probably busy with work.” More often than not, any slights I may have felt end up being accidental.
7. Forgive others.
Any normal person might hold a grudge against someone who failed to provide proper medical care in an emergency. But my baby didn’t. Sure, she didn’t have the maturity even to comprehend grudge-holding, but we can take this as a lesson in forgiveness and understanding. If someone has wronged us, it does us no good to hold onto the hurt. Either talk about it with that person or move on. Forgiving others helps us to do both.
If someone has wronged us, it does us no good to hold onto the hurt. Click To TweetHow has your baby taught you to live life well?
