5 Things We Can Learn From Children to be Better as Adults

Do you remember when you were young and how adults seemed so serious and structured and a little stale? And do you remember your creative, crazy and courageous ideas as a child? Where along the way did the concept of being 'childish' become a negative attribute? Kids can teach us so much about living life, having hope, making the most of a situation, embracing mistakes, trying new things, dreaming big and ultimately having fun! Sometimes it takes spending time with children, or reflecting on our own childhood to remember these simple lessons.

I've done a lot of personal reflection over the last 6 months as I farewelled my wonderful Nannu (that's Maltese for 'grandfather') and welcomed my baby nephew to the world. These two had me thinking about the fundamentals of what actually makes us happy, and ultimately how the simple things in life can become complicated as we age. I've realised that not much has changed in terms of what made little-Talene happy compared to big-Talene (The Simpsons, Grip Ball and Nintendo remain constant). I thought about my Nannu and about how uncomplicated he was, how simple his pleasures were, how frequent he laughed, how he always remained curious, and how he connected so well with people, especially children. He seemed to have figured out a long time ago that living simply is the key to success and happiness - and when I observe my nephew it seems that he was just born that way. So how does that change over time for some of us?

We know there's a lot we can teach to children, but there's a lot that children can teach us. With Nannu and my nephew as inspiration, I decided to put pen to paper ...fingers to keyboard and list 5 things we can learn from children to be better as adults:

1. Ask more questions: It's okay for children to not know the answers because they're young, and so there is no problem with asking questions, right? Youth is synonymous with inexperience, therefore lack of knowledge... As an adult however, do we prefer to have the perception of knowing the answers to not look inexperienced, and/or do we fear judgment so we shy away?

Richard Saul Wurman, the original creator of the TED Conference makes excellent observations about this and points to the educational system. He says “In school, we’re rewarded for having the answer, not for asking a good question”... this may explain why children start off asking endless questions then gradually ask less as they progress through the education system... Feel familiar?

2. Try new things: When was the last time you tried something new? Made a new friend? Ventured out of your comfort zone? 

Children aren't afraid to play a sport they have never tried before. They aren't afraid to look silly doing it, or even do a bad job of it. As adults, we seem to avoid what we don't know and we stay safely in our comfort zone. I am super guilty of this (it doesn't help owning such a comfortable lounge and being prone to the odd siesta...). Trying new things takes energy, but the pay-off is always worth it!

The last time I tried something new was fat-biking through the snow-capped Grand Canyon last month - not only was the scenery stunning, the fat bikes were just fun! You could say that I went so far out of my comfort zone I actually went flying off my bike and I now have a scar on my elbow to remind me of the Grand Canyon (it was hilarious... no regrets!). The last time before that I went to a live photography exhibit with 2 colleagues that was so abstract that we exited like awkward, giggling school kids. Both times I walked away thinking "I need to do this more often!"... I had a great time and have great memories and stories to tell as a result.

Why not volunteer for a cause you're passionate about? Do a scenic walk? Try aerial yoga? Eat a cuisine you haven't had before? Fall off a fat bike like I did? Never had escargot? Why? Why not!?

3. Be more creative: Remember the pasta necklace you made as a child? Did you make caterpillars out of egg cartons too? Remember creating Christmas tree ornaments? Or painting plaster-figurines? Making Lego towns or Play-Doh burgers?

As we grow we develop our knowledge and skills, yet somehow we manage to create less... It actually doesn't make sense! I feel that this is the best thing that we can learn from children that can actually help us to be more successful in our jobs. Creative thinking is an excellent differentiator and problem solver as an employee - and it's a great way to future-proof your career! Why do something because it's been done before and it works? Why not create a new strategy or prototype? You know who is great at this? Children! A perfect example of this can be seen with the Marshmallow challenge (there's a great TED Talk on this site about the Marshmallow Challenge too... yes I do love TED Talks!).

 4. Laugh more: Being happy for no reason and having fun is mandatory for children. They actually prioritise fun activities! When children finish school, they play. Where did we lose that self-rewarding attitude? Children have a wonderful ability to see joy and fun all around them, and an even greater ability to value humour and laugh at themselves.

Laughter is also the best medicine! It relieves stress, improves your immune system, and can trigger endorphins! Yay!

5. Do what makes you happy: Nice and simple. Whether it be a toy or a lolly at the grocery store, kids know what they want and they aren’t afraid to go for it. When you were a kid you probably didn’t consider the cost of the toy and you definitely didn’t care if the lolly had gluten or artificial colours or sweeteners, or if it was cacao instead of cocoa, or how many calories were in it. It just made you happy so you went for it!

Are you doing what makes you happy? Are you doing it every day? Is your job rewarding and challenging and stimulating? What was your dream job as a kid and why? Dream jobs for children often boil down to what looks like fun, and helping others. So, what matters to you? We spend so much of our time at work that it's fundamental to enjoy the work that we do - and if we don't, then consider what would make us happier!

So... what have you learned from a child? What did you want to be as a child? And what was the last new activity you tried, and the last thing you created?

If you want to be inspired by a kid, check out Adora Svitak's TED Talk about the very topic of what adults can learn from kids here! Yep, I told you I loved TED Talks...