Episode #207 Learn From Children
When is the last time you’ve named an insect, built a fort, or read a book about animals? This week, Dr. Michael Brown (father of nine adult children) and Hannah Lundquist (stay-at-home mother of two young children) inspire us to celebrate the postures, practices, and perspectives of our kids.
Show Notes
I can see lots of our things as clutter; they see it as raw materials to build new worlds.Hannah Lundquist
Five Problems
- Even when we share an environment and schedule with children, our attitudes and outlooks are often drastically different.
- Children spend lots of time in their senses, while adults spend lots of time in their heads.
- Many of us have forgotten how to see the world through the eyes of a child, and others have forgotten that we still can.
- Mobile devices often immobilize our spirits.
- Racism, sexism, and exclusivity are learned behaviors that we pass down to our children.
Five Principles
- Days spent with children may be exhausting, but they are also rich.
- Children have the power to remind us what is most precious and important in life.
- Our children tend to see through our projected persona directly to who we truly are.
- Just as a spouse can change us for the better, so too can children shape and refine us.
- Playfulness should not be reserved for special occasions but should be a rhythm of life.
Fifteen Playful Practices
- Play A Sport
- Play More Music
- Learn A Skill
- Read Children’s Nonfiction
- Splash In Puddles
- Start A Collection
- Fly A Kite
- Celebrate Something Special
- Make Brave Choices
- Make A Friend
- Build Lego Towers
- Find Farts Funny
- Feed The Birds
- Swing And Slide
- Catch A Bug
Five Introspective Practices
- Whenever you begin to feel frustrated with your children, consider how to change your perspective instead to find joy in them.
- Ask your children, “What do you see in me that I might not see in myself?”
- Volunteer to spend time with the children of the people you love, not only as a blessing for them but also as a learning experience for yourself.
- As you look toward the day ahead, ask questions of anticipation like “What is special about today?” and “Who can I connect with today?”
- If you are lucky enough to have grandchildren, allow them to serve as a reminder of just how much you adore your own children.
In This Episode
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