What are the Things Our Kids Can Teach Us As Parents?

Life lessons can come in small packages. This is what I realized after being a parent for quite some time now. My children and the way they are seem to me to be sent by life to teach parents like me many lessons about life. 

There is so much pressure nowadays to appear like a perfect parent, a superhero who can do it all, with no apparent weakness. But I believe that we, parents, are also a work in progress in our parenting journey. And the people who have a lot to teach parents are those we parent- our children! 

A journey to becoming a good parent in our own right

Those who are able to open up themselves to learning, growing and improving are those who are also on the road to becoming the best parents they could be. 

It means we learn from our children and adjust some parts of our attitudes, behaviors or patterns of thinking in light of these life lessons. 

• Children can teach parents to be more self-aware. Children, spending almost all of their time with us parents, have the full picture of who we really are inside and outside of home. 

Children are like these small mirrors that reflect what they see, hear and feel from us. The way they copy us gives us an idea of our personal values, our biases, failings and weaknesses. 

It then gives us many opportunities to respond whenever we see our own reflection back at us. Do we learn grace to reflect before reacting, or do we launch into anger, self-preservation or project the blame to others? 

This is such a humbling lesson about humility and keeping our eyes open to the fact that we, parents, can make mistakes too! 

• Children teach parents to be in the moment and not miss the things we love to do! I think this shows why children have this ability to deflect a lot of stress that we parents (as adults) usually lose gradually. 

• When children are playing, doing what they love best, they have the ability to forget all others. They are teaching parents an essential life lesson of living in the moment. 

• Tired of always thinking about the future, and carrying the burdens of the past? Let’s sit with and play together with our children- they can teach us a thing or two about being joyful and playful in the moment! 

• Children teach parents to make everyday a day to learn. You, as a parent, know all too well about children’s curiosity. They are always wondering how things work, and why things are the way they are.

• Adults meanwhile seem to have lost this desire to know, the feeling of curiosity, and the passion to welcome new things. Maybe spending more time with our kids can give us a deep life lesson on maintaining our child-like wonder! 

• Children teach parents to love well. It is often thought that parents teach children to love, but the other way around may also hold some truth. Why do children seem to let go of hurts and forgive much more easily than adults? Yes, they get angry, scared, and frustrated too, but they get over them and decide to love again. 

• Children also love through actions, supported by their affectionate words. How I wish we parents also do the same most of the time! 

This quote from Angela Schwindt sums up for me the wonderful synergy between parents and children. ““While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.”

May we see the world through our children’s perspective too. Surely, we will learn valuable life lessons to carry us through our parenting journey. 

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