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As our country celebrates Youth Month, I celebrate the two youths who live in our house. They charm, delight, madden, exhaust and exasperate us. But as the wisdom goes, kids are here to teach us things. For example, I’ve always heard that kids are a lesson in patience. I’m not sure I’ve mastered that one yet, but my youths have taught me a whole lot of other things. Such as... When our two-year-old handed me the TV remote and asked me to change Mickey Mouse into Minnie Mouse. I marveled at how much power he thought I had. Or maybe he really believed anything was possible. When our two-year-old first began questioning the nature of the universe and asked: “Whobody makes it sunny and makes it dark?” When I was saying something parental to our two-year-old and he asked, “Why you talking always?” Which taught me to shut up. When our three-year-old apologised for not saying please and explained that his magic word got stuck inside his body. Those good manners also meant he got angry watching rugby, because the players were pushing and not saying sorry. When our three-year-old gave us a big smile and said, “I’m just going somewhere I’m not supposed to be.” I respected his unbridled honesty, and then asked a whole lot of follow-up questions. When our three-year-old saw a shooting star and I told him to make a wish, so he wished for another shooting star. I praised his logic, and again his belief in possibilities. When our five-year-old told me he didn’t want to go to school because he knows so much already. And I had to agree. It was around the same time that he approached me and said: “Dad, I have some questions.” When our six-year-old saw some younger kids in the park and said: “They’re still small so they don’t know life.” I learned that everything is just a matter of perspective. When our seven-year-old told me that leaving him alone in a room would be very bad parenting. It was the first of many comments critiquing (and correcting) our Mum and Dad skills. When our seven-year-old told me during a chess game that I needed to start making better choices. I was taken aback by the complexity of his thinking... and it wasn’t the last time I was outplayed. And then there was the day when our six-year-old asked how many mistakes grown-ups make. I didn’t know how to answer at the time, but I’m grateful that our two boys are here to keep us in check. So maybe it’s okay that I haven’t quite learned patience yet. I’ve learned so many other things. Although seven years later I still can’t explain why they’re not allowed to go out with underpants on their heads. At least they keep asking, so maybe one day the answer will come. Life lessons, as they say. Happy Youth Month! |