Monthly Archive for December, 2010

…or, Why two-year-olds have way more fun than the rest of us.

This December, I have been spending a lot of my time with children, mostly between the ages of 2-7. I consider this quite a fortunate situation. In an effort to save some money for my upcoming trip to France, I have begun babysitting for the many families in my parents’ neighborhood. Not only has this provided me with some much needed income, it has also reminded me of some very important attributes that many children have that we seem to lose as we become “adults”. The most significant of these lessons have come from the youngest children in three different households, all about 2-3 years old. These are things I have observed in these three kids, as well as many others I have hung out with in the past, and that I think everyone could benefit from trying to exhibit a bit more.

1. They laugh all the time. Who doesn’t get tiny little bubbles in their heart after watching Baby Ethan go crazy over ripped newspaper? Not only do little kids laugh a ton, they laugh at very simple things. In my experience, most children will continue to find joy in a game of “Now I see you, now I don’t!” for as long as you will play it with them. In fact, they seem to laugh harder and harder with each time you “find” them hiding under that blanket, or behind a chair. When you are 2 years old, you can find joy in anything – a silly cartoon, the funny face your dad makes, being tickled, or tossing a stuffed animal back and forth. In addition to laughing a lot, little kids love to be goofy and they don’t worry about being judged for acting silly – they just do what makes them happy!

2. They know they are good at everything. When you are 2 years old, the possibilities for what you can do are endless. You are an artist, an athlete, a rock star, a writer, and a scientist, all at once. You can sing at the top of your lungs and not care whether your voice is something anyone else would want to listen to. In fact, not only do you not care, you probably aren’t even aware that having a beautiful voice is any sort of a prerequisite for singing – if you have the physical capability to sing, why would you not?

3. They can run around naked wherever and whenever they want. Before we learn to be ashamed of our “private parts”, we spend a whole lot of time in our birthday suits. We are not yet old enough to feel the need to cover up, lest we be considered crazy for proudly showing off the goods – all we know is that it’s pretty darn fun to be naked, especially when there is running around involved. Now don’t get me wrong – I love dressing up as much as the next person, and in a climate where it’s rainy for a large portion of the year, clothing clearly serves a very important purpose besides the covering up of skin. However, how nice would it be during those hot days in the summer to just be able to walk around letting it all hang out and not worry about getting scornful looks and a ticket for “indecent exposure”? (if you haven’t yet, listen to Dar Williams’ “When I was a boy” for some really great lines on running around naked in your front lawn as a kid)

4. They are very proud of themselves. At the age of two, you were probably starting to learn how to do a lot of things for yourself – eating with utensils, turning on and off the lights, putting a movie in the dvd player, and yes, even going potty. Every little victory is a huge success for a two-year-old and should be celebrated accordingly. They are exploring their world and figuring out their ability to have an effect on their environment, and it’s incredibly exciting! As we get older, we are taught to be modest and to downplay our accomplishments – taking credit and celebrating ourselves is seen as self-centered and egotistical (ok, maybe an exaggeration, but this is certainly true to some extent). I say, why do we have to stop celebrating the little things, both for ourselves and for others? In the words of the great Mark Tewksbury “Exhibit excellence, and delight in the excellence of others”.

5. Bodily functions are not something to be embarrassed by. If you spend enough time with little kids, you will soon learn that being “grossed out” by bodily functions is something that has to be completely thrown out the window. Pooping is not something icky that has to be hidden – it’s a normal part of every day that sometimes happens in your diaper, sometimes in the toilet (if you’re lucky!). Burping and farting are just things that happen, like a cough or a hiccup – sometimes they are funny, but they are certainly not anything to be ashamed of! One of the kids I babysit even likes to be in the bathroom while you are going “potty” so that they can flush the toilet afterwards – not that I’m suggesting we make this a team activity, just that perhaps we shouldn’t have to be as secretive and private about things that happen naturally with everyone’s bodies and are completely normal.

It’s not a new idea to recognize the wonderful innocence and freedom that children have before they learn the rules and restrictions that are “necessary” to follow in order to fit in with society. However, I think it’s a very important one that we often forget about. So my advice is this: try channeling your inner two-year-old and spend an entire day doing things that you would like to do without worrying about any of the restraints you have learned to comply with as you’ve grown up. If you can’t remember what you yourself were like as a two-year-old, try spending some time with one and take a page out of their book.

<3
Zoe