Forever Young

Those of you who keep tabs on me via Facebook might have recently seen that I read “Green Eggs & Ham” by Dr. Seuss to my MBA class, as part of an assignment. For those of you that don’t, well, now you know. It was for a class called “Creativity in Business Decision Making” but week after week, as I watched other students present on their respectively chosen books and articles, I wondered if we were even in the same class. While they were busy presenting intricate charts and complex theories on topics like “the neuroscience of genius,” I was sitting in front of the classroom with a Dr. Seuss hat on my head. I kid you not.

My message to the class was simple: embrace the kid in you because the seeds of creativity are planted at a young age. Do you remember the first time you were given crayons? (The correct answer is “no”). But let’s for a second, imagine what we did with them: tried to eat them, bang on anything around you with them, hid them somewhere for safekeeping, or maybe you eyed the wall with them. It wasn’t until we were given coloring books with neatly drawn designs and characters were we taught of its “proper” use. You see where I’m going with this, don’t you?

Aside from the proverbial, “draw (way) outside the lines” lesson, there are many other things we abandon as we grow up. I’ve been fortunate enough to witness my niece and nephew grow up over the past six years, and in the midst of being their aunt/babysitter/play date/chauffer, I’ve actually learned a thing or two from them.

So I present to you, an adult’s guide to being a kid again:

• The magic of these three little words: “I like you.” One evening I was helping my niece put her shoes on and she suddenly – and quite randomly – said, “I like you Fee” (Fee, being my nickname for my niece and nephew). Talk about instant gratification. One of the most endearing qualities about kids is their raw honesty. They haven’t mastered the art of diplomacy, nor do they care about hurting your feelings. Yes, there are times we’ll need to fib and sugarcoat, but don’t suppress the good stuff. A smile is the easiest thing you can give to someone. 
• Almost anyone that has had to handle an “unruly” or an upset child, knows that distraction is the key to pacification. For example, a perfectly valid response to a kid whining about wanting candy or to “play” with your iPad/iPhone/iWhatever is, “Oh, look outside – what is that??” For an instant, they put their unreasonable request on pause to gaze outside in search of that something. The same rule applies to us as adults: if you’re mending a broken heart or even just steaming over a bad day, go out and take your mind off of it.  
• Every Friday when I come home (on time), I’m greeted by my two little ones with a big “Aahhhh Fee’s home! You’re home early!” And during that moment, I forget about the meetings I had, the projects due, or even that Saturday night hot date. During that moment, I’m there, and all theirs. Learn to be present.  
• The other day, my nephew accidently kicked his beach ball outside the house and onto the street. Being fully aware that he is not allowed to cross the street on his own, he looked at the ball with trepidation and feared for its safety. What if a car ran over it? What if it kept rolling out of sight? What if another kid took it? I recognized the look on his face – it was the same “oh no!” look I had on my face last week when I realized I had an overdue paper for the aforementioned class. The level of complexity of our worries undoubtedly grows over time, but sometimes it really isn’t all that bad, so relax :-)
• No matter what, at the end of it all, kids always want to go back to their Mommy. I recently took them to a carnival and was convinced I had been elevated to cooler-than-Mommy status, but on the way back home, they insisted to be dropped off home. I guess there is something soothing about a mother’s love, but as we get older, we need it less. That doesn’t mean you should show it any less – so give her a hug, or even just a call.  
• One of the most fascinating (and sometimes, annoying) things about kids is their ability to remember the most minute detail and side conversations. They remember your promise to take them to Chuck-E-Cheese, how they broke the lamp in your room, and how you have a Blackberry Curve – not the Pearl. As we age into this era of information overload, with constant meeting reminders and newsfeeds, don’t forget the little things.

Whether as a mother, an aunt, a mentor, or a teacher, we teach kids the difference between right and wrong, the in’s and out’s, and venture to fill their world with knowledge. What we fail to see is how much there is to be learned from them as well. Go to the park, catch fireflies, and throw a tantrum, because "forever young is in your mind."

My two fave "teachers"