We often are so focused on making sure we teach our children everything possible, that we forget to take a step back and look at what our children are teaching us. At Academic Learning Labs we meet amazing children every day, and even while we are teaching them, they are also teaching us. Below are just a few things your kids are teaching you.

Happiness and Satisfaction

Children have an incredibly simple level of happiness. Something as easy as cooking their favorite meal, or learning a new skill, can send them over the moon and make them feel like they have the best life. When you are feeling overwhelmed, or focusing on all the things you haven’t been able to get done, take a moment to watch your child’s simple satisfaction and happiness and suddenly you too may see that all those other things can’t take away from your love of life either.

Choose your Mood

We are always teaching our kids about making choices. They can have this, or that, but not both; you can go this way or that way; pick right from wrong. In the midst of a difficult day, where you may feel stressed, frustrated or angry, remember that you can choose your emotion. A child may ask “is mom mad”? You can choose to continue being frustrated, or learn that just like you teach your children, you have a choice of what mood to be in.

Turn To-Do’s into To-Enjoy

We try to teach our children that they should do things without being angry or upset, but to take a chore and take pride in our work. As parents, we often get bogged down with all of our “chores” and errands, and forget that lesson. You may be raking the leaves in the yard, and be exhausted and frustrated, but looking over at your child who is finding such pleasure in the crackling sound of stepping on a leaf, can teach you that some chores can also be a pleasure.

Redefine Success

A big lesson we teach our children is that success isn’t always measured in numbers, and that part of success is taking the journey. As a parent, you may have started a new business, or a taken up a new hobby that may not be going as successfully as you had hoped. As you have taught your child, getting 5 new clients may not be the 10 you had hoped for, but you have still succeeded. It reminds you to take pleasure in what you accomplish rather than be disappointed but what you haven’t.

We hope that you have enjoyed reading about some of the many ways your children are teaching you something. We would love to hear from you about other ways your children have taught you something.