Whistle while you work

I’m sure you’ve noticed that adults don’t like to work so much. People thank God for Fridays and dread Mondays. When the weekend rolls around everyone runs to freedom with the hope of never having to step back into the office again. Lottery tickets are bought with the dream of achieving this very purpose. Even for a one-in-a-billion chance of winning, the few dollars are worth it if it means never going back to work.

While this sounds normal for the adult world, it is entirely foreign in the toddler world.

Nothing makes toddlers happier than working. Clean up time is a song, pre-school is a pleasure and helping out in any way is an absolute dream come true.

When adults have to go grocery shopping or make a trip to the bank, it is a necessary errand. When toddlers hear of such an outing they ask, “can I come?”

Recently Maayan has accompanied me on various errands – and she is so happy to do it. When I ask her to come grocery shopping she lights up. When I say, “let’s go to the bank” she jumps with excitement into the car. Anytime I do anything, she is filled with joy and gratitude to come with me.

Now imagine that I’d ask an adult to come grocery shopping with me. Imagine I’d ask an adult, “hey, do you want to come to the bank with me?” They’d think I’m crazy and start running in the opposite direction. Very, very fast.

But not toddlers. It’s pure joy and totally fun. No task is a burden and no errand annoying. Everything is enjoyed & appreciated. Fridays are as fun as Mondays and weekends are as great as everyday of the week.

Toddlers seem to live the life that adults really want to. They enjoy their work and love their activities.

The secret is to live like a toddler: with open eyes of gratitude and wonder for every activity that you can do.

Life lesson of a toddler #31: Be grateful for your work and appreciate the wonder in being active and productive.