By Doug Bradle, COO
For any of us who have children, we can often focus on their frustrating tendencies. Wetting the bed, talking back, being disobedient, cutting their hair with scissors, selective listening, spilling water (or stickier substances) at the supper table, talking loud at the supper table, singing at the supper table… Ok, supper table manners could maybe be improved at our house!
However, it is time well spent to step back and think about the different characteristics of children that, as adults, we can learn from. How many times have you seen a child who has been disciplined in some form that, immediately after the discipline, comes straight to the person who administered it and asked for a hug? The ability to forgive and move on is commendable!
Or how about the lack of guile? It really shows up in the amount of trust they have in other people, particularly their parents, and not assuming wrong about someone else.
Children are also not afraid to say the truth even if it may hurt. You know how it is if you drop your children off at someone else’s house to watch them for a few hours. Expect that any family secrets… are secrets no longer!
There are a lot of good characteristics to think about that can help us in our daily interactions with others. Let’s work to be child-like, not childish, in forgiveness, genuineness, and transparency. Together, we can improve the world one interaction at a time.
