Two Lessons My Kids Taught Me This Summer

I’m a nostalgic person at heart and love to reminisce. I have fond memories of the summer growing up in Tennessee playing baseball, fishing, and wasting time. It was great to get lost in the summer and simply be a kid. As adults, I think our hearts crave those types of memories amidst our often busy and stressful lives. This summer was a great one for our family. As I reflect back on it, I’m struck by two important lessons our children taught me.

One...

I underestimate them. Leading up to a family trip to the lake this summer, I decided I was going to teach our three kids to fish. Since they are 3, 6, and 9, I knew there was a chance this would be a disaster since fishing typically requires patience and that’s not their forte at this point in their lives. Nevertheless, we got our gear together, talked it up to get them excited, and hoped for the best. Turns out I couldn’t have been more wrong. It was one of the highlights of the summer. All three of the kids baited hooks, casted lines, and caught fish. We laughed and made great memories. In total, we pulled in a dozen fish on our first day (none of them were mine). As I reflect back now, I wonder how many opportunities or responsibilities I haven’t given them because I’ve doubted them? Parents, face it, our kids are often much more capable then we realize.

Two...

One on one time means the world to them. During our family beach trip we take every summer, I love running early in the morning just as the sun is coming up. This year, my oldest daughter asked if she could accompany me on these runs while riding her bike. The first morning we were there, she was up and ready to go just as the sun came up, which was a shocker since she hadn’t gotten up that early all summer. I was excited for the company, so I didn’t ask any questions. Later that morning, I went into her room and noticed that all of her blinds were open. I asked her about it and she told me that she had opened them all before she went to bed so that the sun would wake her up and she wouldn’t miss the chance to go with me. I was floored. I had told her I didn’t want to wake her up on the first day because I wanted her to sleep after a lot of travel to get there, so she took it upon herself to figure it out on her own. This experience reminded me how much our kids value the chance to spend one-on-one time with their parents. Although it can be tough if you have several children, stay mindful of just how much it means to them and make a plan to do it as consistently as possible.