How Do Your Kids Describe Their Life?

I was cleaning through an old cupboard when I came across a half-piece of paper written by my then seven-year-old daughter.

The paper said:

A paragraph about life!

Life is a wonderful thing.  You can dance. You can play. You can jump. You can write. You can live. Use your life!

Written by,

Callan Green

She’s now 26, and guess what?

She still dances (she is always enrolled in some kind of dance class). She has a high-level position—that she loves—at a prestigious company that requires her to use her writing skills daily. And yes, she makes time to play.

So how do we keep that child-spirit alive in our kids so that it stays with them as adults?

I’d like to say I had it figured out back then, with a set plan in place. But that wouldn’t be the case. So, I’ve pondered what (by chance) created such a lasting free spirit.

Here’s what I came up with:

• We ensured downtime so she could have time to just play.

• We encouraged creativity and ways to express imagination, ingenuity, and originality.

• We emphasized being curious over searching for the one “right” answer.

• We engaged in conversations that asked her opinion on daily and world matters.

• We honored what she already liked to do.

Those are pretty easy “doables” for any parent to adopt.

So, here’s a challenge. Ask your kids: What would you say in a paragraph about life?

If your children’s answers reflect joy and a carefree spirit . . . smile, and know they’ll take that mindset with them when they leave home.

But what if you get a different kind of answer?  Well, maybe that’s an invitation to try one or more of the above. After all, any paragraph on life can be rewritten.