Lessons From A Two Year Old
As some of you may know, I work part time as an Educator. I am in my 11th year of Teaching, 10 of which were full time. However, this year both my wife and I have decided to work only part-time. She actually only worked part-time last year as well and I was able to witness the benefits of doing so. The main reason is that it allows us more time with our children. My oldest is 4 ½ and youngest being 2 ½
So, what lesson have I learned that I think is worth sharing?
It has to be the lesson where we never give up. Have you ever watched a child attempt to do something without ever thinking to themselves that giving up would be an option? Sure the child may get upset, cry a little or have a melt-down but they still want resolve.
The same has to be true of us. We are going to face difficult times. I believe that will knowledge comes responsibility. If we have learned something that the masses have yet to understand, it is our responsibility to share and give, give, give.
The situation that drove home this point of not quitting occurred when we were outside playing in the snow. We were out playing in what I call our winter wonderland. You see, we live in Eastern Canada and yes, we get a measurable amount of snow each winter.
I say winter wonderland because we have taken it upon ourselves to build 2 sizeable “forts”, carve into the snow seating around our outdoor fire pit to roast marshmellows and make “smorse” (for those who don’t know what they are….you are missing out big time!) and we have constructed 2 sliding runs that converge at the bottom and run into a huge wall. The boys love it and are old enough to not only slide by themselves but also carry their sled up the hill (big bonus)
So, back to the lesson….sorry got carried away with the description.
We were outside playing and it was snowing at the time and all of our paths (mazes) were not yet shovelled. My 2 ½ year old has a great memory and decided he wanted to pull his sled around the house and do the usual laps that he frequently does.
The problem arose when he realized that it would be much more difficult to accomplish because daddy still hadn’t shovelled the 10 inches of snow. So I think you can begin to see the dilemma? He is 2 ½ years old, dressed for comfort and warmth, not so much speed and he wants to walk his path…..
It was here that I was able to stand back and take a break from the shoveling and watch. I was able to watch my youngest attempt to walk through snow that if things were to scale would be like us as adults trying to walk in snow half way up our thigh! It would be difficult to do at best and we would likely give up. That was not an option for Denver. He walked the entire path that was not yet shoveled until he reached the clear path.
So, why is this such a valuable lesson? It serves two purposes for me. One, I was able to witness it because I am only working part-time. It is moments like these that reassure me that taking a leave from my JOB and putting more time into my children and wife was a wise decision. And two, it helped me realize that at times when I feel like giving up, I need only press on a little further and I will reach my finish line.
With 2010 being only 5 days old, now is the time to map out our goals for the year, the next 6 months, the next 3 months, the next month and every week as they come up. We need to realize that if we want to succeed, quitting is not an option. I could see it in the eyes of my 2 ½ year old, Denver, that giving up just wasn’t an option.
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15 Comments on Lessons From A Two Year Old….
15 Comments
I could really relate to this post, Steve! My son just turned 2 and reminds me about fierce determination and the importance of really celebrating even our small victories!
I love your vivid description ~ I’m out in California now, but from Wisconsin, and you REALLY made me miss snow forts and s’mores!
It is so magical what we can learn from our children! Thanks for sharing this lesson!
Thanks for commenting Beth. My wife and boys are actually outside at the moment and I most go join them. Try to play them out a little before bed time! Cheers – Steve
Hey Steve,
How lucky you are! You almost don’t need to do
any personal development reading because you could
just watch your kids every day and learn something
about perserverance! My kids are way older, but I
still learn from them every day. And good for you
making the desicion to work part time so you don’t
miss any of their lives growing up. You will never
regret it!
Hi Theresa,
Thanks for the encouragement. I am so happy to be part-time as an Educator even though it meant I had to pull away from coaching. It too is a passion of mine. I will never regret being a huge part of raising my children and sharing the responsibilities with my wife. Life is way too short. My next lesson comes from my 4 year old….. smile. Cheers – Steve
Steve, what a great lesson.
We can learn so much from our young ones.
To be determined and to never give up is a great gift we all have got when we were born but many tends to forget it when they get older.
Keep on sharing your great stories Steve!
Dr Jon
It is all about determination. I thank you for commenting and we shall chat again soon.
Cheers
Steve
Hi Steve
A very enjoyable post that I can relate to very well … I have three young children who not only learn things from me, but I also learn from them too – much like what you have talked about in your post.
Kids have a wonderful way of highlighting many life lessons just by doing what they do best … being kids!
Keep up the great work and I look forward to reading more of your posts.
~ Kylie ~
Sometimes in giving up something we get back twice as much. We make choices and sacrifices according to our priorities. Your priorities are crystal clear! Enjoy your children…they grow up so fast! Thanks for your endearing lesson in perseverance.
If we could be more child-like we would understand so much more about our existence. Your post is genuinely inspiring for parents who need a gentle reminder that there are much more important things in life than work, work, and more work.
what a great post,
and boy can we learn so much from the young ones.
they are only with us for a short time so we need to enjoy them.
Hey Steve,
What a sweet story! I am really looking forward to hearing more of the lessons you learn from your children! I think Denver probably has a great role model for determination and drive. You were after all the one shoveling 10 inches of snow so that you kids would have a path to their snow fort.
Nice story and experience you have. This is really true, and it’s nice for you because you learned it from your kid. Keep on sharing!
Great Story! Sometimes I remember it is a challenge and watch our children grow. Recalls memories of rising my children and similar situations.
Leelja
Hi Steve, very inspirational! And congratulations for deciding to spend more time with your family, even though I am sure you enjoyed being a full-time teacher. Kids are so amazing and really do show us so much wisdom w/their pure hearts and wonderment for life. Thank you for sharing!
This is a great story, and a great lesson Steve. Thanks for sharing.
We can learn so much from observing kids. They really know how to live.
Looking forward to your next story Steve. Keep these coming.
Dave
This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 5th, 2010 at 5:48 am and is filed under Part-Time Versus Full-Time Entrepreneur - The Series, The Power Of Personal Development. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.