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.
