10 Ways To Live Life Like A Toddler

Having a toddler around the house has made our home a lot different than it use to be. Where there use to be fashion magazines, there are now parenting books. Where there use to be an office, there is now a toddler bed . Where there use to be a couples hang-out area, there is now boxes of toys and dolls. Where there use to be diet coke and root beer, there is apple juice and milk. Where there use to pictures of friends on our refrigerator, there are masterpieces of artwork displayed by a two-year-old.

Another thing that has changed since having a toddler are our car experiences. What use to be quiet or a time to jam out to my favorite songs, is now an exploratory session.

We were driving to the grocery store the other day and my two-year-old was looking out the window. She loves to point out everything she sees. “MOM! Ruff!!”… “Mom! Rain!”… “Mom! Car!”  I love that she is old enough to communicate! It is SO fun!

But suddenly she started freaking out… not sad or upset freaking out… but the excitingly, jump out of your carseat because you are so happy freaking out! I hear, “MOOOOOM! EEEEEE!! Woooook white der…. BUUUUUS!!!” Her legs were moving at the speed of lightening, her eyes were bigger than ever and her tiny, chubby finger was pointing out the window.

I looked over and of course saw a bus. I replied, “WOW! That is a cool bus!” and she said, “MOM! Cool BiiiiiiiG Bus!”

It was at that moment when I realized that as we get older, we tend to forget the little things. The simple things. The tiny little things that can bring us so much joy if we let them.

We continued driving and I kept a close watch on her in my rearview mirror. The love she had for the world was almost tangible. You could feel it by her emotions. You could see it in her eyes. The world was beautiful! Life was beautiful! If only we ALL could live our lives like toddlers do.

Photo by MS Wedding Image

We can break it down to TEN things that every toddler does. And if we as adults remember these 10 ways to live – maybe our lives would be happier, easier and even more fun!

1. TODDLERS ARE TOUGH: They fall. They get hurt. They pick themselves up. They brush off. And they keep going! As adults, we stumble and fall – maybe not physically, but emotionally. If we remember to be like a toddler, maybe we can be tough too! And when we get hurt, we can pick ourselves up, brush up and keep going just like them.

2. TODDLERS FORGIVE QUICKLY: No matter what you do, a toddler will still love you. You can mess up. You can make really bad mistakes. But a toddler doesn’t hold grudges.

3. TODDLERS SOAK IT ALL IN: They love new adventures and they love to see new things. They love to explore and they don’t ever take a minute for granted. Maybe as adults, we can take the time to soak it in. Soak in every minute. Soak in the little things in life that we often times look over. Soak in family time. Soak in time with friends. Soak in the sun and soak in the rain.

4. TODDLERS LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY: After they soak it in, they keep it and they learn it. They are little sponges that listen and really put it in their little brains. We are never too old to learn. As adults, we can learn daily by reading, studying and listening. Even as a mom, we can even learn things FROM our toddlers!

5. TODDLERS BELLY LAUGH: There isn’t a better sound in the world than a child’s belly laugh. That laugh that is real. That laugh that screams pure joy. That laugh that is contagious! When was the last time you had a real laugh? Those laughs that make your stomach hurt or cry… or pee. Belly laugh – and don’t hold back.

6. TODDLERS FOCUS ON WHAT THEY HAVE: Not on what they don’t have. They are happy with what you give them and normally are easy to please. As adults we can focus on our blessings. So often we get tied up into the things we wish we had or things that would be nice to have. Jeff Dixon said, “Sometimes we focus so much on what we don’t have, that we fail to see, appreciate and use what we DO have.”

7. TODDLERS ARE FLEXIBLE: They go with the flow and will stand by you wherever you go. No matter what life brings them, they figure it out and carry on. Sometimes as adults when our plan A doesn’t work out, we have a hard time changing our plans. We can learn from toddlers to keep going and to keep trying – that everything works out.

8. TODDLERS GET EXCITED TO SEE FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Toddlers are often times the first person to greet someone at the door. They get excited when daddy comes home or when they get to see mom after a long day. Their hugs tell you that you were missed. As adults, we can remember what is most important are the people around us.

9. TODDLERS DON’T TAKE LIFE TOO SERIOUSLY: Everything is fun for a toddler – and they can find joy anywhere they go. At the grocery store? They just want to run around. At church? They just want to run around. At home? They just want to run around. They have energy and know how to have a good time. Sometimes as we get older, life gets so serious and all about our check-lists and things to do. As we strive to be more like a toddler, we can have more fun and make better memories!

10. TODDLERS LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY: They love their moms. They love their dads. They love their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. They love their neighbors and they love their friends. They don’t judge or try to be mean. They don’t hate or talk mean about others. They LOVE. And so can we.

Danielle is the owner of Today's the Best Day. She strives to provide creative and uplifting content in order to enrich the parenting experience for women everywhere. Danielle hopes to help you and your family to make every day the best day!

March 3, 2015 by Danielle Davis | 1 Comment