3 Things We Can Learn From Toddlers

Social media has us constantly comparing our not-so-great moments with other people’s highlight reel, making it very easy to become overly self-aware in ways we wish we weren’t. Unfortunately, confidence can be fragile, but that definitely doesn’t have to be the case. If we could only return to those carefree lunchbox days. Although we are all happy to have grown up past our awkward phases, we may have looked past a few valuable things in between the pages of our cringeworthy yearbook pictures. 

1. Don’t overthink

More often than not, 12-year-olds tend to take things at face-value. Not to suggest complacency, but letting things play out without imagining those stress-inducing scenarios will save you a lot of unnecessary headaches. Trust that things are happening naturally and go with the flow – believe it or not, constantly worrying that something is wrong will not help you fix it faster. 

2. Foster genuine friendships

A friend should have your back and make you feel comfortable coming to them for support, as you should do for them. It’s okay to have friendships fail – you shouldn’t feel bad about ending a toxic relationship with someone who didn’t have your best interest in mind. When you were younger, friendships flourished when you found someone who would share their new toys, help you when you didn’t understand fractions and laugh at the same cartoons. Even though you’re watching different shows now, you can never go wrong with rewinding back to the basics.

3. Spend quality time with your family

Living in the same city or house as your family definitely made it easier to be with them, but that isn’t the case for a lot of people when they go to college. FaceTime calls, phone calls and even text messages will draw you closer to the people who have been there with you through it all since day one. They have seen you at your very worst (remember those yearbook pictures?), and also witnessed you overcome every single one of those rocky bumps so far. Dinner might not be at the same place or time every night, but the endless support and love is eternal. 

Often times we forget that we don’t always have to be the ones educating those younger than us. They can teach us a thing or two, as we can see. Remind yourself of the good things you may have left behind during your childhood. You can always flip back to the yearbook page. 

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• life lessons
• reflection
• self-care