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Forget the mom wars, the cyber trolls and all of the ugly/awful/heartbreaking/terrifying things we see online everyday. What if we were to think the way our children do when they are happy? I have toddlers so their views may be a bit different than older kids or even babies. Yet, however old your kids may be, there is a sense of wonder in children I so admire. Here are some things we should incorporate into our lives to make life a little more pleasant.

Enjoying the simple pleasures. The other day, my husband made sundaes for no reason at all and my boys were nothing but giggles and smiles for hours. (Sweets are a rare treat in our house, usually saved for special occasions.) The look of surprise when they found out what he was doing, the uncontrolled cheering and the very serious yums coming from their chairs as their savored every bite were so pure, you couldn’t help but join in the joy.

Real World Application: Stop and smell the roses! So cliche, I know, but true. Adults have so many things going through their minds, so many decisions to make, responsibilities and just plain craziness that we sometimes forget to enjoy the simple pleasures. So I say, go make yourself a sundae or buy yourself a flavored coffee or even treat yourself to an adult beverage tonight (responsibly, of course). Whatever your fancy, sit for a minute and savor your treat like a kid again.

Finding the funny in randoms things. Isn’t it amazing how the most random things make kids laugh? It could be anything from tapping their head with the empty paper towel roll to sneaking up on them when they least expect it.

Real world application: Next time you see something that you are not used to seeing like a sign that wasn’t there before, a car with a personalized license plate that is just silly or really anything out of the ordinary, don’t just do a double take. Take a minute to soak it in and see how awesome it is that you were lucky enough to witness it. I remember when I first realized I needed glasses (near sighted but took a while to admit it) I was driving to pick up my new glasses from the optometrist and passed a man holding a sign on the side of the road waving at people. I waved at him as well as he seemed friendly enough. On the way back, glasses on, I realized he was holding a sign that read F* U and was waving his middle finger at people. Not so friendly anymore, but still hilarious to me as I finally saw how blind I was. I think of that often when I am upset about things that don’t matter only to realize I could become that angry man if I didn’t open my eyes to stop to laugh every once in a while.

Conflict Resolution. The other day, my boys were arguing over a toy. Yes, this is an everyday occurrence, but what made it special is how they resolved said conflict. I have been trying to let them work out their issues on their own mostly because I am getting tired of playing referee all day long. I was listening close by to them argue about whose toy truck it was (it was given to both, in case you were curious). As they argued, their little voices started to get louder and louder.  I was ready to jump in before the screaming escalated when my little one yelled out “tissue”. The randomness of that one word made them both start laughing uncontrollably.  Sure, I had to hear the word “tissue” for days after that, but that was ok since they still laugh about it every time. What happened to the truck? They left it where they found it and went on to play something else…TOGETHER.  If only it were that easy for the rest of us.

Real World Application:  Imagine being in a disagreement with somebody and yelling “Honeysuckle!” or “Arugula!”. You can use any word you choose, that’s the beauty of it.  By the way, my word will be “Sneeches” thanks to Dr.Seuss trying to teach us all to get along. (I know, my reading list these days is quite sophisticated.) The person you are speaking to will have to stop and think for a second and that might diffuse the situation.  Then again, they may just think you are crazy. I’m good with both.

Smile more. Here is a fun way my husband figured out how to get a grumpy kid out of a funk. Just say these magic words:  “Whatever you, don’t smile!” Follow it up with a few repetitions of  “Don’t do it”. It’s almost as if they can’t help it. Pretty awesome.

Real World Application: I really want to try this on a total stranger that looks like they are having a bad day. I wonder it that would work or make them lose it on me. May have to try that without kids just in case it’s the latter.

Sing Your troubles away. My boys love to sing. They sing themselves to sleep and they wake up singing. It’s so beautiful to listen to through the monitor. I love that they love music so much. We have dance parties and they perform their favorite songs for anyone that will listen. Even when they are in trouble and sent to their rooms (if they are not in full meltdown mode) they start singing. I really do think it soothes them in some way.

Real World Application: Next time you feel overwhelmed, sad, upset or anything other than happy, sing your favorite song as loud as you want. You can even share this moment with your kids. I guarantee that watching you perform will be a big treat for them as well.

Always end the day with an I love you no matter what. Even when my little ones are tired or not so happy to go to bed, we always say I love you. I never want to pass up the opportunity to have that be the last thing we tell each other before they sleep or go to school. They have gotten used to this and do it, too. Sometimes we say I love you and I close their bedroom door only to hear them two seconds later yell out “I love you” so I can hear them. It simply melts my heart.

Real World Application: Wouldn’t you want to end all conversations with the people you love just like that? I say instead of goodbye we say “I love you”. What a lovely way to end a conversation.

And with that I will depart for now. It’s time to treat myself to something sweet while I sing along to some fun tunes with a smile on my face and laugh at the funny things that have happened so far today. That’s what I call quality ME time. Love You! 

What have your kids taught you about living? 

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Malu Talan
Hola! I am Malu. I am a UT graduated bilingual mama raising two energetic boys who love with ALL of their heart. They are my greatest teachers and they make me try to be a better person even when I am not ready. I have been married to the love of my life since 2006 and can’t wait for FOREVER more. He is my rock, my sanity and makes me feel beautiful even in my worst days. I run the Family Events Calendar for AMB and have been part of this amazing team since 2014. I love how AMB lets mamas from all over Austin share their vision, their humor, their frustrations and whatever other stories they like to tell in this platform. It is a much needed safe space for mamas navigating this wild ride we are on. When I am not being mama or finding family events, my side hustles include searching for fun ways to help my boys love languages, writing silly picture books, running my own Rodan and Fields biz, helping out at their school when I can and getting my kids excited about it all!!

1 COMMENT

  1. Love this! These are some of the things my three littles have taught me! It takes conscious effort for me to stop trying to just get things done “adult-style” but I always love the results when I do 🙂

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