10 Uplifting Lessons Your Grandchildren Will Teach You

My daughter collected hamsters over the years. They were various colors, sizes, and breeds, but they all had one thing in common, they were busy. She loved the way they scurried around the cage, searching for entertainment, whether it was chewing or exercise. Our favorite was watching an energetic critter pedal round and round on the hamster wheel to an unknown destination. After a while, he hopped off and burrowed under the straw. We never knew if he made it, but he appeared satisfied.

Children are like this. They don’t like to be still for too long. You’ll soon find them running, dancing, or skipping on their way to almost anywhere. Why? Life is more fun in motion.

In the same way, life is more exciting for us as adults when we are active and pursuing interests that inspire us. Grandkids teach us that getting enough exercise and engagement in our life is a way to express our joy and fulfill our passion. Life’s too short to sit still for long.

2 Samuel 6:14
Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might…

2. Curiosity Makes Life Interesting

Have you ever noticed that children find delight in the most mundane? Their curious minds are always showing great interest in people and the world. They ask questions and demand answers. No matter how often you respond, they will come back with, "Why?" 

Life fascinates them, and they see the world as a playground of endless possibilities. They genuinely want to know more.

The result? Children teach us that happiness is in the discovery.

Don’t believe me? Think about something you often do. Think about that same day when you discover something incredible in that routine. Children explore the world to seek these moments, and we should, too. Their cycle of learning involves all their senses.

Life is fascinating, whether it’s seeing a flower for the first time, or following a caterpillar as it inches down the sidewalk. What if we looked at the world with curiosity?

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How do you turn a humdrum activity into fun? Invite a kid to join you.

Take it from a kid: everything is fun, and fun is a necessary component, no matter what they’re doing. Adults have a habit of separating pleasure from just about everything else to be done. There’s other stuff, and then there’s fun sitting on a shelf collecting dust. Fun gets put on hold, standing by for the “right” time.

Not so for kids. Fun is everywhere, and their job is to transform the mundane into magic.

I recall doing the most tedious chores with my kids, and somehow they made humdrum fun, whether it was washing the car or working in the yard. I often think of how much more fun the daily routine is through the eyes of a child. Watering the flower beds became a squirting fest. Bath time turned into soaping up like a white owl. I laugh when I see comedians do “mom watch” jokes.

It’s true, kids can entertain themselves doing anything. Whatever you do, make it fun!

4. Don’t Take Yourself So Serious

Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 18:4 ESV

Have you ever noticed that kids don’t take themselves too seriously? Children are humble, expressive, and experts in laughing at themselves. Somewhere along the road to adulthood, we become afraid to mess up. We shelter behind the mask, not wanting anyone to see our flaws. When a kid falls, they laugh and get back up. They don’t care who’s looking. Why?

For kids, there is no shame in humility. You can often catch them being themselves.

I remember a time my daughter and I rested on a bench outside Cold Stone cooling off with ice cream. It was a sizzling hot summer day when you could feel sweat dripping down your back, and we could have baked cookies on the sidewalk. The only refreshing element was a large fountain nearby. I wanted to cool off in that fountain. My daughter did.

Without warning, she marched right into the gigantic cold spray, jeans, and all, and spun around with total satisfaction despite the gawking onlookers. Did she care? Nope. Sometimes, it’s fun to be spontaneous.

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Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” – Psalm 126:2

Laughter is contagious, and nothing is sweeter than the giggles of a child. Have you ever noticed when a baby releases their first laugh? You don’t have to twist my arm to get me to repeat a simple gesture to keep a baby laughing. Chances are, if you’re like me, you’ll laugh so hard you can’t breathe. Isn’t that the laughter that makes everything better?

Children know this. I came across numerous articles that claimed children laugh 300 or more times a day compared to adults who laugh 15-20 times a day. I’m sure you know a few who might laugh less.

According to bestlifeonline.com, laughter has impressive benefits, including fortifying your immune system and eliminating stress. Perhaps that’s why toddlers can be seen gleefully skipping through the flower fields while we're gnawing our pencils. When was the last time you had a good belly laugh?

6. Kindness Matters

Children are born with trust and kindness. Before they become jaded by the world, they believe in people and look for the good in everyone.

When my youngest was a toddler, she spoke to everybody as if they were her best buddy. Stranger danger didn’t register with her. In a moment, she’d be off in a deep conversation, rattling off a mini quiz of questions to her “giant” new best friend. At garage sales and second-hand stores, the lucky candidate generally gave her something in exchange for her charming smile. She quickly caught on and her smile got brighter.

We’re never too big to take a tip from a toddler. There are rewards in kindness (Colossians 3:12). What if we took the same approach and enjoyed the people around us?

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Who can resist the irresistible charm of a child? They refuse to be anything other than who they are—every word and action dripping with honesty. As for themselves, they’re not worried about what people think. 

When my oldest was three, she could be found on any occasion wearing my cowboy boots, her favorite dress, and many oddly mismatched hats, scarves, and gloves…all together. She would parade around the house for hours in this costume. And if we were going out, she would stubbornly insist that the outfit was going out with us, too. Okay, maybe not the boots.

How often are we frantic about what to wear, how we look, and if we will fit in wherever we are going?

I wasted too many years trying to be what I thought everyone wanted—when the best choice was to discover what I wanted. Take it from a kid; be you.

8. Never Give Up

On a particular day, I was shocked to see a giant web forming in my son’s room. I stood there, musing that my kid was an absolute genius. A fuse of laughter and pride snuffed out a ‘what is this?’ speech that I didn’t have the heart to give.

To my amazement, he had practically made a room-size trellis with a spool of thread. Why? He wanted zip lines for his Ninja Turtles characters. He didn’t think about the time or if it would be difficult. Or even if he should do it. He wanted it—and set out to do what it took to make it happen. I’ve seen that same perseverance when children learn to ride their skateboards, scooters, and bikes. They fall, get back up, and repeat.

As adults, how often do we give up when things are taking too long, or when we aren’t sure of the outcome?

Go ahead. Build your trellis.

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What did you want to do when you grew up? You probably wanted to do something noble. You didn’t understand there were limits in the world—yours or anyone else’s. As Marie Forleo says, “Everything is Figureoutable,” and as a kid, you already knew this. You didn’t know you had to figure anything out, only that if you wanted it, it was possible. 

The Bible tells us that faith is being sure of what we hope for, even when we can’t see it. (Hebrews 11:1)

Like a child, we can throw off limits and look for the possibilities instead. What if the dream God put in our heart is real, and we did something about it?

10. Find Happiness in Little Things

Charles R. Swindoll says that the difference between good and great is the attention to detail. Kids appreciate the slightest detail. Their face lights up in excitement over the little things. For my siblings and me, it was filling Maxell House coffee cans with baby toads. We meandered through the fields, loading our cans, and looked to see who had gathered the most toads. 

And then there was mud. We couldn’t wait to get our hands into the muck. We wiggled our toes in it. And we lingered while the sweltering sun baked our gooey pies. But somewhere we quit trusting in mud pies and sought for happiness in material things. (Luke 12:15)

Even though we knew early on, that wasn’t where to find it.

Children measure their happiness in experiences, not material things. Watch how children jump from one object to another, reveling in the simple joys in life. They find wonder in making funny faces, blowing bubbles, dipping their toes in a lake, or chasing a puppy. Kids enjoy remembering what they did, not what they had. As we grow older, we remember moments for things.

Kids teach us we make life too complicated. Could we keep it simple?

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