Your Toddler Doesn’t Need Taming

My boy has a very sweet disposition (most of the time! he even calls himself Mouse), but in this pictured moment, another side comes out as he splashes ferociously in Grandma’s pool.

REFLECTIONS. Recently I’ve become a fan of Janet Lansbury. Reading her article “Your Toddler Doesn’t Need Training” helped clarify something I’d hate to misunderstand about my child. Those words speak to the core of the creative heart — that wild, unpredictable, courageous place in us all. It reminds me how easily it is to focus on all the training a toddler needs (like potty training, character training, etc.) and miss out on what our children have to offer us. They teach us about life’s forgotten simplicity. They invite us to join them in spontaneous eruptions of joy. They tap into the heart of what life is all about. They love easily. They are always present in the moment. They are a mirror that reflects our past and future — where we’ve been and where we are going. They do not hide their hearts. They are among the top wonders of the world.

As much as we have to give to and guide our children, I’m thankful they have so much more to teach us.