Things I could learn from my kids

It has been a while since I posted something. I have been busy with my other blogs and completely neglected this one.

I saw this commercial on TV the other. It was a cat food commercial and it featured a woman saying that there were a lot of things that she could learn from her cat like relaxing and enjoying herself. It made me think about the things I could learn from my two pets: my boys. And here is a list:

1- Stretching

When my first son was a baby he would stretch as soon as he woke up. It was so funny watching him stretch. He used to do it with such joy. It felt like he was really getting rid of all his soreness. I often used to wonder why he would stretch so much. Then I realized that he spent 9 months of his life in a confined space. And now that he had the space, he needed to grow. Anyway, I love stretching but I am so busy as soon as I get up from bed, that I do not indulge in this activity. I think that doing it would definitely change the course of my day. For starters I will not be so cranky.

2- Dancing for no reason at all

My sons enjoy dancing in front of the TV as soon as a fun commercial with a catchy tune (like AU phone commercial with Lady Gaga soundtrack) comes one. I often find it silly that they would jump like crazy and wiggle their little bottoms for just a few seconds. But they seem to have so much fun. Maybe I should join them next time.

3- Sleep

I am a TV and Internet addict. I cannot go a day without turning on both things. That is the reason why I go to bed very late at night. Before getting married and having kids, I would have countless of sleepless nights. Now I cut back on those, but I still go to bed very late and rise very early because of the kids. They, on the other hand, go to bed as soon as they feel sleepy. Sometimes, they try to fight it but they eventually fall asleep on the couch or on the floor. It does not matter where they are, when they are tired, they sleep.

4- Laugh for no reason at all

My sons play together and sometimes the younger one laughs at something the older one does. For example, he would have the giggles after seeing his brother throwing pillows in the air or just some tissues. One day he was laughing so hard he was crying. I do not understand this behavior but I need to learn from it. I do not get to laugh that much. And the last time I had the giggles was way back in 2002 with my best friend. Something needs to be done about that.

5- Give hugs and kisses

I like a hug and a kiss like the next person but I am not a very affectionate person. I do kiss and hug my kids but it is nothing compared to the amount of love they give me. They would just come to me and kiss me on my hand or mouth for no reason at all. I find it very weird but it is also a pleasure. Maybe I should try doing the same starting with my hubby (I am sure he would not mind)

6- Make friends easily

My kids make friends easily. My oldest would just start a conversation with another kid he just met (at school or at the pool) and the next thing you know he wants to invite him for a play date. Or they would just go on and say hello to every person they pass on the streets. I always wonder where they got that from because it is not me. I do not make friends easily. I am very nice but I often wait for people to come to me instead of going to them. I was not like that in the past though. I even "stalked" a girl I liked and asked her point blank to be my best friend. I guess I changed. I need to change back into that friendly girl.

7- Be forgiving

My sons are very forgiving. They do not hold a grudge against me or each others. Sometimes I am so tired of them misbehaving that I scream at them. The youngest one always rushes to me and wants me to give him a hug. I find it amazing. I would be mad and not talk to someone for days if he or she just screamed at me the way I did at them. But here they are clinging to me. The older one always ask for forgiveness, over and over again even when I forget about the incident.

As  parents, we always try t teach our kids how to sit properly, not to talk back, to go to the bathroom on time....and much more. We try to teach them values and skills that will help them survive the real world. However we rarely stop to think about what they can teach us. Acting like a child (when you are a grown up ) is considered a bad thing but I say try it from time to time. It may change you.