4 life-changing things my 4-year-old taught me

Parents are supposed to teach their children all about life, right? Well, in our family, things are a bit different sometimes. Let me introduce you to my daughter Eva. She is four years old, the youngest of our three kids. And the coolest. And sometimes the smartest of our family, including me (nothing I´m proud of. Well, a little. After all, she is my daughter). Today I would like to share some of her wisdom:

• Look, how beautiful I am!

  The other day, Eva asked me to plait her hair in a certain way. When we were done, she looked in the mirror with her big blue eyes and said, „Wow – look how beautiful I am!“ And off she went, the happiest girl for the rest of the day. I, and most of my friends, would never ever say that about ourselves. Even if someone compliments us, we will most likely not accept it. But I think Eva is actually right. We should give ourselves some credit for who we are, what we have achieved, what we deal with every day and yes, also how attractive we look. It is not about posting 50 duck-face-selfies each day. It is more about recognizing the beauty in us, inside and outside. Appreciating it. And maybe saying it out loud every now and then.

   

• Take your time

  I know that this is one of the hardest for parents. You know when you are running late in the morning and your kid takes all the time in the world? We have all been there. Guess what Eva does when I rush and shout and get all sweaty and red in my face?  She remains calm. AND in a good mood. And you know what? Even though I hate to admit it, she is right (again). Becoming frantic or even shouting has never made things faster. We all know what would make things better: Getting up earlier in the morning. And I know that this seems impossible most days. But I keep trying …

  

• My body is mine

  Eva had a glitter-sticker on her arm for several days. When I tried to take it off, she told me very firmly: „Don´t. My body is mine.“ I suspect they had some self-defence-training at kindergarten, which obviously worked well. And again, I think Eva is right. We determine what happens with our bodies.  Sometimes we fail by not giving it enough attention, putting unhealthy food in it, and not keeping it fit. Or we even over-do exercise/diets to achieve a certain look that we saw in a magazine or on Instagram. Let´s accept our bodies and listen to them. Let’s pause and ask ourselves: Does it really need that chocolate bar? How does it feel to stay of caffeine for while? Do I need to diet because my friend is skinnier than me? I´m not even going into physical abuse here. But sometimes I find that people take better care of their car or smartphone than their own body. Be like Eva. Look after what is yours.

• Don´t save the best for last.

  Eva loves to dress up in the fanciest clothing she can find. Not only princess-outfits including big jewellery, but also nice, smart, pretty dresses – no matter if it is Monday morning or Wednesday afternoon. If she feels special, she will dress special.  That taught me to also allow myself to give my every-day-life a little sparkle when I feel like it. Don´t just wait for a birthday party or a formal function to dress your best, behave your best or enjoy exquisite dining. Well, I wouldn´t maybe drive to kindergarten in a ballroom-dance-outfit, but I treat myself with a nice table-setting, fresh flowers, good music and I always light up candles when I work. When I wake up not feeling my best, I find that it helps to lift my mood when I dress in clothes that makes me feel good, and even apply a little make-up.

  

Hi, I´m Nadine, 41 years and a mother of three, wife and travel-journalist based in the north of Germany. In 2017 I started this blog sorgenfrei-unterwegs which translates to “worry-free on the way” (Sorgenfrei is my actual surname). I write about travel and everyday life.

This is my first article in English (big thanks to my wonderful friend Monique who helped me by being my editor). If you liked it, I would really appreciate a comment or if you could please share it. Maybe you would like to google-translate some of my other stories or just enjoy some pictures. You can also find me on Instagram and Facebook.

Hope you visit again soon!