As the days roll on, I am lucky enough to witness my toddler create his sense of self. He has begun using sentences with ‘me’ and ‘mine’. He also refuses help and asserts his opinions with the all too annoying “No!” and “Yuck!”. Despite its infancy, his self-esteem seems imperviable. I wonder how long it will stay that way and what I can do to help.
When he does something ‘naughty’, he comes to me, admits his wrong doing and then gives me a cuddle. If he is chastised or punished, he assumes the millisecond it is over that he gets cuddles, and loving attention again. He interrupts almost every hug his father and I share with a ‘love oo’, his chubby little arms outstretched, knowing in his bones he will be embraced too.
I love watching him, and his infectious belief that the whole world loves him, at work on the street. Fearlessly he smiles and greets strangers ‘Hello’. Smiles and bats his eyelashes and is offered any number of treats from chocolates and marshmallows, to stamps, toys and books. At such a young age he works a room so well I learn just by watching him and people who are less than friendly seem to not even register.
He takes risks. He values only love and fun. He expects the world to support him. He anticipates love from all directions.
Every day I feel as though I am seated at the foot of the Master. With close study he may teach me perfect self esteem.
Tags: Inspiration, Observations, Self Awareness, Youth
The egocentricity of the young child is a wonderful thing to watch. That sense they have that the world revolves around them, not in an egotistical way, but in their way of making sense of the world around them. Learning where and how they fit in. And trusting those closest to them. In some ways, apart from the undeveloped sense of empathy, they are like the flawless versions of ourselves. And yes, just as they learn from us, so too do we learn from them.