Following Your Child

I recently had the opportunity to take a girls only trip to Mexico with my sister and my daughter; just the three of us in a cozy little condo on the beach. I’m not gonna lie, it was really pretty magical. We didn’t have an agenda, we slept, we cooked, we swam, we searched for coral, we ate, and we repeated for 4 blissful days.

While I was there I had a lot of time to watch and reflect and re-learn. I say re-learn, because that is exactly what it was. I re-learned the importance of following your child. Sure, it’s easy to do when you are in paradise, miles from home and a to-do list; however, it can be done. Sometimes we all just need a little nudge to re-learn how wonderful following a child can be.

I got to see the world through my daughter’s eyes and witness the wonder that the world really is. Our beach is practically made of coral, yet every day my daughter would find new pieces and marvel at them! I was reminded how creative she is with every “Mermaid Water Ballerina” show that she put on for us. I felt how she wanted and needed my attention and company with her invitations to play, her questions in conversation, and of course her snuggles while resting; I know that desire won’t be there like that forever. I saw that she understands the importance of stillness, and alone time, and even seeks it out every once in a while. I was impressed with her flexibility, independence, and capabilities as we dealt with the normal travel crazies of getting to and from a destination. For a lot of our time I found myself stuck in a place that sits right between tears and laughter. I realized that her “little” was slipping away so quickly and that I needed to treasure it more, and be present with her in it. I re-learned how important it is to offer her undivided attention, to make her the focus, and to let her lead the way. When we let children lead the way, it gives us so much insight into their world, and makes room for connection that can so easily be lost or muddled by the daily race and grind.

Since we’ve been back I’ve made a conscious effort to follow her lead more – to follow the lead of all my children, even just for a bit. I’m here to tell you it is hard. There is a lot of crazy in our young family of 5, and there are days it doesn’t happen as beautifully and poetically as it did in Mexico, but it still happens. Have you followed your children lately? I encourage you to go for a walk, put down your phone, and say to your children, “This moment, this hour, this day is yours, we can do whatever it is you want to do.” Let them lead the way, see where you land. My guess is you won’t be disappointed.