EVERYDAY ADVENTURES

The Wisdom of Preschoolers

There are two kinds of people in life: those who avoid sprinklers and those who run right through them.  Normally I’m an avoid-the-sprinkler kind of guy, but when my youngest daughter was three, we spent the summer looking for sprinklers every time we went on a walk. 

The first time it happened by chance.  We were out exploring the neighborhood with Mom and big sister when they decided to cut it short and head home.  But my preschooler would have none of it.  She wanted to keep going. 

Now it was just Dad and a three-year-old with no adult supervision, which meant that anything might happen.

Now it was just Dad and a three-year-old with no adult supervision, which meant that anything might happen. 

We were wandering down a quiet side street when suddenly the lawn in front of us erupted like Old Faithful, showering the sidewalk and part of the road.  Now we had a choice to make, step around it or plunge right in. 

Of course, you know what we did.  We charged into the spray, screaming and laughing and getting soaked.  Our average, ordinary stroll turned into a spontaneous water park adventure, all thanks to a preschooler who wasn’t ready to go home. 

If I had been on this walk with just my wife, playing in the sprinkler might have looked a little strange.  If I’d been by myself?  Well, that’s even weirder.  But with a three-year-old, this kind of behavior was totally socially acceptable.

If I had been on this walk with just my wife, playing in the sprinkler might have looked a little strange.  If I’d been by myself?  Well, that’s even weirder.  But with a three-year-old, this kind of behavior was totally socially acceptable.

See, it matters who we walk with each day.  So much of the quality of our lives is determined by the company we keep. 

In Proverbs 4:20 the Bible says, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.” 

Sometimes that wise person is someone older than you who’s been there and done that and has a wealth of experience they’re happy to share so you can avoid making some of the same mistakes they’ve made.

Other times, that wise companion is your peer, a friend whose life is anchored in grace and truth and can help you see your own life and struggles from a different perspective. 

But the often overlooked wise friend is younger than you.  Much, much younger.

Take my summer walking with a three-year-old, for instance.  Not only did I glean the wisdom of taking advantage of sprinklers on a hot July day, but I also learned how to be pokey. 

Take my summer walking with a three-year-old, for instance.  Not only did I glean the wisdom of taking advantage of sprinklers on a hot July day, but I also learned how to be pokey. 

I remember one Saturday morning walk when I was in a hurry to get home to mow or work on the house or do something else that seemed important at the time. 

My little girl, however, was in no hurry at all.  In fact, she had stopped in her tracks, amazed at a pretty flower she’d spotted growing beside the road.  It was like it was the first time she had ever seen a flower.  And because she stopped, I stopped too.  There’s a lot of wisdom in stopping.

You know what?  That flower was spectacular.  I would have never seen it without her, because I was moving way too fast.  But the wisdom of a preschooler slowed me down long enough to see the vibrant world around me. 

That summer she showed me all kinds of things I would have otherwise missed, animal-shaped clouds and fireflies and how to start a dance party any time you heard music, even if you were in a crowded store. 

That summer she showed me all kinds of things I would have otherwise missed, animal-shaped clouds and fireflies and how to start a dance party any time you heard music, even if you were in a crowded store. 

That was ten years ago, and though I’m loving being a dad of teenagers, I’m feeling nostalgic for the summer we played in sprinklers. 

I’m not just missing the cute little girl who’s grown up way too fast, but I’m missing having the wisdom of a preschooler in my life to teach me what matters most.   

Who else is going to remind me to slow down and be fully present in each moment?  Who else will teach me to live with a sense of awe and wonder for God’s amazing creation that surrounds me every day?  Who else will show me how to live joyfully enough to run in sprinklers and dance for no reason at all?

The wisdom of preschoolers is a precious gift.  Guard it carefully and it may just change the way you walk no matter how old you are. •

Photo credit:  FamVeld / shutterstock.com