Lessons From a Six-Month-Old

You will learn a lot from your children, especially when you take a step back and take a look at the world through their eyes. Here are some valuable life lessons we’ve learned from our own babies. Feel free to generously apply them to your daily routine.

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• Persistence is a powerful tool. Pursue your goals and dreams with the same level of commitment that a baby applies when attempting to open (and empty) all the drawers and cabinets in your kitchen.
• Getting excited about a new day (every day) sets the tone for life. A baby almost always wakes up with a smile, pumped to practise new skills and learn new tricks. You should do the same.
• Don’t like something? Toss it. Remember that time Grandma came over with a gift that your baby wasn’t interested in? BOOM—thrown to the side, without thinking twice about it. Use this definitive de-cluttering technique in your own daily life, but with a slightly more adult level of tact.
• Want something? Go get it! Opportunities exist to be seized. If it’s important, go for it like a baby goes for a cookie that fell on the ground.
• Don’t knock it till you try it. You don’t necessarily need to try eating the blades of grass in your backyard (leave that to junior), but let your baby’s penchant for trying new things inspire you to get out of your comfort zone; you’ll be a better woman for it.
• Be selective with whom you let into your personal space. Have you ever seen a baby react to someone with questionable energy? Not everyone is worth your time. It’s totally cool (and necessary) to wisely choose with whom you surround yourself.
• People-watching is an art. Babies learn from carefully studying the folks around them. You would be amazed at what you too can learn by following suit. Don’t stare, though. It’s awkward.
• When you fall, pick yourself back up and start over. Babies practise this important skill a million times a day. It’s called resilience, and we’re all born with it. If you’ve lost it, rediscover it. If you’ve got it, hang on to it for dear life.
• Subtle flirting can really get you places. Babies get away with everything, just by flashing a sweet smile or batting their pretty little eyes. Adopt this tactic to accomplish anything from getting out of a speeding ticket to encouraging your partner to take out the trash.
• When all else fails, bust out the waterworks. Make like a baby and open those hormonal floodgates when you really want to get your way. It works (almost) every time.