10 Things To Learn From
Your Toddler

10 Things To Learn From Your Toddler One of the major perks to being a podiatrist is having some time to spend with your family. For me, this was an important factor in my choice of professions. Despite the fact that I work way too much already, I still try to make time for my wife and children. I have a son who is 9-years-old and a daughter who is now getting ever closer to her third birthday. Sometimes I look at her and think, “My God, this kid is an alien from another planet.” Most of the time, though, I just want to hold and cuddle her cuteness. I’m also struck by how her behavior is a model for how many of us could better live our lives.

So, as an ode to my daughter, here’s a top 10 list of things to learn from a toddler:

	1.	Never get tired. I think my daughter’s on crack. She never sleeps. Maybe she’s a vampire, considering how much awake time she can tolerate at night. Despite not sleeping through the night like any normal human, my daughter is somehow able to function during the day with remarkably little sleep. Consider how beneficial this skill would be for medical students and residents (and busy attendings).
	2.	Be endlessly curious. Everything in the world around her is interesting and new. It’s this same curiosity about the world that makes for my best students. Just as my daughter asks endless questions about all that she comes into contact with, so too, do my favorite students constantly seek new information and explanations for the medical issues in which they come in contact.

	3.	Talk to everyone. My daughter will say hi to literally everyone she sees, regardless of whether they say hello back. She will tell them who she is and how old she is, if the urge strikes her. I have found this same trait in some of the most successful podiatrists. My first boss, for example, would strike up a conversation with anyone, and, as a result of his friendliness, became the busiest podiatrist in town.
	4.	Be genuinely interested in people. Just as my daughter will speak with just about anyone, she is also interested in the people with which she interacts. When she receives reciprocal interaction, she clearly delights in it. Perhaps this is due to the simplicity of her life. My daughter has yet to discover all of those distractions of adulthood that keep us so self-centered and uninterested in others. Of course, this is one of the methods that Daniel Carnegie discusses in his famous book How To Win Friends and Influence People. What better way to make new friends than to demonstrate your genuine interest in them?
	5.	Be a problem-solver. Children haven’t learned failure yet, so they confidently approach every problem in a novel way. Follow children’s’ examples and approach problems as new challenges, without the inevitable fear of failure that comes with adulthood.

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	6.	Try something new every day. “What would happen if I stuck this marker up my nose?” Yes, according to my wife, my daughter actually tried this one. Despite the parental worries of markers lodged in noses or peas shoved down ear canals, children fearlessly search for and absorb new experiences. I’ve known a few people like this in my life, and it’s always impressive to see that fearless exploration of life.
	7.	Get in touch with your emotions. Express them honestly. Don’t hold back. When my daughter gets angry, she gets VERY angry...and she lets us know it! When she’s happy she smiles. She doesn’t know how to make that half grin so common in adulthood – you know the one, where you smile a little with the mouth but not with the eyes. Emotions in children are honest and right there on the surface.
	8.	Don’t be satisfied. Be insatiable. Always want more. When I come home from work each day my daughter consistently says, “Hi Daddy, can we play?” She always wants to play. Whether it’s a tea party or playing alphabet, reading a book or using her father like a horse, this little girl is never satisfied to stop playing. She’s also never satisfied to stop absorbing the world around her. I try to mimic this insatiability in my life as well.

	9.	Enjoy the moment. I’ve never seen someone enjoy the pure simplicity of ice cream the way my daughter does. I’m not sure if it’s possible for an adult to be as in the moment the way young children are. Perhaps it’s the simplicity of life and the lack of distractions. Perhaps it’s the novelty. Either way, I want to enjoy ice cream like that!
	10.	Keep it simple. Recently my wife bought my son and daughter each three special rocks. They played with these rocks for literally hours one day. How simple can that be? Children find interest in the simple things. It’s a common leitmotif in parenthood that we spend so much money buying gifts for our children, only to have the toy quickly discarded while they play with the box. I can’t even remember when my life was that simple, but watching my baby girl live in that world is the greatest reward a father can have.

Listen to the children around you. They’re geniuses.

Best wishes,

Jarrod Shapiro, DPM
PRESENT Practice Perfect Editor
[email protected]