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Why I Want To Be Like A 4-Year-old

My 4-year-old Granddaughter and I are very good friends. In fact, we might be best friends! And truly, she is the driving reason that I want to be a four-year-old. I remember being there the day that she was born. All the Grandparents and Aunties were sitting and waiting in the family room at the hospital. Every time a baby was born, they would play a little lullaby on the intercom, but there we waited for hours.

Why I want to be like a 4-Year-Old

When we finally received word that she had truly entered the world, we made our way back to their room. She had already held my heart from the day I learned of her existence, but something new came over me. It was the first time that I had become a grandma and I am pretty sure it was one of the best days of my life!

My son brought his new baby daughter over and placed her in my hands. A tiny little bundle of joy. She opened her little eyes and stared deeply into my soul, and I stared back. I started our first conversation by saying “hello”. I then shared with her that I already loved her and would always love her no matter what. Then I moved on to share with her that she was beautiful and smart and that Jesus loved her very much. After much other chatter, I finally finished up my turn by sharing with her that we were going to be very good friends and I would always be there for her.

Reason 1:

So, this post, of course, is titled, 4 Reasons I want to be like a 4-Year-Old, so I guess I should share why. But of course, as a grandma, I do sometimes get off track when I start talking about how much I love my grandbaby. The first reason I want to be like a 4-year-old is because of the amazing conversations. She and I have been talking ever since that first day. We would talk for hours before she could even talk, but now that she can talk, she is a talker! She asks the most amazing questions and shares amazing stories as well!

Sometimes she asks the easy questions, such as, “What is your favorite color Nana” or “Would you rather be a Unicorn or a T-Rex”? Both are easy questions for me to answer. But sometimes, she asks the hard questions like, “Nana, why do they lay dead people in the lawn and put statues on their heads” or “How will I find my Husband when I grow up, and how will I know he is the right one”? Yep, the hard questions. But she always asks the questions she wants or needs to know the answers to. I sometimes find that I don’t always ask the questions that I need to ask. I wish I were like a 4-year-old.

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Reason 2:

The second reason I would like to be a like a 4-Year-Old is that she always feels sad when others are sad. There is something so sweet about the countenance of her face when she looks at someone with empathy. When her new little cousin was going through a hard time, she would walk over and put her hand ever so gently on her cheek and say, “shhh” in the gentlest of tones. She would then look at me and ask what we could do to make the baby feel better. She wanted to help.

Also, when someone else in her life is going through a difficult time, she listens intently to how they feel and comments about how she feels bad sometimes too. She also gives suggestions on how they could feel better. One of my favorite things she says is, “Well, the good thing is, most stories end well, it’s just sometimes hard to get through the bad parts”. She, of course, is referring to stories in books, or movies, but it really is true. Life is hard, but most stories do end well. And, that is a great message to give to someone who is going through a hard time. So, like my granddaughter, I want to have empathy.

Why I Want to Be Like a 4-Year-Old

Reason 3:

Another Reason I want to be like a 4-year-old is that my granddaughter is aware of her own needs. I think as we get moving in life, spending time working, following passions, taking care of our family, and a myriad of other things on the to-do list, we forget what our needs are. My granddaughter loved for a long time to sleep with a night light on. I purchased a little night light for her to use when she would stay at my house. She would run in before bed and turn it on. I asked her why she liked the nightlight, she said it made her feel safe.

One day, she was super tired and was trying to fall asleep with the nightlight. She finally said, “Nana, this nightlight is giving me a headache, it’s too bright, I am going to sleep without a nightlight from now on”. I said okay. She turned the light out and fell asleep and has happily slept in the dark from then on. She said she does not need it anymore.

This might seem like a silly story, but truly it made me think. There are many times that I keep watching a show, just because I always did, even though I don’t really care for it anymore. Or, doing activities that I no longer want to participate in, but feel obligated to for some reason. When you are like 4 years old, you simply say, “I don’t want to watch this show, or I don’t want to play with playdough anymore today. And walk away. I want to be happy and well adjusted like a 4-year-old.

Reason 4:

The final reason I want to be like a 4-year-old is that my granddaughter asks for the love she needs. No holds barred. For years, she has interrupted a play scene to run over, throw herself on me or someone else she loves. Then she says, “I love you” followed by a long and truly heartfelt hug. She, of course, is always hugged back. She knows that she needs hugs to feel good, and so she goes out and gets them. I can’t tell you how many times I have wanted to reach out and hug someone but felt like they might think it was weird. 4- year-olds don’t care, they just hug, and it fills them, and the other person up with what they need to get through the day.

My granddaughter gives affection and love freely and works to make sure others have all the love and care they need too! For instance, after I give her a bath, I put her on the bed, brush out her hair, and then spend about 20 minutes slowly blow drying her hair. It is something that I distinctly remember my grandmother doing, and I loved it! But it is a long process, away from the hustle and bustle of play, but there she sits.

I asked her the other day why she sat so quietly, holding a stuffed animal and letting me blow dry her hair. She said, “Well Nana, the air is warm and cozy, and you love it”. I was surprised by the, “you love it part”. I asked her what she meant, and she said that she knows that I love taking good care of her. She said that when I am doing her hair she feels loved because she knows how much I love to take care of her. She, of course, said this with the sweetest look on her face. And it is true, I really love taking care of her and all the people that I love. It makes me happy to remember my grandma and blow dry my granddaughter’s hair, and now I know she enjoys the warmth of the air and my intention.

Why I want to be like a 4-year-old

So yes, I want to be like a 4-year-old

So, yes, I want to be like a 4-year-old. Or rather,  I want to have great conversations and ask the questions that need answers. I want to have empathy and give my heart to others. Also, I want to be aware of my ever-changing needs, and work to get them filled. I want to ask for the love and affection I need. No holds barred, and pour that love and affection out on others. Really, I think if we were all like 4-year-olds the world be an awesome place to live.

So, do you want to be like a 4-year-old too? What is your favorite thing about the little ones in your life?

You can read more about some of the people in my family I love and why in my posts. Here is a post about my Mom, another one about my Father, and a recent post about my Sister.

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