Why Kids are the Best

Every now and then I’ll overhear someone say, “I just can’t deal with kids.” Or, “I don’t know how you do it!” Listening to these comments leaves me quite incredulous. Granted, I can’t remember a time when I DIDN’T love the little munchkins, but it seems so obvious to me why a career with younglings is a no-brainer. Here’s a peak into my brain that will hopefully help you see why hanging with the itty bitties is the best choice ever.

First of all, I won’t deny that children have their moments. By nature, they are often shamelessly self-centered and stubborn. This is probably the justification of the aforementioned comments. However, I have found an enormously helpful perspective on this fact. You can’t deny that many adults are equally self-centered and stubborn. The deal with kids is that they’re still learning and growing. Although they do have to take responsibility for their actions, you know that sometimes the old saying “they just don’t know any better” is gospel truth. The great part, though, is that you get to guide them through their egocentrism and watch them blossom into little people with sweet demeanors and carefully cultivated self-control.

Jesus said that to enter the kingdom of heaven you must be as a child. Working with children is refreshing because they’re like a clean slate. They don’t carry the cynicism that adults often do because they haven’t experienced all the things that cause us as older folk to judge and mistrust one another. Kids are truly pure in that when they first meet you they don’t carry prejudices and opinions against you. I found out this secret early on: you can usually trust a kid to like you no matter what! It’s in their nature.

If you have ever seen any of the Starfish staff interact with our kids you can probably predict this next perk of working with the youngin’s: unrestrained goofiness! In each of us is a silly, dorky kid just waiting to come out. In any other environment we would be scorned or mocked, but at Starfish, silliness is a plus. The reward of displaying our inner child is usually unrestrained laughter. It doesn’t get much better than this!

Working with kids can definitely be trying at times. The hardest part comes after you’ve poured yourself into a child over and over and then they reject you and decide they don’t want to receive from you any more. Any parent is familiar with this pain. Fortunately for us, this is a RARE occurrence – the Starfish kids for the most part love us and are eager to receive. Hanging out with the young folk is definitely a blessing from God.

by Susan Croox