Why Kids are Cooler than Adults

#1: Kids are more fun to talk with. Children’s use and appreciation of language is so inventive. I love the way children can skip in a single conversation from what they had for dinner last night to what they want to be when they grow up to asking why the grass grows up instead of sideways. I love the way children giggle when they hear a word that is unfamiliar. “Oklahoma?” they shriek, “What’s an Oklahoma?” I think we, as adults, get tired with our language. We hear and use the same words over and over and conversations can become monotonous. But kids haven’t been exposed to enough language to get tired of it. They greet every encounter with speech as a new adventure.

#2: You can be much sillier with kids. In case you haven’t noticed, I have a proclivity for lightheartedness. Kids never tire of this. In fact, I’m pretty popular with the under-8 crowd. With adults, you’re expected to be serious. A lot. You have serious meetings and serious conversations and serious phone calls. No wonder adults look haggard! Where’s the silliness? Where’s the levity? Case in point: I met a three-year-old named Matilda last week. Upon meeting, I swung her up on my hip and danced in circles with her while singing “Waltzing Matilda” in an exaggerated Australian accent. She laughed and we became instant friends. You can’t do stuff like that with adults. Well, I’m not saying you can’t. I’m just saying you shouldn’t.

#3: Kids are more lovable. Some of my students drive me absolutely bonkers. Real live tear-your-hair-out want-to-cry insane. But at the end of the day, I’m crazy about these kids. I’ve been working with children for a long time and have seen hordes of kids come and go, and after it all I can say in sincerity that I have genuinely loved every single one of the kids I’ve worked with. Some more than others, mind you, but every one has held a little piece of my heart. Right now there are 54 kids enrolled at my school and there isn’t a single one that I wouldn’t miss if he went away. I don’t think I’m unusual. Kids just have a natural magnetism; you can’t help but love them. Adults? Well, that’s another story . . .