Learning from the Kids.

So Monday just past (Jan. 15) we opened our new gym for kids; one of the first kid-specific training centres in Australia.
School-age kids; 5 – 17 years.
Loud music, designer-graffiti on the walls, funky equipment and kids everywhere.
Very cool.

If I was ten, I’d never leave there.

A few months ago I made a decision which was great for my business, shocking for my self-esteem…. I took on a business partner (for the kids gym) who is twenty five, 6’4″, buffed, alarmingly good looking, charismatic and annoyingly decent and likeable.
Kids love him, Mothers love him, dads want to be him.
I want to be him.

I have become the invisible man.
Pathetic.
Embarrassing.
The mums (moms) step over me to get to Sam.
I think I need blond tips.
Maybe an earring.
And a Porsche.

Lucky I’ve got you guys to prop me up emotionally.
Otherwise I’d be gone.

Today I was speaking with a lady who had come into the new centre to enquire about our programs. I was half way through a sentence when it became apparent that ….she wasn’t even paying attention.
I wondered what the attraction was over my left shoulder.
Who else?

“Is he one of the Trainers.”
“Er, Yeh.”
“Mmm, I might book myself in.”

Of course.

Sorry, I digress.

Waddya (Australian for what do you) mean… “where’s the personal development stuff?”

Alright, well I did re-learn a few things in the last few days… here they are.

1. Kids are better than us at having fun.
Why is it that so many of us highly evolved, highly intelligent and incredibly complex ‘grown-ups’ seem to lose some really valuable skills as we age… having fun for instance.

“Mmm, sorry my schedule’s pretty tight this week, I could possibly fit in some fun at say, 12.30 next Tuesday….. but I’ve only got ten minutes.”
“Any good?”
“If you’re really desperate, I could squeeze in some mild amusement early Monday for say, eight minutes, I just had a cancellation – get back to me.”

Kids love to laugh and they do plenty of it.
And they laugh at stupid stuff.
A lot.
Don’t they know it’s stupid?

It’s a good thing us older, wiser types are around to let them know when and how to have fun.

If kids want to have fun, they’ll always make it happen.
They can be in the most boring, mundane environment or situation and they’ll find a way to have fun.
If only us boring, serious old farts could do the same.

2. Kids are creative.
They invent stuff….
And when they invent their stupid games, with their stupid, pretend dragons (or fairies.. or cyborgs)… all the other kids totally buy into it.
What’s that about.. don’t they know how silly they look?
They run around being pretend villains and heroes, making their own sound effects and having the most fun ever, ever, ever.

What a pity so many of us let that creative, ‘kid’ part of ourselves die a slow death.
When kids are playing, creating and inventing new games, they don’t care what they look like… or what people think of their game, their outfit, or their weird sound effects.

So there I am in the new gym being all cerebral and clever and analysing the business model, the administrative system and layout of the centre … and these little tackers are running between my legs, laughing, screaming and just having way more fun than they should be.
It’s just not right.

Don’t they know how bleak things are at the moment?
Have they not turned on the TV?
Do they have no social conscience?
Have they not seen the price of oil.. the stats on obesity…. and poverty…and crime.
How dare they have so much fun when there’s so much to worry about.

After all, us grown ups are much smarter and wiser…. and look how stressed and miserable we all are (present company excepted).

3. Kids take chances and show initiative.
I was in the new gym today being the very responsible, mature, 43 year-old business owner, deep in thought when this little voice says, “do you wanna play a game of around-the-key with me?”
I looked down and there’s a nine year old who clearly doesn’t realise that I am far too important and busy to play basketball with him.

“No Champ, I’m kinda busy” (said the big, stupid, insensitive, boofhead).
“Oh c’mon, it’ll be fun.”

How can you argue with that?

“Oh c’mon, it’ll be fun!!”…. I thought once I said no, that would be it.

Apparently not.

All of a sudden Mr ‘Answers’… had none.

“Okay, five minutes but that’s it.”

Forty five minutes later….. I was a ball of sweat, I had just had my arse kicked by nine-year old with way too much talent for his own good and I couldn’t remember the last time I had some much genuine fun.

4. Kids have less issues than grown-ups.
I was watching some of the little kids playing together before their class started.
Most of them didn’t know each other; it didn’t matter.
They were running around in circles doing….I’m not exactly sure what, but apparently it was a bunch of fun.

Anyway, one little boy fell over (not badly) and started to cry.
I was just about to be the hero when a little girl (about six) comes over, helps him up, gives him a hug and tells him he’ll be okay.
The little boy stops crying, dusts himself off and keeps going.
And I’m thinking…. if grown-up girls did that, I might be clumsier.

What have the kids in your world taught you?

* When you leave a comment, let me know where you’re from… thanks.

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