10 lessons you can learn from your child

He may be the young and inexperienced child, and you may be the wise parent, but here are 10 things you can learn from your kiddo.

How to be happy

Unlike most adults, the typical child has a very natural and uncomplicated approach to happiness. He rarely needs grand gestures, expensive gifts or elaborate arrangements to make him feel good.

His route to happiness is uncomplicated and genuine. This can help remind you how to take pleasure from the simple things in life.

How to learn new skills

You may be afraid to take up a new hobby or learn a new skill because of your age. He doesn't have such self-doubt.

If he wants to take part in a brand new activity, that's exactly what he does. He throws himself into it wholeheartedly, and this willingness to try is a good example for you to copy.

How to be creative

Your child hasn't yet acquired the inhibitions of adulthood. He's not afraid to put paint to paper (when did you last do this?) and make a clay model. Or build a contraption with cardboard, glue and sticky tape.

Watching him put his imagination into practice could motivate you to be creative with new ideas.

How to care for others

Children are caring by nature, and have an instinctive desire to help others. Be it directly, like their best friend, or indirectly through charity.

Your kid has probably already inspired you with one of his school projects, such as collecting money, clothes, food or toys for deprived children in another country.

How to cope with problems

Believe it or not, your child deals with life's little challenges throughout the day without complaining or falling apart. He just gets on with it, whether that means sharpening his pencil when it breaks, or picking himself up when he falls.

Rather than give up easily, he picks himself up and gets on with life.

How to simplify difficulties

Your child generally takes a simple approach when it comes to solving a problem. He looks for the easiest solution.

Compare that with your own approach. It probably involves looking at the problem from a thousand different angles. And eventually, it renders you unsure of which route to take.

In contrast, he just selects the most obvious path.

How to make friends

He forms new social relationships easily and trusts other children, unless they are unpleasant. He looks for a common interest or a game that they both want to play.

Adults often struggle to make new friends because they allow previous negative experiences to influence them too much.

How to laugh

It doesn't take a lot to make your child guffaw. Slapstick humour can have him bellowing with laughter in seconds. He doesn't need to listen to the latest TV comedian in order to chuckle.

The next time you see him laughing loudly, try to join in with his delight. You'll find that the more you do this, the more you'll laugh, too.

How to manage technology

Many adults are technophobes. New IT gadgets tend to engender apprehension rather than excitement. Your child, on the other hand, has the opposite reaction, and he is much more tech-savvy than you.

That's why he can help you set up the gaming console or find your way around your iPad.

How to be "green"

Almost certainly, he is more aware of ecological issues than you were at his age. He knows all about the need to save the planet's resources instead of wasting them.

His eco-consciousness is inspiring. Use it to encourage you to think more about recycling and energy-saving techniques.

This article was first published in Young Parents.