What I Have Learned From My 18-Month-Old Grandson

Life is great

Photo by Treddy Chen on Unsplash

From the time he could walk at the age of 9 months, my now 18-month-old grandson has had a love affair with balls. Not one particular ball but any ball. He is long on optimism, enthusiasm and never quitting but short in stature and skills.

This does not phase him in the slightest.

He loves to throw balls, kick them, bounce them and hit them, the latter with a kids-size hockey stick or golf club. I have four grandkids and he is the only one with this love affair. And, he is one of the happiest little kids I have ever met. From the time he was born, he has been a smiler. And he attracts attention like bees around a honey pot.

A few weeks ago, my wife and I took him to the local park where some older kids were practicing basketball shots. He was fascinated. After they left he picked up the soccer ball we had been kicking around and with both hands, attempted to throw the ball in the direction of the hoop. Keep in mind, an 18-month-old is only around 3 feet tall. The basketball hoop is 10 feet off the ground. After a number of attempts, he handed the ball off to me and gestured a basketball toss.

Photo by Tyler Nix on Unsplash

Now when we visit the park, he wanders over to the basketball hoop and does a shot gesture, looking longingly up at the hoop.

Recently, his parents picked up a kiddy-size backyard basketball hoop much to his delight and after many, many attempts with a size 3 ball, he is now getting the hang of tossing the ball in the air so it falls down through the net. Did I say he’s just 18 months old?

His first attempts were to throw the ball up through the bottom of the net.

His enthusiasm and eagerness to learn are both entertaining and contagious. He does not know what he cannot do! He refuses to give up and will keep chasing and dribbling a soccer ball until he’s dead on his feet.

It kind of makes me wonder why and when, so many of us adults lose that urge to get better at something and lose the enjoyment of each waking moment.

Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash

Obviously, he has much to learn and much to grow, but his desire to get better is so apparent I find myself constantly cheering him on.

Little kids can be likened to a new laptop or smartphone. The mechanics of the device are there but now data has to be inputted. It’s a pity that as we reach adulthood, we like the laptop or smartphones, become cluttered with useless junk (files) and become less reliable and less.

So what have I learned from my 18-month-old grandson?

Make full use of every waking moment Fully enjoy each waking moment Never give up Never stop trying to get better at whatever you enjoy Smile and people will smile back Never stop learning Take an interest in everything Keep an open mind Learn, learn, learn

I’m sure there is much more I will learn from this little guy who has such a wonderful love of life. looking after him is less a chore and more of learning moments.

The Author

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