‘Shhhhh,’ I whispered. ‘Don’t spoil the surprise.’
‘Okay.’ He whispered back, conspiratorially, as we tucked hubby’s Father’s Day present away in the storage room.
‘Remember, it’s our secret, okay? Don’t spoil the surprise.’ I continued, shutting the door. Only to hear his excited footsteps on the stairs before I’d even had time to turn around!
‘Don’t spoil the surprise, daddy!’ He called out, running as fast as his little legs would carry him.
‘Surprise?’ Hubby asked, gathering Tyson into his arms.
‘Your Father’s Day present, daddy. It’s a Collingwood shirt!’ He squealed, jumping out of his skin.
Okay, what part of ‘surprise’ does my 3 year old not understand?
For a moment I felt deflated. So much for the surprise. But then I couldn’t help but join in the laughter. The proverbial cat was out of the bag and Tyson couldn’t be happier.
There’s something so joyful and endearing about a child’s openness about absolutely everything. They have no secrets. No skeletons. No hidden agendas.
What you see is what you get.
Children express their every thought and emotion with reckless abandon. Every activity, conversation and bowel movement is retold, in vivid detail, as clearly as their limited vocabulary allows.
But then… along life’s journey, we’re taught that some things are better left unsaid, that secrets need to be locked away and emotions are to be felt but rarely expressed.
I’m not saying we should offer a running commentary of our lives but there’s something so refreshing about pure, unadulterated honesty. Of course, that means giving each other permission to be honest. Knowing you won’t be judged or belittled is so important when you’re ‘putting it out there.’
This week, take a leaf out of your child’s book and don’t hold back!
Tell someone how much they really mean to you. And create an atmosphere around yourself that invites others to confide in you, too.
I learn so much from my kids every day. I think sometimes they understand what life’s really about better than I do.