Lessons Learned from Toddlers and Teenagers

Having had experience working on a daily basis with both toddlers and teenagers, I find there are many similarities. My business deals with language education, primarily teaching young children; however we work with teenagers and adults. After teaching for 9 years in a high school, I find that the 2, 3, and 4 year olds in our classes today have few differences. I am able to apply many of the same philosophies and strategies when dealing with these different age groups. Toddlers and teenagers alike are full of energy, have short attention spans, need constant reassurance and reinforcement, and can test your patience.

Teaching is sometimes a tricky game, and whether it is toddlers or teenagers, you have to be prepared for whatever they throw at you. I have learned from working with these two groups, that patience really is a virtue. When running my business, I have been able to draw upon my patience, as I am often overwhelmed with the amount of tasks at hand. I have learned that being silly and laughing is excellent medicine. Adding laughter to my day certainly keeps me feeling less stressed. I have learned to ‘go with the flow’, as lessons often do not go as planned when teaching these two active age groups. As I am in the growing and learning phase of my business, I have many times had to just ‘go with the flow’, as things may not have gone the way I had hoped.

Whatever the lesson I am teaching them, the toddlers and teenagers I work with, always seem to have a lesson for me. I love being a teacher, and as I evolve into a businesswoman, I am combining both of my worlds from my lessons learned. In my personal life, I have only tackled the toddler years with my own children, and I am in no hurry to tackle the teenage years!