Kindergarten students are experts at adult life lessons. Of course, sometimes 5-year-old children make us want to run and hide in the supply closet. Overall, they are sweet, innocent, happy, little souls.

Their excitement, curiosity and love of life make us think that this is the best job ever. We are the teachers, but our little tiny students teach us everyday. Get ready to stand up (or sit down) and take note of these five adult life lessons.

Adult Life Lessons #1- Always Lend a Helping Hand or Two

At the end of center time, I always ask my forever, eager kindergarten students, “Who wants to help me clean up?” Every single hand shoots up in the air like you are offering them ice cream on a blazer of a summer’s day.

Children want to help you, and they usually do a fantastic job. In fact, most are better than I am at cleaning. They find old staples, tiny little bugs, half chewed pencil erasers, and chunks of glue.

The kids take those wet wipes and clean the tops of the tables as though they are preparing a canvas to paint a masterpiece. Kindergarten students are simply amazing housekeepers, and most of their parents don’t even know they like to tidy up.

Adult Life Lessons #2- Getting a Drink of Water Solves all Problems

If you have ever taught younger children or have a younger child, you know that this is the age that children love to come up and tell us that their pinky fingers, elbows or eyeballs are hurting them. This seems to be just a little cry for comfort during the long school day.

What seems to work very well is to say, “Go get a drink of water. That will help” They skip away happily and the pains disappear. A drink of water seems to miraculously work for missing their parents, being tired, falling down and having a headache. It’s a downright, freaking cure-all.

Adults usually go for something a little stronger. Let’s learn from our miniature life coaches, and reach for a tall glass of ice water when life has us down in the dumps.

Adult Life Lessons #3- Find Humor Everywhere

Have you ever taught a child the sight word, “but?” I can barely get the word out without happy little faces stifling their laughter. I quickly have to use the word in a sentence to halt their giggling.

This is the age for corny knock, knock jokes and meaningless laughter. Stories delight them. Recess is one universal joyous, contagious squeal. Silliness is their friend, and we are all a little happier just being around them.

Adult Life Lessons #4- Make People feel like the Rock Stars they are

The best part of my day is watching my students when the last bell rings. As soon as they see their parents, they do not care about anything else in the world.

They do not care that their friends are screaming goodbye to them. They do not care that they just left all of their papers and lunchboxes back in the room.

All they can see is that there is a Rockstar in front of them. Their eyes light up like Christmas, and they run like the wind into the waiting arms of their parents.

They are equally excited when they see their teacher anywhere outside of the classroom. After they overcome the shock of learning that we don’t live in our classrooms, they shout our names like they just saw a member of the Paw Patrol.

When any other person (principal, parent or janitor) walks into a kindergarten room, the students are overwhelmed with excitement. The students compliment the person on their hair, shoes or belt buckle.

Young children make other people feel important, valued and beautiful. This is an extremely important adult life lesson that needs to be copied at every opportunity.

Adult Life Lessons #5- Delight in the five senses

Kindergarten students have heightened senses. They take notice of the small things. To them, they are big things. They love to touch, taste, smell and hear new things. This is why we have to frequently remind students to not eat the glue or pretend it is Chapstick.

When you put up new decorations, they come in acting like they just saw their baby brother or sister for the first time. They are amazed and delighted. Imagine if our significant others acted this way when we get our new haircuts.

Children smell popcorn in the lounge from outside the school in the bus line. They breathe in deeply as they are smelling a rose for the first time.

Small children see the world in a positive and exciting light. Take these adult life lessons to heart, and the world will be a better place.