Lessons learned on the playground

My granddaughter loves going to the park. With the mercury hitting 100 during the day, we confine our visits to later in the evening when the mercury's hovering at only 85 degrees, cool for Texas.

On a recent visit, my granddaughter made quick friends with two other children – Trey, who said he was 4, and Jaquisha, 5, a bright-eyed youngster filled with energy. The three quickly settled into a fast friendship, and their laughter filled the park.

After watching them for a while, I realized adults can learn a lot about how to treat people if we observe the little ones.

Rule No. 1: When playing a game, play fair so everybody enjoys the activity.

Pre-schoolers love playing chase, and that game started almost immediately. Trey and Jaquisha were cousins, so naturally my granddaughter was the one doing the chasing.

But they didn't gang up on her. Instead, they ran slow enough for my granddaughter to run with them, instead of leaving her behind.

At one point, Trey lost a shoe and the two girls helped him put it back on, and the chase began again.

Lesson learned: If you're smarter, faster or older, you can annihilate your opponents, but where's the satisfaction in that. Play fair and everybody has fun.

Rule No. 2: Teach each other.

Trey taught our granddaughter how to lay on the seat of the swing, twist the chains and then let go so she could spin in quick circles. She laughed with delight , and the two spun for at least 10 minutes.

Lesson learned: Try something new. It might feel confusing at first, but stay the course and see what happens.

Rule No. 3: Help each other. At the age of 4, mastering the art of swinging is tricky. You have to lean back and reach to the sky with your toes and then, on the back swing, lean forward and pull your legs back underneath the seat.

Neither Trey nor Kylie knew exactly how to swing by themselves, but they knew enough to try and explain the basics to each other.

When that didn't go as well as they thought – both of them were practically motionless after a few minutes – Trey jumped off his swing and pushed Kylie until she was going pretty well. Then he jumped back on the swing, and Kylie jumped off her swing and she pushed him.

Lesson learned: When you help someone else, often at the expense of your own fun, both people benefit.

Rule No. 4: Be willing to change direction. My husband found two pieces of chalk in the grass, and he handed a blue one to Kylie and a purple one to Trey. They immediately found an open sidewalk and began drawing.

After a few minutes, they exchanged chalk so they could draw with different colors. As they drew their masterpieces, they found a water spigot. They didn't have cups, but my husband taught them how to cup their hands and get a drink.

Lesson learned: Let life unfold, go with the flow and improvise when needed.

Rule No. 5: Listen to your elders.

When Jaquisha – the eldest in the bunch at the age of 5 – told Kylie and Trey to avoid a hidden nest of ants, the two younger ones listened and avoided getting bit. She also told them not to run behind someone swinging as they'd get hurt.

Lesson learned: Experience is often the best teacher but, sometimes, it pays to listen to someone who's been around the block.

As the sun began to set, we all headed home. Trey and Jaquisha waved until they were out of sight and Kylie did the same. In the course of an hour, these three youngsters established lines of communication, a teamwork philosophy and had fun along the way.

And they taught this adult that, sometimes, the best lessons in life can be found in the most unexpected places.

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.