When you’re young, all that’s on your mind is who you’ll play with on the playground and what you’ll have for an after school snack. College, grades, and the future aren’t even things in your vocabulary. You find the good in the little things, the simple things. 

As we grow up, we tend to lose that positive, innocent outlook that we had as elementary school students. Getting to stay up late doesn’t seem so fun. Looking for new toys turns into picking out textbooks. Recess disappears and so does our glass half full outlook on the world.

We focus on our futures. We ask advice on college and careers. We look to those who have gone through these things for words of wisdom. But what if we took advice from kids more often? What if we started to ask for advice from the little kids we used to be?

What would you do if you are having a bad day? When asked this question, several Van Allen Elementary students answered with the below. 

“Take deep breaths”

“Tell a grown up”

“Give a parent a hug” 

“I would just walk around”

“I normally try to think happy thoughts and that normally cheers me up” 

When you’re in high school, your bad days from elementary school most likely seem silly and childish. Even though your bad days may look a little different now, the advice your younger self would have given most likely still applies today.

The students were asked, what would you tell someone who is having a bad day? 

“I would say don’t give up”

“I would tell them a really bad joke because normally people laugh at bad jokes”

“Are you feeling okay?”

“Rub their back and give them a hug”

Advice from kids is cute and innocent, and it’s almost guaranteed to put a smile on your face. But what is so valuable about their words of wisdom? 

Kids are more insightful and observant than they get credit for. Kids are thoughtful. Kids are caring. Kids are perceptive. Kids say whatever is on their mind. They don’t worry about how others will perceive them. They base their actions on kindness and inclusion. 

The inspiration for the Little Life Advice podcast came from an elementary school’s project in California. West Side Elementary school created a hotline that anyone can call for advice, jokes, or a reminder to smile. Callers can pick from pre-recorded messages that match their needs. You can press a button for when you’re feeling frustrated or angry, nervous, or when you’re in need of encouragement. The goal of their project was to send positive messages and encouragement during the tough times of the pandemic. This project’s success was very clear in the community. The school even added a second number after the first was crashed from receiving too many calls.

We can all gain something from taking the time to sit down and listen to kids. Taking their advice into consideration, and learning to value the simple things in life. As we get older, it’s easier to forget that the little things in our day to day lives actually have the biggest impact. 

The goal of Little Life Advice is to create a sense of community and a safe space to turn to during your bad days or tough times. This podcast is a way to escape from reality and reminisce on the simpler times from your childhood. Ensuring that we take a moment to pause and find the joy in the little things we often overlook, and remind ourselves that these little things aren’t actually as little as they seem.