15 Traits Grown-Ups Can Learn From Kids

Why act your age when you can be young at heart? Try KFC's Popcorn Nuggets and see what your childhood has been missing.

1. Saying “I can do it”…

Arianna Basseri / Twitter: @arianabadasseri

If there's one thing kids love to say, it's the confident (and sometimes defensive) "I can do it!" No matter your age, whether you think you can or you can't, you're right.

2. ...but also asking for help when you need it.

Courtesy of Melanie Summers

Kids have no shame about asking for help because they're learning everything for the first time. But as Eartha Kitt once said, "I am learning all the time. My tombstone will be my diploma." Save yourself undue stress and simply ask for help!

3. Feelin' yourself.

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Little kids freaking love themselves. They love using their imaginations, they love laughing at what they find funny, they love going after what they like, and they don't grasp the idea that they don't deserve the things that they want. We all had that confidence once...and we can all still channel it today.

4. Letting yourself have a good cry.

Courtesy of LJ Forbes

We’re not talking about reclaiming your right to throw a fit in public, but you need to remember that it is not only OK to cry, it’s good for you. Allowing yourself a good cry when things get really tough is not giving in to weakness, it’s purging the bad stuff and making room for the good.

5. Getting EXCITED!!!!!!!

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Remember the days when all it took to get some enthusiasm from you was mentioning that it was "pizza day"? The cool part about being an adult is that you're the one who can create the excitement and go after what gets your adrenaline pumping. Every day is a new possibility to find something new to excite you.

6. Being OK with making mistakes.

Courtesy of Kristin Rossi

Grown-ups tend to look at mistakes as little failures, but the truth is, we wouldn't learn anything if we never messed up. Take a lesson from every mistake you make, and remember that if you're too scared to make a mistake, you're too scared to see your true potential.

7. Expressing yourself.

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Little kids don't care what anyone thinks — if they like it, they want it in their life, and the fact that other people might not be as into it doesn't matter. That's a mentality that we all deserve to hang onto forever.

8. Having a thing for naps.

Ariana Basseri / Twitter: @arianabadasseri

Even when we resisted them as kids (because "naps are for babies"), boy did we miss them when they were taken off our daytime schedule. Naps, it turns out, are not for babies, and they have tons of benefits for us hard-workin' grown-ups.

9. Saying how you really feel.

Arianna Basseri / Twitter: @arianabadasseri

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Kids are brutally honest, which makes for the most flattering compliments and soul-crushing insults. Speaking your mind and being honest (with tact and compassion!) can show that you're invested, that you care, and that you make up your mind for yourself.

10. Shamelessly loving what you love.

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If you're not on the clock, there's no reason why you can't let loose and do your thing. Life is too short to repress what you naturally love when there's always a way to do it in a healthy way!

11. Using your imagination.

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Kids have the magical ability to have a cardboard box or toy in front of them and see a spaceship or an entire made-up storyline. You never really lose that magic when you grow up; you only forget to place importance on imagination, which will only put your brain in permanent time-out.

12. Thinking that your elders are cool.

Courtesy of Kirk Damato

As a kid, the grown-ups were so cool. Then we became teenagers and thought twentysomethings were the coolest, then we became twentysomethings and thought we were the coolest. Remember that your elders are wiser than you, have lived through way more, and have stories to inspire you to live your best life (if you'll listen).

13. Acting a fool.

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Life is full of tough stuff, so much so that, if we can't find the humor in it, we're pretty much doomed. Remember to goof off, get weird, and let your freak flag fly once in a while — anyone who has a problem with it shouldn't be part of your club anyway.

14. Always asking "Why?"

Courtesy of Tyler Naugle

"Why?" is among a kid's favorite questions, and it's one that we should constantly be asking in life. Indulging in your curiosities, expanding your mind, and finding what you believe only grows stronger the older you get, so don't let it go.

15. Dreaming big.

Robotpolisher (CC BY-SA http://2.0) Flickr: lintbrush

Just because you're an adult doesn't mean every day is not filled with potential. Some people are well into middle age when they decide they want to be something else when they grow up! With age comes wisdom, knowledge, and experience, which makes going after your dreams all the more possible.

Another thing a grown-up can learn from a kid? How to spot a great chicken nugget.

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