November 2025 update: all posts in this series now have enhanced semantic navigation. You can browse all related posts in this specific topic and even have a hub page, from where you can see all of them.

As some of you may recall, I have a one year old girl. These days I was in the fortunate position of spending more time with her. And, while playing and preparring meals and feeding her, it just hit me: I have learned a tremendous amount of stuff from her, during this last year. So here is a small list:

1. Once you’re down, there are literally a gazillion ways to get up again. It only takes just a few new moves to be learned, or a better and innovative usage of the environment…
2. If you don’t want to do a thing (like eating your vegetables, for instance, or going to sleep) well, there’s nobody in the world who can force you into it. You only do what you really want…
3. If you do want something badly, then, no matter how many obstacles in the way, how many interdictions from the parents, if you truly and honestly want that thing, and if you are reasonably loudly letting the world knowing about that, well, eventually you’ll get it…
4. You do not depend on toys. Most of the time, for adult people, toys are translated by: you cannot have enough plasma tv, shiny laptops or expensive cars. But, in the end, nothing compares with a walk in the afternoon. Toys are nice, but you can do even better without them…
5. You cannot have enough hugs in your life. Regardless of the nature of the hugged object: being it a teddy bear, a plastic puppet, or just your exhausted parents, trying to put you to sleep… At any time in your life, if a hug opportunity is coming, don’t miss it…
6. Talk is not really necessary. Many times, words are just staying in your way. You can have a decent level of communication only by being yourself. Sooner or later they will get to know you and you’ll communicate without words.
7. If you really like something, doing it over and over again will not make you bored. You can play with your daddy’s watch, or with your mom’s bracelet hundreds of times, with the same level of joy like the first time. As long as you really enjoy it…

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