A Wonder Full World

Do you remember being little and marveling at how wide, big, and beautiful the world is? If you’re like us, it’s probably been a long time since you were caught up in any kind of awe at the world we live in. With a neverending news cycle focused on bringing us up-to-date coverage of the horrors happening across the globe, it can be hard to see the world as anything but chaotic, cruel, and and conflicted. But cultivating our (and especially our children’s) sense of awe and wonder is actually vital to our mental health. 

“Wisdom Begins with Wonder” – Socrates

What is Wonder?

The dictionary definition of the word wonder is “a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable; desire or curiosity to know something.” Wonder is the first blooms of spring, the first snowfall, a brilliant sunset, and a joyful laugh. For many of us, wonder is something we can easily find when we’re celebrating a big life event or on a dreamy vacation. But wonder is actually something we need in our everyday lives. Many who suffer from mood disorders like anxiety and depression report significant improvement in their symptoms after creating daily practices that help them capture a sense of wonder.

Children tend to have an innate sense of wonder that has traditionally been a lifeline for adults to also tap into. However, research has shown that as children spend less and less time outdoors and more and more time glued to screens, this ability to find wonder in the world stops earlier in childhood. As a result, younger children than ever before are dealing with mood disorders, obesity, immune issues, and other physical and emotional ailments. Because wonder allows us to see the small hidden delights in the world, it keeps our brains and bodies healthier! So what do we do to help our kids hold onto that wonder for as long as we can?

Model Behavior

Our kids learn by observing; in fact, all wonder is observing. It’s noticing the small details of a thing or taking the time to look, watch, or observe something before you. Wonder involves a sense of intentional presence, the ability to notice what’s happening right here, right now. So the best way to help our kids be wonderful is to practice it ourselves.

Take the time to savor a cookie, point out and get excited over a rainbow, and practice gratitude for the home you live in and all the things you’ve been blessed with. These are all great first steps in cultivating our own wonder and modeling it to our kiddos.

Be Intentional

Because wonder and intentionality are so close, and because we often need the reminder, make wonder a family practice. Find a time that works for your family, and share the wonderful things you experienced or noticed that day. Have everyone share one thing each day over dinner or before bedtime. Maybe it was a really good cup of coffee, watching a friend help another on the playground, or a co-worker who told a great joke over lunch. 

By sharing the wonder with each other, you’re not just bonding and telling each other about your day but also broadening each other’s definition of what wonder is and where you can find it.

Get Outside

One of the easiest ways to practice wonder is by getting outside. Playdates at the park, family walks, beach days, the pumpkin patch, and even the backyard are all places where wonder is abundant. Taking a screen break to ride bikes or play in the yard will allow your kids to explore and find awe in the world around them. If your kids are having a hard time finding fun and wonder without screens (and ALL of our do!), try to make it into a game. Who can find the shiniest rock? Or the most different kinds of bugs? Or five varieties of leaves? Encourage them to think with their five senses. What does the grass feel like, look like, smell like, sound like, or maybe taste like? What if all they could ever eat again was grass? How would they make it delicious? Silly questions like these will help them develop that wonder.

And remember, a key element of wonder is curiosity, so encourage them to ask questions and find the answers. If you’re struggling with screen time overload, use it as a tool: after some outside play, they can use their screen time to look up answers to questions they found in the outside world.

 Wonder doesn’t fix the problems we face in life. But it does make us resilient, creative, and curious. It does help us keep our heads on straight and remember that for all the bad in the world, there is also so much good. And when we live from a place of wonder, we are better able to help solve problems, love more, and make the world a better place.