Somewhere along the way between diapers and adulthood… we lost the plot.
Because toddlers?
Toddlers understand boundaries at an elite level.
Imagine this scenario.
You’re walking through the grocery store. Someone you absolutely do not want to talk to spots you and starts heading your way. Before they even get the first sentence out of their mouth you simply:
Look them dead in the eyes.
Scream “NO.”
Then dramatically run away.
No awkward small talk.
No fake smiles.
No pretending you’re thrilled to hear a 20-minute story about their cousin’s coworker’s dog.
Just pure, honest boundary enforcement.
Honestly… toddlers might be the most emotionally evolved people in society.
Adults, on the other hand?
We see someone we don’t want to talk to and suddenly we become Broadway actors in the longest-running performance of Fake Politeness: The Musical.
“Oh hiiiii! How are you???”
Internally: Please let this be quick. Please let this be quick. Please let this be quick.
Then somehow you end up stuck in a conversation you didn’t ask for, didn’t plan for, and can’t escape from because you were raised with something called social norms.
And while social norms are great for things like:
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Not screaming in restaurants
-
Wearing pants in public
-
Not biting people who annoy us
…they have also trapped us in millions of unnecessary conversations we never wanted to have in the first place.
Toddlers, however, have no such problem.
Toddlers operate under a very simple philosophy:
“If I don’t like this situation, I’m leaving immediately.”
No explanation.
No overthinking.
No emotional committee meeting.
Just NOPE.
Now, I’m not suggesting adults should start screaming in people’s faces at the grocery store. Society would collapse within hours.
But I am saying toddlers might be onto something important.
Because somewhere along the way we were taught that protecting our peace makes us:
-
rude
-
difficult
-
antisocial
When really it just means we’re aware of our energy and where we want to spend it.
Toddlers don’t tolerate nonsense because they haven’t learned how to perform politeness for the comfort of others yet.
And honestly?
There’s a little wisdom in that.
Not the screaming part.
(Although… let’s be honest… sometimes the screaming part feels justified.)
But the clarity.
Toddlers don’t waste time pretending to enjoy things they don’t enjoy.
They don’t stay in uncomfortable situations just to avoid being perceived as rude.
They trust their feelings and respond immediately.
Meanwhile adults will sit through an entire conversation thinking:
“How do I escape this without being weird?”
The truth is, protecting your peace isn’t rude.
It’s healthy.
You don’t have to scream “NO” and run away like a tiny human tornado…
…but you can absolutely learn the adult version of toddler boundaries.
Short conversations.
Polite exits.
Energy protection.
Because life is too short to spend it trapped in conversations that make your soul slowly leave your body.
So maybe we don’t need to fully adopt the toddler method…
…but we could definitely borrow a little bit of their boundary-setting confidence.
And if all else fails?
There’s always the grocery store aisle escape strategy.
You know the one.
The sudden turn.
The fake phone call.
The dramatic study of cereal boxes you have absolutely no intention of buying.
Not quite toddler-level honesty…
…but still a solid survival skill.
And honestly?
The toddler who screamed “NO” and ran away is probably home right now…
Living their best, boundary-filled life. 😌
I’m starting to think toddlers might actually have life figured out.
Imagine seeing someone you don’t want to talk to…
They open their mouth and you simply yell “NO!” and run away.
No awkward small talk.
No fake politeness.
No pretending.
Just protecting your peace immediately.
Honestly… the boundaries are elite. 😂
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