Preschool children get grownup attention for things they should be doing, according to grownups: grow at a certain rate, socialize or walk or use the potty at a certain age, go to bed at reasonable hours.

They receive less attention for things they choose to do, such as the following:

Laugh. They laugh at grownups when they are funny, when they are trying to be funny, when they are not funny at all.

Find things. As a grownup who gets lost looking for milk in the refrigerator, it’s humbling see a two-year-old locate a fuzzy cheerio abandoned under the sofa, press the volume phone button during library story time and commence screaming a good three blocks before arriving at the doctor’s office.

Emote. No language skills are deemed necessary to express fear, disdain, need, outrage, glee, approval, self-satisfaction, surprise, intent.

Smart.