So many parents get upset with their little ones for “not listening”. They tell their kids something to do in the future and the kids don’t remember. Then parents, having egos like everyone, take it personally. This new study shows that 3-year-old brains don’t work the same way adult brains work. (Of course!)

The tiny tots in the study reveal for the first time that children mostly don’t live in the present or the future. They store information and retrieve it AFTER they need it. So you might tell them to wear their jacket later because it’s cold outside. But their brain waits until they are outside, it’s now cold, and they pull up the old memory of where their jacket is and the conversation. This could explain why adults are full or worry and children are so at peace: kids don’t live in the future.

The moral, stop judging our kids like they are little adults. Drop the expectations and self-importance and get curious about how THEY work.

Why Toddlers Don’t Do What They’re Told