Rediscovering Your Inner Child
Illustrated by Kimi Moana Whiting
You ever heard of Brum?
A few nights ago, after a case of the ol’ existential dread, my partner and I decided to watch a few episodes. The joy that little yellow car gave me was unparalleled, fueling my nostalgia and wonder as I watched him zip around helping the people of London solve their dumbass problems.
Episode two sees Brum lose a child’s kite, needing to chase it down for him, as it gets snagged on washing lines and creates general chaos. Eventually he runs out of fuel and has a large kite built for him so that he can use the wind to get home.
What the hell were these kids’ shows? Like what were they even about? It didn’t matter back then, and it certainly doesn’t now.
Rediscovering Your Inner Child
“What the fuck?? I’ve had a child living in me this whole time?? I’m not even pregnant!” – Some guy after reading ‘inner child’, probably.
In times like these, the importance of looking after your own mental state is a high priority, one a lot of us neglect to do. I’m guilty of this, and you probably are too. When you’ve got so much going on, taking time out for you to just feel happy and have fun doing dumb shit doesn’t seem useful. It can feel like a time waster, a portion of your day that could’ve been used for study which was taken up by watching Brum.
That activity took me back to a time before uni, before stress and responsibility.
It made me feel like a little kid again, great for me because childlike wonder and fun, horrible for everyone else because I was a very annoying kid.
But Aiden! What exactly IS the Inner Child?
As I know I can’t explain it perfectly, I asked my partner who is a postgrad psychology student AND wears glasses, so you know they’re smart!
“The concept of the 'inner child' has had many different meanings over the years, with the origin of the term generally traced back to psychologist Carl Gustav Jung in his work about the 'divine child archetype' which he associated with qualities of innocence, purity and redemption.
In modern pop-psychology, the ‘inner child’ is the expression of your child self, and all the strengths (and wounds) associated with that period of your life - e.g., innocence, curiosity, care-free nature, creativity. This is why some people say they are channelling their 'inner child' when they reconnect with activities they did and traits they had as a child.” – Jess, my awesome partner who wears glasses.
And that’s exactly what Brum helped me to do: reconnect with child Aiden. Being able to just zone out and watch that little yellow car honk and sputter as he chased that damn kite made me so happy. It brought back some much-needed carefreeness to my life, even if it was just for a moment.
So, you’re probably thinking, “Well that’s fine and dandy Aiden, but what does this mean for me?”
Thing is, I don’t know what it means for you. But I can show what this looks like for me.
In the spirit of practicing what I preach, here are some of the things which I do to reconnect with my inner child, which should help give you an idea on what to do yourself.
Building Lego Sets
Little Aiden was obsessed with Lego sets, specifically Star Wars ones. However, there were two issues: he had no money, and not enough space in his house for infinite Lego.
Big Aiden has a job though, so he can buy as many Lego sets as he desires, not giving a shit about the amount of space they eventually will take up.
Whilst at face value it’s just me spending money on a toy because I can, it feels like so much more than that. It’s my way of living out a child fantasy I couldn’t because Aiden was a $broke bitch$ up until the age of 18.
The act of going to the aisle, picking out a set, then spending an afternoon building it is incredibly therapeutic. It’s a very personal way for me to relieve the stress of university in a healthy manner. Healthy for me, not for my wallet.
It also allows me to further get in touch with inner Little Aiden, channelling him and getting some much-needed mental respite from the everyday battles of student life.
Reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid
I feel like I don’t even have to explain this. Wimpy Kid has been going on for far too long, and every new book in the series somehow jumps the shark even further. Yet the completionist in me is compelled to read the next one whenever it comes out.
Every year for Christmas, I receive the latest book from my grandma. And while she thinks it’s a bit odd, it allows me to keep a childhood tradition alive. Plus, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the hell outta these books.
Eating Lukewarm Noodles
I find describing taste hard, so you’ll just have to take my word it when I say the way I prepare noodles makes them taste better than noodles have any right to taste. It takes me back to eating two-minute noodles at lunchtime when I was in early childcare. Very, VERY specific I know, but that’s kinda the point of this whole inner child thing if you haven’t caught on yet…
On the face of it, all these might sound random and like they wouldn’t benefit my mental health in the long run. However, these experiences represent a time before I had to worry about stupid shit like taxes or paying for course fees. They all provide escape (however fleeting), to a time where I was carefree and didn’t have to worry. They all help me to reconnect with Little Aiden, and when we’re living in such strange and stressful times it can be so beneficial to do that for even a few minutes.
All these experiences are mine, and you’ll have your own.
Find those, allow yourself to indulge in them! Watch that childhood film, cuddle that soft toy, eat your favourite simple snack under your blanket you’ve had since age five. Be kind to yourself, take a break and just have a moment to be connected with little you for a little while.