Treat Your Inner Child

I recently saw a Twilight Zone episode titled “Kick the Can.” The story unfolds in a nursing home. The residents remember playing Kick the Can when they were kids. One man is sure that, if they could re-create the moment, they would become young again. At first the others think he’s crazy, but he slowly convinces all but one of them to sneak out with him one night and kick the can. The elderly people disappear, and in their place are children, kicking the can into the night.

I believe that still glowing inside every being is the spark of the child they once were. For some, it’s buried deep inside; for others, it’s a very noticeable part of their adult personality. It’s so easy to forget the simple pleasures as we grow older, take on more responsibility, and become, oh, so busy.

We know that our attitudes affect how quickly we age. What better way to ensure a life of good health than to think young, laugh often, and treat yourself like a kid? Treating the child inside you is different from treating the adult you’ve become. Adult treats are usually more serious and more dignified, such as dancing, or an evening at a fine restaurant. Sometimes, adult treats are unhealthy—for instance, an end-of-work-week night on the town spent drinking with friends from the office.

Treating the child inside you is more, well, childlike. Maybe your treat is an afternoon spent at the zoo. They do allow adults, and you don’t have to be accompanied by a child. Your treat may be taking a few moments on Sunday morning to read and laugh at the comics, or taking a stroll across the yard with no shoes, or plopping down under a shade tree for a few minutes of daydreaming.

Remember when you were a kid, hearing the tinkling tune of the ice cream truck as it slowly approached your neighborhood? Remember the rush to your piggy bank to extract your life savings (a quarter) before the wondrous vehicle full of frozen pleasure could reach your drive? Remember how a quarter spent on something cool, sweet, and creamy gave you a little bit of heaven on earth? A trip to the ice cream shop may bring back those feelings and be the perfect treat for you.

It’s okay to be silly. Treat yourself by running through the sprinkler on a hot day. And when’s the last time you climbed a tree? Trees look smaller when you’re all grown up, but the thrill of climbing unseen among the branches is the same. Run with the dog, fly a kite, do a cannonball into the pool, go to the amusement park and ride every ride.

Maybe trip to a toy store (picking anything you want) would be a good investment in your mental health. I have a basket of toys sitting next to my coffee table. They remind me that play is important, too. Remember the joy you got from your first ViewMaster, Etch-a-Sketch, Silly Putty, Super Ball, Hula Hoop, or Barrel of Monkeys? All of these are still made. Spend an evening chasing lightning bugs, splash barefoot in mud puddles, look for pollywogs, play hopscotch, practice your curve ball, watch re-runs of The Lone Ranger on TV, go roller-skating, or assemble a model of your dream car.

Ask yourself: What are the things that made me smile as a kid? What toys did I most enjoy? What games did I play? What programs did I watch? Where did we go on family outings that I truly enjoyed? Who did I play with? For many of us, the answer to the last question is “Brothers and/or sisters.” You’re probably still in contact with them, so don’t hesitate to ask them to join in now. Yes, they may look at you as if you’re a little crazy but they always did anyway, didn’t they? Ask yourself: How long has it been since I did that activity that I loved as a kid? How can I add more of that to my life now? For those of you who haven’t played for a while, this may be a bit uncomfortable. You might feel silly. Just remember—any new behavior takes time to get used to. Any time you make a change in your life, it might be a bit unsettling at first. As with any healthy new habit, practice is the key. If you have to, mark it on your calendar until it becomes a habit to set aside regular times to treat little “your name here.”

Further Reading

Permission to Play, by Jill Murphy Long