Five ways to be with your inner child from a marriage and family therapist
It was recently Father’s Day here in the US and both Father’s Day and Mother’s Day can often bring up a lot of emotions. These days are not always the happy celebrations social media portrays. These days often bring up memories and feelings of anger, grief, longing, stress, and more.
One way to cope with these feelings is to intentionally do an activity to honor and “be with” your younger self. This activity can be fun or more reflective (or both!). In basic terms, to find healing we often need to be what our younger selves needed… and spending time connecting with that younger version is a way of doing that. You may hear this called “inner child work”, “parts work” or “reparenting.” It’s one of my favorite things to do with clients (and myself).
So, here are five ways to reconnect with your inner child:
Listen to a song you loved growing up (maybe even try one per decade)
Make a meal or snack that you loved as a child (bagel pizzas anyone??)
Watch a cartoon episode that you loved and maybe even get cozy on the couch like it’s a Saturday morning from the 90s! (showing my age)
Finger paint or color with your non-dominant hand and just have fun scribbling or making a mess
Find a couple photos of younger you and spend time reflecting and journaling, maybe writing a letter to them. Send care and love their way.
Give some of these examples a try and remember to always be kind to yourself. Go slow and seek help from a therapist if you need it. You were important as a child, and you are important now.