Just saw a post about “indulging your inner child” and I don’t want to respond to it directly because it’s a positive message and the people in the notes are clearly having a good time, but something about it just threw me a bit?
Because the things they were describing as “indulging their inner child” were like… seeing a museum exhibit. Getting icecream. Riding a bike around the park. Those are not… child exclusive things? Those are completely normal things for an adult to want to do? I don’t know any rational person who would think you’re being childish for riding a bike or going to mcdonalds? Am I not getting something here, or has surveillance culture made yall so terrified of constant external judgement that you’ve classified completely normal activities as “indulgent” and “childish?”
The stuff in the notes was even worse. It was like “staying in my pajamas and watching TV on the weekend” and “having hobbies.” Do yall think adults aren’t supposed to watch tv in their pajamas?? For real???
Like it’s good to indulge your inner child for sure! By like, playing tag or hide and seek! Finger painting and making bad craft art! Buying toys or stuffed animals! Not just… being an adult and daring to still want to do things outside your career or relationship? I’m just kind of baffled and disturbed by the idea of classifying these kind of normal activities as something you need to be “indulging your inner child” to do!
Indulging your inner child is about transgressing the normal boundaries of what is considered only appropriate for children to acknowledge we don’t stop wanting those things as adults. It’s not just… doing things that make you happy?
You don’t need to justify wanting to eat ice cream or watch tv or ride a bike in the park. It’s not indulgent. It’s not childish. It is literally completely normal to want those things as an adult. Your parents and coworkers buy ice cream and watch tv in their underwear, I promise.