The memories we make in childhood stick with them for the rest of their lives. While we are different people as adults then we were as children, there is a connection that a lot of us have with our former selves i.e., our inner child.

It often presents itself when we have fond memories of something nostalgic, when we are able to recapture our child-like wonder for new things, or even when we reflect on experiences as a child.

There are a lot of people who are okay with staying in touch with that inner child, while there are others who keep it stuck in their subconscious, never letting it run free. But every child should be allowed to run free, especially if they are a part of who you are. There are many reasons to stay in touch with your inner child and fortunately, many ways to do so as well. Here are just a few:

Why Stay In Touch With Your Inner Child

There are many reasons for you to stay in touch with your inner child, one of the biggest being to help heal past trauma. While kids may seem resilient, like they will not remember a lot of things that happen to them, the strong emotions they feel stick with them. Thus, they are highly prone to trauma and having their past experiences shape their habits, even if it is something seemingly innocuous. Reconnecting with your inner child allows you to look at those experiences and have a better understanding of them, now that you are an adult.

This is especially important if you experienced significant trauma as a child. Often the things that create our worst habits are our childhood experiences. When we become adults, recognizing what has damaged us can be the first step in healing your inner child. Such healing can allow you to process and eventually move on from your past trauma.

Furthermore, reconnecting with your inner child can allow you to rediscover the passion and the sense of wonder you once had as a kid. Because they are new to the world, children are naturally curious about everything. They ask a lot of questions, they wander and explore, and they are often interested in and amazed by things that we as adults do not give a second glance. But being in touch with your child-self can allow you to recapture that sense of wonder and make you more curious. It can make you want to learn about the world and will allow you to see it in a new light, seeing the beauty that it holds from the grandeur of the wonders of the world to the cells of a leaf reflected in the sunlight.

That sense of wonder and excitement also translates into doing the things you are passionate about. As children, we are often naturally gravitated towards certain things and while a lot of them fade as passing interests, some of them can become deep passions that drive us. But a lot of adults are forced to give up their passions, even calling them childish. But those who continue to pursue their passions often have not lost touch with their inner child, and either do not see them as childish or do not care.

As said by C.S. Lewis, Scholar, Theologian, and author of the Chronicles of Narnia, “To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence… When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.” Lewis saw value in the things we consider childish as he openly read fairy tales when he became an adult and wrote fairy tales and fantasy, along with his friend Tolkien and the other Inklings. These were men who never lost touch with their inner child and incorporated them into their novels, including some of the most influential works in literature, such as the Lord of the Rings.

And they were the happier for it, even if there was a sense of mature melancholy as well in Tolkien’s case as he watched the world change. When it comes to being in touch with your more childish side, it often leaves a person feeling much happier because they were free to pursue what they wanted and experience the world on their own terms. While there is some sad nostalgic sadness, there is also a joy in the childlike wonder, one many still long for as bitter adults.

How To Stay In Touch With Your Inner Child

There are many ways to reconnect with your inner child and it is different for everyone and is often more pleasant for some than others. For many, it requires a lot of meditation and self-reflection on who they were as a child and experiences that shaped them into the adults they are now. Doing so may not only reveal the reasons for your habits and behaviors, but may also reveal the reality behind your experiences, both positive and negative. It can show for those who did not spend a lot of time with their parents how much their parents worked to support them, or it can show how certain behaviors from a family member were toxic. This reflection is not only necessary, but a critical first step in the reconnection process and may require the help of loved ones or a professional. For some, it may be difficult and may require them to be in a certain headspace to work out their issues, but it is worth it.

The next would be to do the things you loved as a child. While there may be a few things that would be inappropriate for you to do as an adult, most of them being due to childhood innocence causing a misunderstanding of social taboos, many of the things you did as a kid you could still do now. It can be a hobby that you gave up on, like drawing, or was a passion that you wanted to pursue but were forced on another path, like becoming an artist. Alternatively, it can be shows, films, books, games, toys, or anything else you loved as a child. While it may seem silly to enjoy them as an adult, there is nothing wrong with indulging in your nostalgia or even liking things that are meant for children. While some things obviously will not age well, a lot of things you liked as a kid may still be great as an adult, and can lead you down to rediscovering a passion, like people who like cartoons becoming animators.

Finally, just allow yourself to have fun and do not be afraid of being silly. This can mean creating something weird and funny looking that you made yourself, dancing around the house like nobody is watching, allowing yourself to be emotional and not restricting yourself to appear mature, or anything you think is fun, despite it looking silly. While it may not seem proper to act like this as an adult, often those who allow themselves to have fun tend to be more emotionally mature and are better put together as they allow themselves the catharsis of such silliness. And while it is important to know the time and place, it is okay to let yourself have fun every once in a while. It will do your inner child good and even your adult mind good to let them run free.