Do you take care of your inner child? Perhaps a simple enough question, but one that seems extremely hard to answer. You might even be thinking right what do you mean…inner child? Effectively, this is a theory that each of us has a little kid who lives inside each of us. If we fail to look after the needs of this inner child, our adult life is affected in various ways. In truth, many people answer ‘I’m not sure’ to the question of…Do you take care of your inner child? So let’s take a look at exactly what we mean.
Of course, we don’t actually mean that there is another physical being somewhere inside your body. However, we do believe that your original or true self can be found within and it is often concealed by adulthood. As children, we have a set of beliefs and we actually get many areas of life right even with no experience. As we age, our adulthood often conceals these truths and we move away from our true selves or our authentic selves. When this happens our inner child then often runs amuck! So what can you do to look after your inner child?
Be Aware – Firstly, listen to your inner child’s feelings, fears, and needs. As soon as you learn this skill, you can move forward with less fear. Over time, you will then connect and learn what works as well as what doesn’t. From here, conscious decisions can be made about whether or not to continue with certain activities in life.
Feel – For years and years as adults, we have been suppressing the feelings and emotions from the inner child so now is the time to let them shine. As you start to allow certain feelings and emotions to escape, you start to learn how each one feels, and you can begin to process your feelings to make the little kid feel safe.
Remove Toxic Situations – In life, there are various events that are bad for our inner child and bad relationships are perhaps the most common example. When your inner child believes that something is toxic, it will let you know so it is important to be in touch with your feelings as we said before. Thus pay attention to the feelings and take action if the relationship or situation is toxic.
Vulnerability v Fear – Finally, it is important to learn the distinction between these two factors. Sometimes, your inner child can become disowned which is why you need to reconnect. If your inner child is a little sensitive, learn how to keep it protected; for example, having a little conversation with yourself and assuring the little kid that you are going to keep you both safe.
Once you learn these things, you will be listening and taking care of your inner child which is important. If you are interested in learning more about the inner child, we recommend reading the book Healing the Child Within.
If you are looking after your inner child, your inner child will look after you in return so you can Live Life Fully.
