Why You Should Never Let the Inner Child in You Die

Why You Should Never Let the Inner Child in You Die

This Saturday is a day I’ve been looking forward to for months: I’m having my birthday party a month early (I’ll explain why) and we’re doing the same as we did last year, which is to hire an adult size bouncy castle. To say I’m a little excited is probably the understatement of the year century.

It got me thinking about the fact that I’ll never grow out of things that children love doing. I’m always a bit disappointed when ball pits and play parks are for children only, because all I want to do is get in there and play. And play HARD.

I LIKE the fact that I’m not childish (meaning immature) – I’m a reasonably grown up almost-45-year-old woman – but I haven’t let the inner child in me die.

And I have no intention of letting her die, either… she’s coming with me to the grave, sister.

[My birthday party is a month early because we’re now doing joint birthday parties in the family instead of having one each because there are so many of us… Each month we celebrate all the birthdays that month at one party (we had about six or seven birthdays in March). My brother, one of my sisters and myself are all July, but my sister lives in Australia and as she’s over for a few weeks this was the only weekend we could all be together for it. Hence, a month early for me but only a week or so early for them.]

Anyway, the bouncy castle:

I thought I’d share a couple of pictures of me on the bouncy castle from last year with my great nephew. (Believe me, I think I was on it for more than he was: Those things are TIRING as you-know-what.) We have pictures of everyone in the family on it, even my 87-year-old dad who could only manage to sit on it while we jumped to make him bounce. He was laughing so much he just couldn’t stand up, not that the bouncy castle would have been stable enough for him to stand anyway.

 

Never let the inner child in you die

The bouncy castle was, without doubt, the MOST fun. I thoroughly recommend them for a party where you have children and adults of all ages. I defy any teenager to be too cool to go on one… The utter joy you experience is something you just can’t sit back and watch from the sidelines. You simply HAVE to get on it and bounce.

So think to yourself this weekend: When was the last time I let my inner child out? When was the last time you went on a slide, or jumped on bubble wrap to pop it, or let your husband pull you round by the arms as fast as he can on a shiny kitchen floor while you laugh uncontrollably?

(=ahem= maybe that last one’s just me)

I’m glad that I come from a family where no one has lost their inner child. A certain member of my family (they know who they are) always thinks the same as me when the see a really big box: Ooh I wonder if I can fit inside…?! That same family member did exactly that at their place of work and even managed to close the lid, giggling the whole time, when their boss walked in. They had to stay inside as silent as they could until he walked out again, because what do you do? Burst out like a birthday present?! I would have done exactly the same if presented with said box, the urge is just too strong.

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This year THE Christmas present that just about everyone in the family got was a nerf gun (a big plastic “gun” that fires polystyrene darts). My memories of Christmas 2016 will be of getting blasted every time I went round a corner and the darts being all over the house. Remember, all of my nieces and nephews and their other halves are in their late teens or 20s, the small children are their children.

And what did I have to get Keith for his 47th birthday in April…? Yes, a nerf gun. 😆

My phone is full of face swaps and videos we’ve filmed on our phones with apps that make your voices go like chipmunks. Fancy dress will always be a riot because we like to see just how utterly ridiculous we can make ourselves look. I’ll always accept a challenge of “Race ya?!” in a wide open space.

I’ll never grow tired of things that make me laugh and make me happy.

Some people think it’s childish. I just think it’s called living life.

Why You Should Never Let the Inner Child in You Die

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Catherine

25 Comments

  1. 9 July 2017 / 8:43 am

    Oh this is brilliant! I love the pose of the little guy in the castle with you. It's a post 100% after my own heart. When I turned 51 I realised that because of a slew of things I had turned into an old lady, the wrong sort of old lady and it was so hard to recalibrate myself but one thing that definitely helped was remembering the poem about being old and wearing purple and spending the housekeeping on satin gloves. I decided that whenever I could I was going to be frivolous. In autumn I run around in great piles of fallen leaves and when I'm at the end I skip back through again. In winter if I go inland I make snowmen. I always get a flake on my ice cream and I bought a pair of silly bright wellies so that I can go paddling every day if I want (it's Scotland – we paddle in wellies most of the year).

  2. 1 July 2017 / 11:20 pm

    Oooooh, I love bouncy castles! My partners's little niece had one for her First Holy Communion party and all the grown-ups were soon on it. As if we were going to let the bairns have all the fun.

    One daft thing I did was on my Big 5-0 day actually, back in the seaside town in Scotland where I grew up. There are some rocks I used to climb up as a child so I thought I'd do it again (in fact, I did it in my 20s, 30s and 40s too). Once up I couldn't get down! I have a couple of laughing selfies plus some of my other half looking worried. And then there was a concerned man walking his dog on the beach (looked about my age, so perchance an old school friend!) who hung around till I was safely back on level ground.

    • 9 July 2017 / 8:46 am

      There's something about Scottish men who walk dogs on beaches, not all, of course, but a seriously high percentage seem to be exceptionally nice and decent.

  3. 26 June 2017 / 1:33 pm

    How fun! I love it!

  4. 26 June 2017 / 11:06 am

    Couldn't agree more! I'm very fortunate that my husband is as much of a big kid as I am, and we have a complete blast as a result. Growing up is very overrated. 😀

    I hope you thoroughly enjoy your birthday party!

  5. 26 June 2017 / 8:46 am

    I so loved reading this post, Catherine! It's funny, from your usual photos I'd never have known this side to you. I hope we'll see more of the nutcase you truly are in future posts (and I mean that in the very best possible sense of the word lol!). I do love being silly and I know that side of me doesn't often appear on my blog either but I guess I ought to amend that 😉
    Suzy xx
    http://www.suzyturner.com

  6. 25 June 2017 / 7:44 pm

    Good for you! I agree, we should never lose our inner child. My delight is swings in the park.

  7. 25 June 2017 / 5:25 pm

    Yes! It's so important to never lose our inner child. Glad you all had a great time!

  8. 24 June 2017 / 4:33 pm

    People accuse me of being like a child all the time. It is about having fun in life. I am almost 50 with two adult kids and a full-time job. Am I allowed to have fun?? Am I not allowed to enjoy myself?? I feel that we need to let go more and have fun and the world would be a better place.

    Thanks for hosting and have a wonderful weekend.

  9. 24 June 2017 / 4:15 pm

    Oh I love a bouncy house! Out here in California we attach a huge slide to ours with water streaming down it – it's the best! I love that you just jump on in, as in life, we need to sometimes just go for it! Happy early birthday gorgeous!
    XOXO
    Suzanne
    http://www.AskSuzanneBell.com

  10. 24 June 2017 / 3:52 pm

    These bounce houses are fun. However, they tend to heat up pretty strongly. Their inside can be a couple of degrees Celsius higher than the ambient air temperature. Take these times 1.8ish for Fahrenheit. Thus, when temperatures are in the in the close to 40C (over 100F) the risk to get a heatstroke is enhanced as compared to just staying in the heat outside. Here in Alaska, we use these bounce houses inside.

  11. 24 June 2017 / 3:47 pm

    Ahaha I would be right beside you. Everytime my son goes into one of those, I am green with envy because usually they aren't allowed for adults 🙁 I also want to try those fantastic climb & slide castles they put on playgrounds nowadays … alas …

    Alex – Funky Jungle

  12. 24 June 2017 / 11:59 am

    Great post! For some reason it wouldn't let me link to an Instagram post.

  13. 24 June 2017 / 10:43 am

    Hi Catherine, I love this post! My parents have always been very serious so there was never much larking about…..luckily my husband is a big kid at times (most men are ��)! I love your attitude, it's wonderful. Kareema xx

  14. 24 June 2017 / 10:02 am

    Fantastic post. Please stay this way. You will have so much more fun than other people. And you will make so many other people happy too. I love you too (I can just hear you quote her to Keith haha. I bet in the same high pitched voice).
    Greetje

  15. 24 June 2017 / 9:06 am

    I think you know me well enough by now – my inner child will NEVER die! I think a lot of people are desperate to let their inner child out to play, but are afraid of looking foolish – which is such a shame. I say: work hard, play hard and laugh often. Oh, and try to get inside every large empty box you see!
    Michelle xxx
    https://www.thebarefacedchic.co.uk

  16. 24 June 2017 / 6:18 am

    Such a cute story. It reminded me of another memory which I added to my book of memories with my Dad. It was Christmas 2014 when my hubby and daughter had bought the biggest nerf guns and were shooting polystyrene bullets at each other in his garden…he and I then went and bought 2 smaller guns but a ton of bullets. We hid the guns in the garden and the next time my hubby and daughter were out there we snuck out too and gave them a surprise attack – hehehe!!!

    Have a wonderful weekend and thank you for bringing back this memory to me – I now have 73 memories written in my book.

    xxx Yvonne
    http://www.funkyforty.com

  17. 24 June 2017 / 3:47 am

    My inner child adores bubbles…and last year I joined the men at work in having my own nerf gun! Gail x

  18. 24 June 2017 / 2:49 am

    I think Pierluigi and I are far more "kiddish" in nature than our children. You know, the 22, 19 and 18 year olds who are busy acting cool whilst we're busy having fun hahahaha!!

  19. 23 June 2017 / 10:13 pm

    Ohhhh you are speaking my language! I am a massive kid. It helps that I have two teenage sons and a husband that also love to act like kids so we are a house of divs. I am the girl that dosent sleep the whole of December because I am too excited for Christmas, the woman that plays runouts with her kids at least once a month (current reigning champion, oh yeahhhh) , the old girl that always, without question plays knock down ginger on the walk home when tipsy. I love that feeling of laughing with no inhibitions, until your lungs hurt and your eyes are streaming. Being a kid keeps us young at heart, 100% xx

  20. 23 June 2017 / 9:05 pm

    Yes! Yes! Yes! To all of this, Catherine! In fact, when my husband was deployed over the Christmas season two years ago, all he asked for as a Christmas present when he returned home was the biggest, most expensive Nerf gun that I could find! So that is what everyone got for Christmas that year (only he got the biggest, most expensive one though). Nerf gun wars are a very common occurrence in my house full of man-children! I agree with you completely….nurture that inner child and live life to the fullest!

    Shelbee
    http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com

  21. 23 June 2017 / 8:51 pm

    I love this post! I agree we should always nurture our inner child. I love the child part of my personality. I think that is why I love running so much. I always think, catch me if you can! Peace!
    Cheryl Tucker
    http://www.northwestmountainliving.com

  22. 23 June 2017 / 8:49 pm

    We are a very silly household too. My husband bought Isobel a joke kit for Christmas containing a whoopie cushion, fake cat poo, sick and snot (yes, I know, it's gross!) but I think he actually wanted it for himself. We've had more fun with the fake cat poo than Isobel. He put it in my trainer, handbag, jewellery box and underwear drawer. I got my own back by putting it in his pot of Vicks vapour rub! A while ago at work we covered a story about a joke shop closing down and the reporter came back with a bag of goodies, including a remote controlled fart machine. Oh the fun we had with that, we were in tears! It was a slow news day 🙂

    Emma xxx
    http://www.style-splash.com

  23. 23 June 2017 / 8:42 pm

    Ha ha fantastic! Just like you,, wear what you like,, you ,,play,, what you like. Just enjoy!

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