We’ve all heard of the inner child, right? When someone is being cranky or needs a nap, or when we go to therapy and we talk about healing the inner child or giving them what they need or something…well, I think I have an inner teenager.
For real, I’ve been trying to be more adult about things – like decluttering my apartment, meal plan and prep – which involves cooking, and making sure things are done in an orderly fashion. Which, okay, even my teenage self enjoyed….but lately I can feel her rolling her eyes. She’s being annoying in my head.
“Oh man, when are we going to do something fun?” she’ll say to me when I get out the cutting board. “Why do we have to do this on a Sunday? Sundays are for playing games and watching movies?” Roll eyes, hair flip, huff in annoyance. Inner teenager.
I can’t really ground her, because who wants that, so I decided to start listening to her. Fun, she’s screaming for fun. Yes, I have to meal prep and plan – it’s been helping me so much – but it’s not much fun. So I’ve been listening to music or watching YouTube while I do some things. I’ve been asking my husband to help me so we can get it done more quickly and we can talk while we do it. Decluttering is the same thing. It has to get done – trust me, it looks like a toy store threw up in our apartment and we have stuff everywhere it seems. So, music and timers and rewards have been helping.
But, she’s clamoring for fun. Not making the boring stuff more fun. Actual FUN! So I got some magazine subscriptions and when they come, I make time with tea or coffee to sit down and read them. I’ve started dressing in a more fun manner, adding more color to my life again. I bought new exercise clothes that are cute and functional! I started watching TV shows during lunch again. Comedies – things that make me laugh out loud.
I need the fun in my life, my son needs the fun in his life too so the other thing I’ve been doing is planning Family Fun Adventures around the city. Last week we took the Tram across the East River from Roosevelt Island into Manhattan and had yummy pizza at my favorite brick oven place, Patsy’s, and then got bags of chocolate at Dylan’s Candy Bar. We had a great time and it was just pure fun. No real agenda except the ride over, the food and the exploring.
Do you have an inner teenager? What have they been saying to you lately? Have you stopped to listen? Do you need more sleep? More fruit? More fun? Do you need to be super lazy one day and not get up off the couch? What did you like to do as a teenager? Let me know in the comments below!
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