Well, today I’m in this strange mood, a retrospective one and there is actually a specific reason for that. I spend all day yesterday with my friends and their kids, 4-years baby girl, and 5-year old boy. It was a really chill and relaxing day on the Ligurian coast not far away from Genoa. For those who don’t know, Liguria is an incredibly beautiful Italian region situated in the north-western part of the country, near the French border.

A whole day was basically the celebration of “dolce far niente” and embracing the authenticity of the present moment. Because there were too young kids with us, we dedicated most of the time to play on the beach. And I don’t know about you, but the power of kids’ imagination and incredibly high level of creativity just blows my mind. I’m not even kidding, but for me, children are like perpetual motion machines, unstoppable and extremely productive. And when they start to develop a sense of self, explore the world in their own way, begin to separate from others and become their own small independent people they are unstoppable.

It’s incredible how amazingly self-assured with expressing their own opinion kids can be. I believe that, when it comes to communication skills, most adults aren’t able to express themselves in a clear, coherent and explicit way as some kids do… I mean, it’s just amazing… don’t you think?

Raise Extraordinary Human Beings

Speaking about child-rearing style, the one that my friends chose it’s quite impressive. They raise their kids to be independent, self-reliant, self-aware and empathetic individuals, decent human beings if you like. Oh gosh, I wish, I had been raised this way…

Personally, I think that this is the best way you can raise your kids, especially because we live in a highly individualistic culture, where the main focus is put on individuality, personality, identity, and uniqueness. Hence, it is incredibly important to encourage young kids to develop these character traits. But at the same time, we cannot forget that kids are kids and they should be treated accordingly to their age. I believe that sometimes our society forgets about this. Kids should be encouraged to be independent, self-aware and responsible for their actions and choices even if they are underage because it is exactly what makes us decent human beings. And because we are social creatures we are expected to take responsibility for our decisions. And there is nothing wrong with that. However, teaching kids self-awareness, confidence, manners, discipline, boundaries, and empathy is completely different from forcing them to choose a career path when they are in early teens.

Kids are expected to behave like grown-ups, make adult decisions, choose a career path in their early teens, meet the expectations of their parents and teachers what in many cases basically means chasing someone else’s dreams… And correct me if I am wrong but I think that this is the best way to destroy children’s future potential, personal ambition, and self-confidence. So what we should do instead? First of all, we should definitely stop forcing children to chose their career path when they are not ready to do so. Then, we should listen and pay attention to what kids are telling us. Because if we let kids express their ideas, emotions and personal viewpoint they will tell us in the most honest and sincere way possible. We should definitely pay more attention to what kids are telling us because they see the world differently, in my opinion in a more authentic way because they aren’t yet influenced by all of these social norms and more or less accepted standards of behaviors that in many cases only restrict creativity and individuality of a person. We should keep this in mind next time we will label someone as a childish.

Childlike But Not Childish

There is a huge difference between behaving “childish” and being “childlike”. It seems that society constantly confuses these two completely different types of behavior. Furthermore, these two concepts have completely different connotations negative and positive, the first one refers to immature and silly behavior which isn’t and shouldn’t be socially accepted when it comes to the adults. But the second one indicated that you as an adult managed to keep the best qualities and character traits that a human being can have. And we’re talking here about personal qualities like honesty, authenticity, curiosity, excitement, amazement, openness and unrestricted creativity.

Honestly, I think that all of these childlike qualities should be protected, defended and preserved for the entire adult life. Just think about how many times in your adult life someone told you that you are way too much excited, passionate about something, overly cheerful, too enthusiastic or too lighthearted. Some people, the negative ones, tell you these things as it was some kind of insult. I’m sorry, but there is not such a thing that is too enthusiastic (unless we’re not dealing with the manic symptom) so please stop telling this to the people. Just STOP! Only because someone has got a broomstick up their butt it does not mean that we all should have got it… Life is too short to behave like “ an adult” all the time… I’m just saying…

So, if you made it till this part of my post, the last one, here we can finally focus on how to preserve and cultivate the best qualities and character traits an adult can have - the childlike ones.

Here are my 15 simple tips to embrace, protect and develop childlike behaviors being an adult. We all know that being childlike is the best way to enjoy our adulthood. So, don’t give up on your best characteristics but instead use your imagination and creativity and have some fun! Be childlike and enjoy your adult life!

Have Fun Like A Kid

If you miss your childhood and what to relive your childhood experiences there is actually a great way to do this. Here are my tips for being childlike while you are a grown-up 😊 Enjoy!

1. Express yourself - be authentic

Be authentic with your feelings and emotions. Allow yourself to be vulnerable and honest. Unlock the inherent childlike innocence hidden by the maturity that comes with age. Try a radical acceptance, work on self-worth, self-confidence, and empathy towards yourself. Express yourself in the most authentic and sincere way you know. The same way you expressed yourself when you were a kid. Let yourself be innocent and pure at heart at least for a second.

2. Fulfill your childhood dreams (at least one of them)

Do you remember your childhood dreams that have never come true? Is there any possibility you could fulfill even one of those dreams now, in the present moment when you are a grown-up? If you answer “yes” do not hesitate! Think about this dream, analyze it, plan everything in details and just DO IT!! Trust me, if you manage to fulfill even one of your childhood dreams it will bring you the greatest joy and happiness you could imagine.

3. Recall your best childhood memories

Unlock your forgotten childhood memories by activating your body memory. Ask yourself these questions:

• What is the story of your favorite childhood memory?
• Do you remember the aroma of your favorite food as a child wafting through the air? (I loved the aroma of apple pie)
• What was your favorite book you read as a child growing up? Which character would you want to be and why?
• What was your favorite gelato flavor? Is it still the same?
• Have you ever watched again films/cartoons from the era of your childhood? What was your favorite one?
• What games did you play after school? Did you play stone paper scissors with friends? (I did and I love it!)
• What was your favorite bedtime stories? Maybe the one about ghosts?
• Do you remember the yearly holiday in your hometown?
• Did you ever keep a journal when you were a kid? Did you keep it?
• Did you ever visit your old neighborhoods, or places reminiscent of them?

Even if you don’t miss your childhood there is probably at least one thing from that era that you think about with a feeling of nostalgia. Am I right?

4. Get inspired

Start your day with things that inspire you. Don’t check your emails, social media accounts or reach for your agenda to check the scheduled tasks right away after waking up. Instead, practice mindfulness or morning yoga, listen to an inspiring podcast or watch a motivational ted talk, listen to your favorite song or read some positive affirmations. Remember that, it doesn’t have to be something extremely creative or original but something that works for you! Remember that, it’s all about your physical and mental wellbeing. What I ask you to do, it a nutshell is to prepare your mind, body, and spirit for the new day in a healthy, inspiring, motivational, creative and productive way. And see what happens!

5. Feed your passions

If you feel good and passionate about something just go for it. Don’t think twice, don’t overanalyze it and definitely don’t stress yourself too much about the level of practicability or impracticability of your passion or hobby.

Passion should be a genuine, authentic and creative way of bringing joy into your life. It should be the source of motivation, inspiration, and creativity, not a way of procrastinating or killing time. And trust me if you set goals for your passion you will find the purpose of dedicating your free time for this. And if you put your focus on your own-self-improvement, developing specific skills success will chase you and maybe in the future you will be able to make money from your passion, if that is your goal of course. However, it shouldn’t be a determining factor for practicing a hobby or feeding your passion. Just look at passion like kids do it, be creative, genuine and don’t be afraid of taking some (reasonable) risk. There is no such thing as meaningless or ridiculous passion. You are keen on collecting stamps (my grandpa was), fork bending, soap carving or any other strange or weird way of spending free time, don’t think twice, if it brings happiness and joy into your life go for it!

Do what your guts tell you! Figure out what you are passionate about, set goals and have fun! Remember that when you have a clear vision, magnetic things occur. Trust me.

6. Change your perspective 

Children and adults see the world differently. Not because of the night but because kids are innocent and pure at heart. Their world is not restricted by social norms and socially accepted behaviors that sometimes are the only obstacles to chase our dreams where we are already grown-ups.

Kids are incredible. They explore the world using all of the senses. They don’t just look up and judge others by their own standards. Kids don’t label people until they are taught to do this by adults. Kids look at the world through rose-colored glasses because of their innocent and pure at heart. They have this incredible ability to express their feelings genuinely and openly. They don’t calculate what will pay off. They don’t care about social status. They don’t judge others based on money.

We should all view the world through a child’s eyes again for a while. Well, that should be homework for all of us. On your own time try to relax, close your eyes use your limitless imagination to see again that the world is full of possibilities, you can be whoever you want, everything is new, exciting and extremely interesting. Everything is a learning experience. It doesn’t matter what other people think about you and you can express your feeling openly without being afraid of judgment. And now open your eyes and look up to the sky, look around, observe carefully, be mindful, pay attention to every single detail you can notice. Suspend your judgment for a second and try to explore the world with excitement and a child’s curiosity maybe you will notice something important that was missing in your life?

7. Create a photo collage

Create a creative mess with your favorite pics from your childhood. Choose your best shots those with funny outfits, strange facial expressions with your childhood friends and make a puzzle from several parts that fit perfectly in a given place.

I’ve made my photo collage with a Polaroid-style. I don’t know about you but for me, a vintage, retro style is the one that recalls the most beautiful memories from the past.

Use one of those free, online collage makers like photojet to create your own photo collage. Choose print ut your piece of art!

8. Reconnect with nature

When we grow up we unconsciously disconnect ourselves from nature. We barely relax in the open space, go barefoot or lie down on the grass and look up at the sky? We forget that we are one with nature. And through a connection with nature, we can explore ourselves, develop intuition, reconnect with our higher self and find the right answers to essential questions in life. We forget that we connect with the universe through our senses and that the energy of the universe flows through our minds, bodies, and spirits. And the mystery of our existence runs through our veins.

We should not underestimate the importance of nature because our physical and mental wellbeing depends on it. Furthermore, getting in touch with nature on a daily basis can revive your mind, release stress and anxiety and make you grounded and peaceful.

On your next day, off try to stay as long as possible on the open space and relax, do some physical activity or just lay down on the grass or sand (if you’re lucky) and take some deep breath and let yourself be in the present moment.

9. Make your favorite childhood foods

What was your favorite food in your childhood? I’m sure you remember it judgment well. Think, make a grocery list, buy the ingredients and prepare your favorite foods when you were a kid, of course, if you still like them. And remember that if you liked fast foods, lollies or any kind of unhealthy foods you can make a healthy version of that!

My favorite meals or more precisely my favorite snacks, because let’s face it the chocolate bar is not a meal… 😉 were milky-way, m&m, salty sticks, cheese with ketchup (yeah I know it’s lame…), macaroons, meringue, stracciatella and coffee ice-creams and of course fresh berries!

Talking about my favorite meals I’ve always loved pizza and spaghetti bolognese. So as you can see there is nothing healthy in my favorite childhood meals but now when I am a grown-up girl and I am really passionate about healthy food I can make a healthy version of my favorite foods. And I’m exploiting this opportunity as much as I can.

Prepare a meal that reminds you of your childhood and enjoys it!!

10. Be creative

Did you notice that kids are much more creative than adults? They explore the world without this irrational fear of failing, making mistakes, being rejected or being judged. They don’t care about rules, laws or social standards. Kids explore the world using their limitless imagination and curiosity. They paint using their hands, build sandcastles, invent their own games and find ideal solutions to their problems without analyzing it too much. You want to be more creative, productive and motivated? Try to think like a child again! Suspend your judgment, bail on the fear of rejection, failure, judgment, and possibility of making mistakes and let your imagination run away with you.

11. Switch to a childlike mode

Let’s turn off the socially accepted adult behavior mode and be creative as a child, explore the limitless possibilities you have, suspend the judgment and critical thinking for a second and observe what happens. Try to be indifferent to what other people possibly think about you. Just laugh and laugh gracefully. Wanna have some fun? Be childlike and have fun!

12. Be mindful

As grown-ups, we tend to overanalyze our past and plan our future in detail. But at the same time, we completely forget to live in the present moment. We lose the ability to be mindful and appreciate the authenticity and imperfection of the present time. And it’s not a secret that if you’re stuck in the past judgment or you are constantly and obsessively think about future you don’t enjoy your life at all.

Find a moment for respite and reflection on your presence. Enjoy every second of your life. Taste the sweetness of doing nothing. Embrace this Italian concept of dolce far niente. Just breathe.

13. Take a risk

Put yourself in unfamiliar situations. Get out from your perfect zone. Explore new things, try new experiences, put yourself in a new environment, let your curiosity to push you. Fear of failure, fear of rejection and fear of making mistakes can be challenging and even extremely terribly debilitating but overcoming these fears can be highly beneficial and actually change your life for the better.  

Don’t let fear or insecurity to stop you from exploring new opportunities, learning new skills, discovering new things. It can be overwhelming and scaring at first but putting yourself in new and unfamiliar situations can actually be a key to success. If you think about the things you do on a daily basis you will probably notice that most of them we have already done thousands of times and you don’t even pay attention to them. Trying new things, even small ones every single day is inspiring, exciting, encouraging and it helps you to connect with other people with similar interests, passions, and values.

Get out of your safe cocoon. Think about things you always want to do or try and go for it. Is there any new hobby you would like to try? Maybe you’ve always wanted to try a particular meal from different cuisine? Maybe you’ve always wanted to visit a different country?

Think, Plan, Organize and Explore!

14. Suspend the judgment against yourself and other

It’s incredibly difficult for adults to suspend their judgment against themselves and others. We tend to use our critical thinking all the time, even if not required and just irrelevant. We constantly label others completely forgetting that people are too complicated to be a judge so easily. The complex nature of human goes beyond simple definitions and labels. You probably noticed that kids don’t do it until they are taught to behave this way. They don’t care about labels. They just want to explore the world on their own honest and authentic way. We should let ourselves from time to time to do the same. We should try to accept the present moment without judging it, without always wanting something more from life and from others. Just observe and listen carefully to what others want to tell us. Maybe we will learn something new or rediscover things we thought we knew very well. What do you think? Is it worth trying?

15. Have fun like a child

Allow yourself to feel an authentic joy. Be true to yourself. Be grateful and appreciate every single second of your life. Don’t let the outside world to control your emotions, feelings and moment of happiness. Stop waiting for a moment to be perfect. Instead, embrace the immense beauty of imperfection. If you want to laugh, laugh like a kid.

Have you ever laughed so hard you couldn’t stop that you cried and your cheeks hurt? If so do you remember what was funny? Next time when you find something really funny tries to laugh the same way. Don’t limit yourself. Don’t be afraid of your feelings and emotions. Express yourself in the purest and authentic way.  

These are my tips on how to be childlike again, develop the ability to express your feelings genuinely and openly, live in the present moment and be pure at heart.

Remember that being childlike means actually enjoying life as an adult!

Kate