Real Talk

How Going Back To Our Childhood Hobbies Can Heal Our Inner Child

by Kevyn Gohu
November 6, 2024

Some people are quick to judge when we go back to our childhood hobbies but it’s one way to heal our inner child

Many healers often speak to parents about healing or attuning to their inner child but the question is — how? Where does it start? Considering that healing doesn’t have a strict rulebook on how to do it (just don’t hurt anyone else), the guidelines can be a tad vague. In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Filipinos began to debate and argue what it means to “heal one’s inner child.” Does it mean getting back into our childhood hobbies?

What does it mean “to heal one’s inner child?”

Healing one’s inner child involves a deep investigation of the unresolved pains and issues we’ve experienced in our childhood. The thing is, we’ve associated the damage with something always so drastic that we forget that even the little things, when they pile up, become just as damaging. Kind of like how water erodes a rock, the little things do matter especially emotionally.

Some healers describe the inner child as a collection or an “algorithm” of many childhood patterns — both good and bad. Healing one’s inner child means taking conscious and active steps to try and break those patterns, especially when they no longer have a purpose in our daily lives.

Now that we know the definition, how do we do that?

How do we heal our inner child?

The truth is — there is no one way to heal our inner child. Why? Well, it’s because all our childhoods are different.

Sure, we can share similarities with others and heal together. However, what may work for them may not work for us. Some may find enlightenment by going traveling. Others may find healing in therapy. Then, others find healing in buying toys or collectibles that played a big role in their childhood.

As adults, it’s easy for us to shame other adults for indulging their childhood hobbies because of an existing expectation to be “practical” and “wise.” With so many bills to pay, we often give up the dream of buying those toys. It sometimes comes to a point that we succumb to shaming others who do because we can’t. In a way, we project our negative feelings. Especially in the Philippines where hiya is a core virtue, we become more vulnerable to crab mentality simply because we’re frustrated that we can’t get it.

It’s frustrating to realize but many of us do have that “if I can’t be happy, nobody can” mentality. It’s that old Aesop’s fable saying, “Misery loves company.” The metaphorical company soothes us and reinforces that familiar negative thought. We fear difference because it’s not the usual; it deviates.

However, those who have truly healed will actually find it in themselves to celebrate the joy with them. After all, we don’t know everyone’s childhood. For many of us who grew up with humbler beginnings, toys were a luxury that we had to give up. Although it hurt, we understood it was a necessary evil. We then made a promise to finally get it for ourselves. That collectible may be just a toy to others but to us, it’s our dream come true because we can finally afford that luxury with our own money.

It may feel very consumer-centric but it’s the symbolism we tend to ignore

It’s easy to ignore the backstory; after all, everyone says that they don’t have time to read.

But the reading is what allows us to appreciate those little things. Things like a Harry Potter-themed mug, a real-sized lightsaber, a model kit of our favorite robot from a show we watched — all these are products but to some others, these were the symbol of financial success. To finally afford something that was considered a luxury in their childhood on their own terms and own money, the pride is like no other.

Maybe indulging in our childhood hobbies and toys is consumerism. But, who are we to tell others and other parents what to do with their money? Who knows? Maybe they’ve already spent years saving and paying for all the necessities that, it’s about time they spent a little bit for themselves.