5 Things You Can Do to Nurture Your Inner Child (Because Adulting is a Scam)

Once upon a time, all you needed to be happy was Dodo, NTA cartoons, and a fresh pack of Ribena. But now? You’re dodging bills like dodgeball, replying “Noted” in emails with hidden rage, and calculating whether you can afford a weekend outside your street.

Dear millennial, Children’s Day is tomorrow; May 27th, and while it may no longer come with meat pie and telephone juice, it’s the perfect excuse to nurture your inner child and momentarily forget that GTB just debited you again for no reason.

Here are 5 very unserious (but lowkey healing) things you can do to nurture your inner child:

1. Stock Your Fridge Nostalgic Snacks

Forget your adult fridge filled with alcohol and leftover goat meat. This weekend, give your taste buds that 90s/early 2000s joy:

• Ribena (OG bottle)
  
• Capri-Sonne (squeeze it while sipping like the savage you once were)
  
• Super Yogo
  
• Gala & La Casera Combo
  

For maximum effect, eat while sitting cross-legged on the floor and watching cartoons. Speaking of which…

2. Watch Cartoons (Not Anime. We Mean Cartoons)

We’re talking  Dexter’s Lab, Ed, Edd & Eddy, Tom & Jerry, and that one where Johnny Bravo had no business being that fine.

Avoid motivational TED Talks or yet another episode of Real Housewives of Lagos (yes, we know you watch it). Instead, sit down and let good old 2D animation calm your inner stress. You’ll be surprised how much joy one episode of Courage the Cowardly Dog Dog can bring. (And fear. That show was lowkey horror.)

READ ALSO: 5 Nigerian Boy Bands That Made My Childhood Memorable

3. Wear Something Ridiculous and Dance Like Nobody’s Watching

It could be mismatched socks. It could be your secondary school sports house shirt (if it still fits 😭). Tie wrapper like Super Strikas and do a dramatic run across your living room.

Then play Kukere, Yahooze, or that weird Baby Shark remix on loud. Dance nonsense. Forget choreography. Shake shoulders like it’s inter-house sports and your crush is watching.

Let your body move the way it used to before life happened.

4. Nap Aggressively

Let your inner child enter sleep mode by 4 PM sharp.
No alarms or guilt. No “I should be doing something productive.”
Just sweet, drool-inducing, leg-on-the-wall, window-fan-blowing naps.

If anybody calls you lazy, tell them you’re engaging in restorative inner child healing therapy. 

READ ALSO: 5 Games Every Nigerian Child Played in the 90s (And What They Teach)

5. Make Time for Silly Fun

Play Ludo.
Chase bubbles.
Colour in a random colouring book.
Slide down bannisters (if your bones will allow).
Tell your friends you’re having a “Children’s Day Party” and require Capri-Sonne for entry.

Don’t be shy. You once wore party hats and danced to “Skelewu” for biscuits. You can do this again. We believe in you.

Life is always lifing. But sometimes, the solution is not one more to-do list or productivity app. It’s in the ways you nurture your inner child. Like a chilled Ribena, a badly drawn crayon doodle, and 22 minutes of SpongeBob.

Happy Children’s Day in advance, legend.
May your adult stress be reduced, and your snacks be plenty.

And hey, join us in the Co-working Community to share how you nurture your inner child and see how other grown kids are celebrating tomorrow.

Because deep down, we’re all just taller, more tired children in need of a hug and an original Mr Biggs meatpie from wayback.