Being the grown-up in charge
I was a nanny for many years, and I was never more grounded than when I was with children. Less anxious, less depressed, less self-conscious, more confident. And I realized it was because when I was with kids, I was the grown-up in charge. I knew what to do. Whereas when I was by myself, it was just me. There was no grown-up there to tell me what to do, and I often felt like I didn’t know what to do.
So, I learned to internalize the child—my inner child. Now, wherever I go, there are two of us. I am the strong, confident, loving adult. I know what to do and how to take care of us. And because of that, I can also be my inner child, who feels safe and loved. I’m free to be myself, to be a kid who’s amazed and delighted by the world around me. I can play, create, and have fun. And this has made such a difference in my life.
I’m trying out the voiceover feature over on TikTok—what do you think?