March 05th, 2023

Whenever I spend time with my brothers I revert to being a kid, messing about doing silly stuff. As the only girl and middle child, my brothers have always teased me and we laugh until my cheeks hurt.
Our time together is precious as we live thousands of miles apart and we’ve planned countless playful activities; going to theme parks, the zoo, paintballing and most recently axe throwing, where my competitive tomboy spirit was unleashed.
Actually, in truth, I act like a child whenever I can get away with it.I dance for hours around my kitchen or nightclub, it doesn’t matter. When I am on the beach I like to bury my legs in the warm sand. When I go out I dress for how I feel and not for how society expects me to look for my age.Making social media reels also keeps me connected to my inner child; they’re entertaining and silly and reminds me that it’s ok not to be so serious at times.
Acting like a child is great fun, not only is it therapeutic in a world littered with stress, but it’s key to being happy and looking younger too. Studies have shown that laughter  increases blood circulation and reduces pain and boosts our immune system. It raises your energy levels.
Having six children also keeps me playful. When we’re on holiday, guess who’s the one splashing about, being pushed off the floaties, encouraging volleyball in the pool, starting water fights, pretending to be a shark underwater and generally not caring about the state of my hair or swimsuit.When we’re home guess who’s standing behind doors and leaping out screaming “boo” before collapsing in heaps of giggles. One Halloween I bought some six foot cardboard freestanding zombies to decorate the hall, my eldest son moved them to the end of my bed whilst i was asleep. I got up in the night to do a wee and screamed the house down and was laughing so much. Getting in touch with my inner child reminds me of the simplicity of childhood without the anxiety and responsibilities of adulthood.
When you’re a kid, you just get up and do things without being self conscious. Children don’t worry about that, there’s magic in simplicity. Children are also naturally inquisitive and creative, wanting to draw, write and make things out of shoeboxes, buttons and string and aren’t bothered what people think.They’re happy to make a mess.
Children express themselves so much better than adults, they’re downright honest and have no filter. But as we get older were conditioned to control ourselves and think before we speak, which can often leave us feeling frustrated and second guessing how others will react. And this isn’t being true to ourselves and we all end up in therapy!
So act like a kid and do whatever you feel like doing. Age is just a state of mind and why should all the kids have all the fun!

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