Inner Child Reconnection

A few years ago, I received a model rocket kit as a gift. This wasn’t a random present. As a kid, building and launching model rockets was one of my favorite hobbies, and it brought me a lot of joy. I loved taking a pile of parts and turning them into something real. I enjoyed the challenge of problem-solving and the thrill of a successful launch. This was especially true when the rocket came back down safely under parachute.

Like many childhood interests, rockets eventually fell away. In my teenage years, competing priorities took over, and the hobby quietly disappeared from my life.

When I finally built the rocket I had received as a gift, I realized that the years I had been away, the hobby had evolved dramatically. Model rockets are much bigger and fly much higher now and there are many clubs dedicated to model rockets. What once was a simple hobby had grown into something much more sophisticated. As I returned to rocketry as an adult, I noticed something else. This hobby activates a very different part of my brain than my work as a therapist. It’s technical, creative, hands-on, and requires a lot of left-brained skills like math, organization, and planning. I have to focus, experiment, and solve problems in a way that feels refreshing and grounding.

This reflection came to mind as we move into a new year—a time when many people think about New Year’s resolutions. While I’m not particularly a fan of resolutions (that’s a topic for another day), I do think this season invites reflection. Specifically, it raises an important question: how do we, as adults, reconnect with our inner child? Hobbies are one answer, especially those hobbies we loved as kids. But it goes beyond hobbies alone. What about laughter? Goofing off? Playfulness?

Consider that the average five-year-old laughs around 300 times per day. The average forty-year-old laughs somewhere between four and fifteen times a day. That difference is staggering.

My rocket hobby doesn’t necessarily make me laugh out loud, but it does something just as important. It brings me joy. Watching a rocket I built lift off the ground and return safely makes my inner child incredibly happy. It reconnects me with a younger version of myself who was curious, engaged, and excited to create.

So, I’ll leave you with a few questions to reflect on:

• What activities make your inner child happy?
• What did you love doing as a kid that you’ve quietly abandoned?
• Is there something playful, creative, or hands-on you could invite back into your life?

You don’t need a resolution. Sometimes, you just need permission to play again.