Embrace Your Inner Child

If there is two things I have learned over the last several years is that I can be anything I want to in life and that life is too short to not live it to the fullest. I dont think we ever truly grow up, at least not when you are born with disabilities. Yes, we have to adult sometimes, yuck; but I think so many people get caught up in their day to day life that they forget or hide that inner child within them that allows them to have fun in life. All my life I have lived for the moments where I can let go of reality and live my life to the fullest by exploring, having as many experiences as possible,  and just having fun.

In this blog, I am going to share some of the most popular toys for kids with disabilities, hobbies I got into as a teen, and how you can embrace your inner child as an adult.

Popular Toys for Kids with Disabilities 

I never really realized how important playing is in a child's life. For me, I always viewed it as a chance to take a break from reality, play with friends, and have fun. Which is the point of having recess in school, weekends, and summer breaks; but there is more that goes into it than we think. During the time that kids spend playing with other kids in person it actually builds many different skills which include, but aren't limited to; learning how to socialize, following rules, sharing with others, problem-solving, let's them use their imagination, and helps develop communication skills. When I was younger, my mom did a good job of encouraging my sister and I to have an active lifestyle at an early age. Every opportunity we got for free time we would spend it outside riding our bikes or scooters, going on picnics, playing at the park, hiking, and playing make believe games. Other times when it was either too dark or cold to be outside we would draw, play board games,played with legos, played with barbies,played Just Dance on the TV, and played make believe games. We were constantly doing some form of play and very rarely were we on electronics unless we were working on school. I preferred this type of life style because not only did it get me outside; but it also provided me with different adventures that were different, fun, and allowed me to move my body. 

Story Time

 Wow! I was such a cute kid. My mom and dad always told me that I was funny, outgoing,and determined as a little girl; but I didn't really realize how much those characteristics came forward until my parents started telling me stories of my childhood. One of my top favorite stories is of one of the very few times I got frustrated with a situation. As a little girl I loved wearing overalls,not only where they easy for me to manage; but I also looked adorable in them. My top favorite toy in the world growing up was my Beanie Bopper Doll Collection that I slowly collected as gifts from family, friends, and I believe my parents said I even got dolls from people we didn't even know when I was in the hospital. I loved these dolls so much that everywhere I went, my dolls also tagged along. On one day inparticular I was playing outside with my dolls, of course and had them all piled up in my left arm. My parents told me that I would take a few steps and then drop one of my dolls. I would say " shit" as I picked up my doll and placed it back with my other dolls as I corrected myself " Dyssa, don't say shit" before I continued walking. This happened multiple times with each time me say shit, picking my doll up, putting it back with the other dolls, and correcting myself. I was so determined to have all of them with me, I am not sure why I didn't just put them in my stroller or shopping cart like I did the other times. 

Toys for Teens with Disabilities 

As I got older, I didn't really play with toys that often anymore, but I gained a big interest in doing different activities that made me use my brain like playing sudoku, doing word searches, crossword puzzles, and doing jigsaw puzzles. It was a chance for me to learn new things while having fun. In fact, I learned all the names of the states and their placement on the map by playing a learning the states game with my mom. I love doing these activities because yes they might not be a physical toy like a doll is, but it is more of a hobby and in my eyes when you enjoy something as much as I do with doing different types of puzzles it was my new version of playing with toys.

Toys for Adults with Disabilities 

Who says toys are just for kid? In my family we are basically a bunch of adult children with 99% of our life doing fun things and being sarcastic;rarely are we ever serious. For adults, toys come in all shapes and sizes which includes; hobbies, tools, and trying different activities. My idea of embracing my inner child is getting out in nature trying new things, hiking, riding on our UTV, and splashing around in a river. With these activities we explore nature, let go of reality, make memories, and have fun; which is an important part of living your best life possible.

Conclusion 

I don't think we ever truly grow up. Yes we get older, but age is really just a number. Within us we will always have a part of us that is very much child like that looks for the fun in everything we do. I believe it is a matter of fact of making time in your day to day life to disconnect from reality. For many of us, we are so focused on what we need to do every day that we forget or don't make the time to embrace your inner child; which after a while it can cause you to feel like you have a void in your life, can make you feel disconnected from yourself, and can cause you to push your child like self further away; which makes you a person who lives a serious life.  I challenge you to make time in your schedule to embrace your inner child  by doing something you love because in truth who wants to live a life were they are serious all the time?