Let's Get Juvenile!
Acting like a kid is serious business...and it just makes life better.
Leonardo, I’m so sorry we did not get to hang out as much as I wanted to when I was a kid. The adults in my life said that you, your turtle brothers, and rat sensei were demonic. Now that I am an adult, we have a lot of catching up to do.
Adulting sucks. We’ve all heard the same tired definition, and that it’s supposed to be measured by the weight of our responsibilities and how stoically we carry them. We’re told to put away childish things, to be sober-minded, and to keep our eyes on the horizon. But for those of us who grew up in high-control religious environments, the pressure to be “mature” did not start at twenty-one - it started at five.
In that world, our childhood is often a skipped chapter. We were expected to be “little adults” burdened with eternal consequences for our behavior and a hyper-fixation on “sin” or “purity.” When your formative years are spent under a microscope of hyper-vigilance, you don’t actually grow up; you just learn how to perform. You become a master of the mask, while the child inside goes into hiding.
Trauma has a way of “freezing” us at the age it occurred. If you weren’t allowed to be a messy, loud, or curious kindergartner, a part of you is likely stuck there, waiting for permission to exist.
Reclaiming the Narrative
Healing often begins with a deliberate reframing of the “rules” we were raised with. It’s a process of taking the old, heavy scripts and trading them for something lighter:
They said: “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” You say: “Rest and play are human rights.”
They said: “You are being watched at all times.” You say: “I am allowed to lose myself in the moment.”
They said: “Childish things must be put away.” You say: “My inner child is a source of wisdom.”
They said: “Your behavior has eternal weight.” You say: “Sometimes, it’s just a game.”
Why “Acting Like a Kid” is Serious Business
Tapping into your “juvenile” side isn’t just about blowing off steam; it’s a legitimate therapeutic technique that works because it addresses the “hollowed out” childhood that many survivors of high-control groups experience.
When you choose to do something “silly” or “forbidden” - like eating cereal for dinner while watching a “secular” cartoon (especially something as “satanic” as the Ninja Turtles) - you are proving to your nervous system that you are the authority now. It’s a low-stakes way to practice autonomy. Furthermore, play is the biological opposite of the fear response. While trauma keeps the brain in a state of high alert, play signals to the brain that you are safe, helping to “rewire” your associations from guilt to freedom.
Practical Ways to Play
If you’re looking to start, consider where you were most restricted. Healing is often found in the very categories that were once policed:
Media & Art: Watch the “sinful” movies you missed or read the banned books.
Body & Expression: Get a temporary tattoo or wear “unconventional” clothes just because.
Sabbath & Rest: Spend a Sunday being “unproductive.” Play video games or sleep in.
Tactile Play: Buy the LEGO set, Play-Doh, or coloring books you never had.
Navigating the “Guilt Hangover”
It is perfectly normal to feel a wave of shame after doing something “juvenile.” This is just your old programming trying to “protect” you from a punishment that isn’t coming. When that guilt hits, acknowledge it. Tell yourself: “I am safe. I am allowed to enjoy this.”
In the world of Internal Family Systems, we often talk about the Exiled Child. This part of you carries the curiosity, joy, and vulnerability that was pushed out because it was unsafe to express. When this child is reintegrated, they bring back your emotional vitality and creativity.
The Exiled Child isn’t immature - they are unfinished. Being “juvenile” as an adult isn’t about regression; it’s about developmental completion. You are simply going back in time to pick up the parts of yourself you were forced to leave behind. In this house, exiles are finally welcomed home.
Thank you, Elmo, for all the happiness and laughter you’ve brought me over the years.
If you haven’t checked out LifeIsMyReligion.com yet, please do. Buy a shirt, help me keep my lights on, and more importantly: partner with me in supporting Existential Health as we save the world from toxic religion one t-shirt at a time.
I’m a Trauma-Informed, Non-Religious, Spiritual Companion - ready to hold space for anyone who needs to talk. For a free initial consult, visit: TheWanderingNautilus.com.