Who is Your

Inner Child?

Written by Maya Swan & Abby Smith 
Designed by Kalia Allen 
Illustrated by Abby Smith

What is Inner Child Work?

Your inner child is a part of your subconscious mind that was conditioned before you were able to fully mentally and emotionally process the things occurring in your life.

As we get older, we grow into versions of ourselves that are a reflection of how we were parented and the experiences we had as children. Some difficult effects of this can show up in the form of triggers, trauma responses and self-protection tendencies. All of these habits and patterns were most commonly developed in early childhood.

Some of these trauma responses can include, not asking for help, self-sabotaging, avoidance, hyper-independence, not stating how you really feel, or feeling like a burden to others.

Who is your inner child?

"Think of a time in your childhood that you felt alone/sad/upset. How did you make yourself feel better? Was this a healthy or unhealthy way to cope? And what ways does this manifest in your life now?"

A lot of our emotions can be suppressed in childhood, which can carry out into adulthood. Healing your inner child is essentially reframing and reparenting the parts of you that weren’t nurtured in adolescence.

benefits

This form of healing can help with processing emotions, deepening and creating healthy relationships and can help your overall well-being.

Tools

  • Breath work/mediation

  • Self compassion, such as validating emotions as they come up

  • Participating in a creative hobby or activity

  • Journaling

Journal Prompts

By Abby Smith

  • Think of a time in your childhood that you felt alone/sad/upset. How did you make yourself feel better? Was this a healthy or unhealthy way to cope? And what ways does this manifest in your life now?

  • What was your biggest insecurity (physical or nonphysical) when you were in middle school? Is that still your biggest insecurity now? Reflect on how your insecurities have changed or haven’t changed.

  • Think back to the first friendship you can remember having. How did that friendship turn out/evolve? Are you still in touch with them? How did this first friendship set the tone for future relationships?

By Maya Swan

  • Write a letter to your childhood self. What would you tell them? What are some things you would help them get through? Are there things you would still want to accomplish for them?

  • Can you recall a time in your childhood where you wanted to start a specific hobby, but decided not to because of external or mental factors? What was the hobby? Is it something you do now or can start doing?

  • What are some activities or aspects of childhood that you miss? Are there ways you can incorporate those into your daily life now?

  • Write a letter to your present self from the perspective of your younger self. How do you think you would view the adult version of you?

how does the team connect with their inner child?

I still play hand held video games, watching any type of animation, making shapes out of clay and making pan-fried okra (Something I did with my late grandmother). 
-Kalia Allen
I was gifted a necklace when I was younger, it’s a locket with a blue bird painted on the front of it. I still wear it along with the little folded up note that’s carefully tucked away inside of it. 
-Gwenyth Bechtel
I still sleep with the stuffed animal I’ve had since I was a kid, I draw on anything despite not being terribly good at it. I unrepentantly eat raw cookie dough.
-Kaitlyn Krueger
I celebrate extra hard for the week of my birthday. I buy myself things that I’ve been wanting, take myself out, and always have a birthday cake.
-Sarah Balog

“I do handstands when I see grass, I read my journal entries from middle school, rearrange my room for fun, do puzzles and  have my pre-school yearbook photo hung on my wall.”
-Maya Swan
I still have my Littlest Pet Shops from when I was 7, drink Capri Suns, and buy every main series pokemon game that comes out!
-Rebecca Chrabaszewski
As a child my parents read tons of books to me, and my siblings and I acted out adventures for fun. Nowadays I love finding great stories I can fall into. Whether it’s a fantasy book, movie, show or even soundtrack, there’s nothing more comforting than a good story.
-Ariana
I still sleep with my childhood stuffed animal for comfort, I eat Kraft Mac n Cheese when I’m sad, and I go swing on a swing set when I need to get a new perspective. 
-Abby Smith
Call my mom, eat cold spaghettios (gross ik), take the cheese off my pizza, eat dinner on the living room floor, reread books I loved (where the wild things are is a fave), build forts in the living room. 
-Taylor Priola