Queer people often feel behind and face a lot of rejection, unlike their straight, cisgender peers. Managing second queer adolescence and heterosexism can be exhausting and significantly detrimental, which is why it is so important for queer people to do inner child work. Inner child work aims to heal attachment wounds and push us to fully accept ourselves. Whichever behaviors or needs were labeled as "inappropriate" or "disruptive" can be carried out without judgment in adulthood.
One way to address these unmet childhood needs is to buy yourself what you wanted as a kid. As a child, I always wanted to eat a full box of Annie's Mac n Cheese for dinner while watching old Spongebob re-runs. So, that is exactly what I did a few days ago. While I did feel guilty for not eating a single vegetable, I really enjoyed the mac n cheese and Mr. Krabs. From there, I bought myself Twistable Crayons and printed out some black and white pictures of Ruby Rose to color in making my own queer coloring book I wish I had as a kid.
I was inspired to start this journey after watching a video of Laverne Cox talk about buying herself a Barbie doll. When she was young, she asked her parents for a Barbie doll, and her parents refused. She really admired Barbie, so this response crushed her. As an adult, Cox bought the Barbie doll that she always wanted, and after I saw how much joy this brought her, I decided to do the same.
I have been healing my inner child for a few months now, and since I have already seen how beneficial it is, I created a list of items that may inspire others to start or continue their journey as well.
1. Heelys
Were you always jealous of the kid with the new Heelys X Spongebob shoes? Well here's your chance to one-up that kid AND impress the ladies. Personally, I am a fan of the all black Heelys, but maybe that's just my inner emo teenager talking.
2. Chicken Nuggets
Did you only have 69 cents growing up, and therefore, did not have enough money for chicken nuggets? Well guess what? You're an adult now! With an adult job! That pays you adult money! And you can use that money to buy, you guessed it, chicken nuggets!
3. Slip and Slide
Did you want to have fun while getting hurt? Did you ever want to slide across an old tarp covered in hose-water and dish soap? Me, neither. Treat yourself to something a little more sophisticated, such as this slip and slide that comes with inflatable pads.
4. Duck Onesie
Did your mother refuse to buy you a duck onesie for Christmas last year because "you'd never wear it"? Well, prove her wrong by ordering this sweet duck onesie and wearing it to the next family reunion.
5. Cosmic Brownies
Have you ever craved a cosmic brownie - the food on the top of the lunchroom trade value pyramid? Have you ever tasted something that felt like being smothered by a thousand puppies and kittens? Buy yourself a Cosmic Brownie. Make a positive impact on your life. Experience serotonin in its purest form.
6. Jump Rope
Do you wish you had something that brought all the girls to the yard? Do you wish you had something that allowed you to walk the line between genius and crazy? Don't worry! Jump ropes are relatively cheap, and if you have a few friends, you can buy two jump ropes to double-dutch like the good ol' days. Just make sure you also buy some Band-Aids. (I recommend the Super Mario ones.)
7. Sidewalk Chalk
Do you want to be covered in colorful dust? Do you want to draw beautiful masterpieces on a slab of pavement near you? Well, look no further. Get some chalk and cover the sidewalk in rainbows to advance the gay agenda.
8. Hair Chalk
Did your parents never let you dye your hair growing up? Do you now work at a company that doesn't allow "extreme fashion"? Hair chalk may be right for you. Leave temporary, colorful streaks in your hair to live out your Pinterest hairstyle dreams without retaliation from HR.
9. Nerf Gun
This one hold a special place in my heart. I always wanted a Nerf gun as a kid, but I was too afraid to ask for one. At the age of 5, I had already dismissed this as "too boy-ish" for me despite having adequate freedom with "boys toys." However, now I can treat myself to the best Nerf gun on the market.
10. Legos
I remember asking for pirate Legos when I was 3 years old, and luckily, my parents were happy to get them for me. However, I was afraid to ask for more lego sets. Even though I was so young, I started doubting my love for legos. Was I enough of a tomboy to compete with the other boys who already had vast collections? Would I face retaliation and judgement from my female friends for not being girly enough? The good news is that I could not care less what people think anymore. If I want to spend $170 on a passenger train Lego set, I am going to do it. No one can stop me.