‘Kidulting’ is the new mental health trend that rediscovers your inner child

“Know you gotta grow up,” said Olly Murs in 2016, but what if we don’t want to? Kidulting is the new trend we should hop on.

‘Don’t grow up kid, it’s a trap!’ We’ve all heard (and brutally dismissed) this saying growing up, only to realise that adulthood indeed isn’t as liberating as we’d glorified it to be. Remember how you yearned to be this ‘mature, independent, I’m my own boss’ person in your early teens and then adulthood hit like a (powerfully loaded) truck.  Don’t get us wrong, adulthood does have a lot of perks, but does it offer those carefree and innocent moments of binge-watching your favourite cartoon on the weekends, playing with your neighbourhood pals every evening in the park or just popping bubbles and creating imaginary castles without worrying about the future? While we don’t have ‘Doraemon’s Anywhere Door’ to teleport you back, there’s another way to unleash your inner child. Let’s familiarise you with ‘kidulting’ – the viral mental health trend that millennials are finding respite in!

Because why should kids have all the fun?

What is ‘kidulting’?

As you would’ve guessed, the concept, which first gained momentum during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, is an amalgamation of ‘kid’ and ‘adulting’. A trend where adulthood meets the playground, ‘kidulting’ is all about reliving the golden days of childhood amidst the responsibilities of adult life. Imagine participating in activities usually reserved for the kids, tapping into nostalgia and re-discovering what carefree happiness feels like. Amazing, right?

‘Kidulting’ is like finding an oasis in a desert. It’s an opportunity to return to simpler times, even if for a few moments or hours. The trend isn’t just a ‘state of mind’ anymore, it’s a well-built industry. Many businesses are minting money by packaging the ‘nostalgia-ridden’ feeling that several millennial kidults crave. TikTok users have also jumped the ‘kidulting’ bandwagon, with many influencers posting photos of them dressed in clothes reminiscent of the early 2000s.

Now that you know what ‘kidulting’ is, let’s take you through the benefits of this fascinating fad!

Understanding the benefits of ‘kidulting’

Nostalgia evokes feelings of joy

Childhood memories truly give unbridled joy, which keeps stress and anxiety at bay. Activities like building legos, cycling, drawing or playing board games work as a form of relaxation and escapism. A Bloomberg survey found that in 2021, several parents in the US purchased toys for themselves. According to US data tracker NPD Group, toy sales surged 37% over two years to $28.6 billion (INR 2,37,638 crore approx.) in 2021, thanks to a lot of ‘kidults’ who wanted to beat their blues during the pandemic.

Mentally stimulating

These nostalgic memories help release ‘feel-good’ hormones like dopamine and endorphins that create a sense of happiness and contentment. By allowing positive feelings to re-emerge, you avoid becoming too rigid in your ways and increase spontaneity.

Did you know that there’s a pop-up interactive museum called ‘Dopamine Land’ in London and Madrid, that’s solely designed for kidults so that they can unleash their inner child? Similarly, a place named Wondr in Amsterdam is an immersive playground that lets people dive into a sea of pink marshmallows, write on the walls and more. The artistic space is built especially for adults, acting as a form of escapism.

Boosts creativity

Activities like colouring, building blocks and more enhance your creative thinking, imagination, and problem-solving skills. This refreshing break helps adults see the world with fresh eyes, allowing innovative ideas to surface and broadening the sense of what’s possible. By temporarily suspending the limits of reality, you break free from the worries of the past and future and start appreciating the most ordinary things in life. When you allow your mind to wander freely, you become more creative in your thinking. So, the next time your mind tells you to build that Lego fort, do it!

Heals the inner child

Not everyone has had a peachy-keen childhood! People who’ve faced violence or trauma in their growing-up days often end up feeling suppressed or lost as an adult, which is why ‘kidulting’ is important in re-establishing your previous identity. Consciously engaging in activities, you ‘wish’ you could’ve done as a child brings new joy, calm and healing. Parts of your psyche that were traumatised, or neglected in some way can be healed with mindful ‘kidulting’.

So, when your inner child tells you to start a podcast, join that cooking class or take that solo trip – listen! Don’t brush away these feelings.

Helps build social connections

Reliving your childhood is always better with friends, right? Make ‘kidulting’ a social activity by involving people in your life who have similar interests and hobbies. Social interactions enhance those breezy feelings of youth, give you a sense of belonging and thereby increase intimacy, trust and other such positive traits.

If you have kids, nothing like it! Play your favourite childhood games with them, plan weekend picnics in the lap of nature and make playdough or do pottery together. The options are endless. Reigniting old connections or making new acquaintances in your personal life will also help you at your workplace as you’ll get more relaxed while building new professional partnerships.

Conclusion

There’s no denying the magic of childhood moments and doing things that once made your heart flutter and imagination run wild. Don’t take ‘kidulting’ to be an immature, time-wasting activity but a fun-finding mission to nourish your soul. It’s rightly said that ‘if you carry your childhood with you, you never become older’. ‘Kidulting’ is an expression of self-love and self-care, leading to a healthier as well as happier you.

Just because you’ve grown older, doesn’t mean you always have to act grown-up!

Hero image: Courtesy Karolina Grabowska/Pexels; Feature image: Courtesy RDNE Stock project/Pexels

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• What is the ‘kidulting’ trend?

‘Kidulting’ is all about reliving the golden days of childhood amidst the responsibilities of adult life. It encourages adults to engage in their favourite childhood activities, evoking a sense of nostalgia that boosts happiness.