Now for some Kidulting

The fad of ‘Kidulting’ seems to be sweeping across the world. Kidulting refers to adults indulging in kid’s activities. Specialised stores now provide ‘kiddish’ activities for adults including ‘diving into a sea of marshmallows, writing on the walls‘ – bland, fun and harmless, resulting in a rush of dopamine, the feel-good neurotransmitter. These stores are actually providing us a service that we should never ever have the need for.

Why should we be burdened so much with life that we forget the child in us? Why should we become so ‘grown up’ that we forget to relax, and take life as it flows?

Can’t we be childlike without being childish? This would mean retaining our curiosity, never being judgemental, accepting people, forgiving and forgetting slights, real and often imaginary, retaining one’s enthusiasm and zest, and playing games.

George Bernard Shaw would say that youth is the most beautiful thing in the world and what a pity it has to be wasted on children. Let us ensure that we retrieve that ‘most beautiful thing’ even in our older years. And not let the craze of kidulting be just a fad, for a day, but a constant feature of our lives. Having a childlike wonder ensures that we can go through the rigours of life with a smile on our lips, able to always see the bright side of things.