How to reparent and heal your inner child?

 

you have heard of the work inner child before? But what is your inner child? Your inner child is the younger version of yourself, a.k.a your former self. Your inner child still resides within you. And now you have grown, but you have not outgrown your past. But you are growing around your past self. Therefore, your part-self still resides within you. 

 

And it means that the dreams of your past self, its needs, fears and trauma are still alive within you. If your needs and wants were neglected as a child, the wounded inner child is still residing within you. It means that you are still hurting from that neglect too. 

 

So the key to healing your inner child and reparenting your inner child lies in becoming aware of your wounded former self, learning about its fears, neglects and needs and then healing those past wounds. When you act both as the child and parent of the child, it is called reparenting your inner child. 

 

What does it mean to heal your inner child or reparent your inner child?

Reparenting your inner child means reparenting your former self to heal the past wounds that are still fresh and still exists within you. When your inner child feels safe, loved and listened to, it starts healing, and you also heal in the process. 

 

There are a few signs of a wounded inner child that indicate you need to reparent and heal your inner child to be effective in the present. Once you recognize these signs, you can work upon yourself. And now you are an adult you can consciously work upon healing your former self. So you are the child who is hurting, and you are the parent healing your hurt inner child. It is called inner child work and this is the way inner child work can help you reshape your future and make you happier. 

 

How can you heal your inner child and take care of it?

So how you can go about inner child work? It is a long process of taking conscious care of yourself. You intentionally work to know yourself, examine your inner child, console it, listen to it, and give it time. It also involves a deep examination of your situation and reflecting on your conflicts. 

 

1. Talk therapy: One of the ways to reparent and heal your inner child is to talk to a therapist or a healer or a professional counsellor. 
2. Journaling: You can try maintaining a journal of your thoughts, emotions and feelings from the perspective of your inner child. You can write about the traumatic incidences, try to understand where your trauma comes from, and recreate your life situation. 
3. Sharing it with friends: Ask your family or friends whom you confide in about if they have reparented their wounded inner child and have common experiences to share. 
4. Be playful: Yes, you are an adult and mature now and hold yourself from laughing and being playful. But if as a child your desires were neglected, giving your child the same experiences does wonder to heal your inner child.   
5. Keep a log of your feelings: Keep a log of the situations and when your inner child shows up. Make a quick note of such a situation. Also, note down what needs or desires they are expressing to you.
6. Make a promise: When you encounter your inner child, make a promise to your wounded inner child that you will not let them be hurt again, will protect them and to forgive others and move on. It will help your inner child to heal and become peaceful. 

 

By adopting these things you will see your inner child healing and you will also see yourself move beyond your past pain.