Childhood Instructions Carried Into Adulthood

by Dwayne Phillips

Most of us received many instructions in childhood. Now that we are in adulthood, are we still tying ourselves to instructions meant for children?

Here is something I was told as a child (and I have told many children): Look both ways before crossing the street.

I still recommend this instruction for adults.

How about this one: don’t talk to strangers.

I don’t recommend this one for adults. In the course of a job, I need to talk to many people I don’t know, i.e., strangers.

When I am doing something as an adult and having lots of difficulty from that, am I being childish? Am I following a rule told to me in childhood that I should discard as an adult? I can do many things after eating without waiting an hour. I don’t need a nap everyday (well, at this point I want a nap everyday, but some people frown on sleeping at work at my desk). I can see what I need to see, hear what I need to hear, and then decide if it is for me.

The list of childhood rules that I can discard as an adult is long. Let’s be aware of it.