The Importance of Embracing What Makes Our Inner Child Smile

I was eating a slice of lasagna at Olive Garden last night when it hit me. I don’t keep going back to this Y2K mainstay because of its fine cuisine. After all, the long-beloved chain is as Italian as any coffee that dares call itself “expresso”. (In other words, not at all.) However, something layered between those not-quite-al-dente lasagna noodles keeps me coming back for more. It’s a certain flavor—one not of authenticity but of something far more piquant.

Nostalgia.

At some point, between my third and thirtieth breadstick, it occurred to me that my decidedly American obsession with Olive Garden (one which surely has my Very Italian great-grandfather doing somersaults in his grave) is not an isolated anomaly within my pseudo-millennial existence. Perhaps my appetite for fake Italian food accessorized with “say when” towers of grated parm and complimentary after-dinner mints stems from the same sort of tangible nostalgia that prompted some of our favorite designers and retailers to decide that jelly shoes needed to be a thing again.

As a young woman in her mid-20’s, I find myself consistently caught between Millennialism and Gen-Z-ish-ness. But whether I’m reminiscing with my friends about paging through the American Girl doll catalogue, playing online mini-games with my Webkinz, or shopping at Club Libby Lu, I know one thing for sure—growing up isn’t always as glamorous as we make it out to be. In a twenty-first century that celebrates minimalism and sustainable living, the glittery pink all-out excess of our childhood might seem foreign to our adult brains.

But there’s something about our cotton-candy-pink girlhood that beckons to us—that makes us crave a world of artificial colors and flavors, girl-power Barbie music-and-movie montages, and everything else that made growing up in and around the 2000’s amazing. This is our defense of nostalgia. And, while we’re not going to pretend that artificially colored and flavored snack foods or made-in-China plastic shoes are the best investments a girl can make, we’re also going to acknowledge them for what they are—a beautiful representation of a life before social media and adulting and taxes. A life we could all stand to revisit…even if only for a while.

Nostalgia—Why We Need It

Y2K style gets a bad rap—at least in my mind. (Never mind the fact that I was born in the year 2000…) There’s something about the contemporary “quiet luxury”movement that thumbs its nose at everything we grew up loving. Just look at the jelly shoe scandal!

Today, much effort goes into promoting minimalism and “sustainable” products that speak to natural beauty. But do you remember your friends’ birthday parties, filled with multicolored balloons, bright banners, and every color and texture of gift wrap imaginable? What about your Barbies/Polly Pockets/My Little Ponies and their rainbow of accessories?

As it turns out, our brains are hardwired to crave nostalgia. Vesper is a lifestyle magazine, not a psychology journal, so I’ll keep this brief. But the fact of the matter is, reminiscing on our childhood actually helps regulate our nervous system and mental functioning. When you cook a favorite family recipe or hum the jingle to your favorite after-school television show, you’re triggering a rush of feel-good brain chemicals that can ultimately improve your quality of life.  

So, while I’m not encouraging you to trade in your Maybelline for Lip Smackers or exchange your good pen for a scented pencil, there are proven benefits to embracing nostalgia…and we can do so in a thousand little ways.

Embrace the Past—Improve Your Present

Okay, if you’ve made it this far through the article, then you deserve a little confession: I, at the ripe old age of twenty-something, still sleep with a stuffed animal. On nights when I tuck a floppy, faded, raggedy cat under my arm, I find myself falling asleep faster and feeling more well-rested when I awaken. But it’s not just a “me” thing…The New York Times agrees.

But there are plenty more ways that we can embrace our inner child as part of our daily routine. And, no, I’m not going to tell you to run out and replace your Ulta haul with new-in-box Dotti Loves makeup from eBay (though no one will stop you if you try). Try turning on an ultra-nostalgic playlist for your commute—I don’t know who needs to hear this, but Mattel is on Spotify. Animated Barbie movie music? American Girl tunes? They’ve got it. 

Maybe you were addicted to online mini games back in the days when your computer took up half of (okay, all of) your desk and now you’re stuck playing Candy Crush on your phone—but you don’t have to be! Internet archive sites like Numuki have preserved all of your favorite childhood e-games for when you need a few minutes of dopamine-inducing screen time.

And those special childhood treats—mall cookies, Cold Stone Creamery ice cream, Rice Krispies treats, Lunchables? They still exist, and no one is stopping you from having them. If your palate has matured since your days of brown-bag snacks or school lunch trays, recreate the fun at home with charcuterie for one or by sandwiching your favorite small-batch ice cream between homemade cookies. (But, if there’s anything my recent pilgrimage to Olive Garden taught me, there’s something about our favorite nostalgic flavors that home cooking just can’t replicate.) 

No matter how you choose to incorporate some of your childhood favorites in your grown-up routine, I can guarantee it’ll instantly brighten your day. Still not sure where to start? Here’s what I like to do…

Are We the Same Person?

Did you make “potions and lotions” by mixing together goop and glop from shower gel bottles, half-dissolved bath bombs, and soap petals in the bathtub? I know I did. If social media is to be trusted (a fearsome proposition, I know…) then plenty of other girls from my generation did the same. Half of them seem to have grown up to be hair color specialists (go figure) and the others are just like me—girls who ended up obsessed with skincare and finding the magic combination of products to produce the perfect glassy skin. As of right now, I have four bottles of toner, seven-plus serums, three under-eye products, and heaven-knows-how-many pots of face cream on my vanity. (Don’t ask about the drawers.) I’ve been slowly realizing that one of the reasons I so revere my morning and evening skincare routine is because it gives me a little chance to recapture a bit of that childhood glee at putting together the “perfect” combination of products…and the end result is far more beneficial than washing out a tub full of gloop and glop!

If you were a potion girl, consider how switching up your skincare routine could help you recapture a bit of the wonder you found in those bathtub laboratories!

On a similar note, who remembers Club Libby Lu, Dottie Loves, or Claires? Who, for that matter, had one of the iconic makeup flip phones? (These are actually making a comeback, except now they’re billed as—gulp—vintage.) If you spent your dress-up days applying glittery pink-and-purple makeup from any number of adorable containers, then you probably grew up to appreciate the clever packaging of designer cosmetics. Treat your inner child and save up for a Dior lip product—each one has its own unique case and method of application, and there’s something extra-satisfying about the way their “addict” lip balms snap in and out of their cases.

If you were a regular at your local kids’ cosmetics store, treat yourself to a “fun” makeup product that brings back memories of your first flip phones…er…eyeshadow palette. 

Could you spend hours at the library leafing through books about characters like Fancy Nancy, Eloise, Madeline, or the Flower Fairies? Maybe you preferred animal main characters like Martha, the talking dog, Skippyjon Jones, the cat who thought himself to be a chihuahua, or Biscuit, the golden retriever with an equally precious heart. These books didn’t only entertain us—they also inspired our childlike hearts to pursue goodness, treat others with kindness, and view the world through a lens of pure joy. And why should that stop now? Pick up a heritage edition of one of your favorites, like this compilation of Flower Fairy illustrations, or simply head to the library and spend some time in the kids’ section—no doubt you’ll rediscover a few old favorites!

If you always had your nose in a book growing up, revisit your favorite fictional friends at a library or bookshop or pick up a beautifully illustrated gift book to speak to your grown-up heart.

Final Thoughts

I’ve barely begun to scratch the surface of what growing up in the 2000’s meant to me—there were classic Disney films, Beanie Babies, thick toy catalogues in the mail every holiday season, and perfectly coordinating outfits from Gymboree. The list goes on, consisting of everything wonderful from my childhood that I’ve almost-forgotten.

Yet, even in my advanced years (advanced, at least, compared to my days in pre K) I know I’ll never truly forget any of it. Because these memories live in my heart. They inform my decision-making today and inspire the person I’m still growing into.

If not for my childhood awe at the idea of a waiter infinitely grating Parmesan cheese onto my lasagne, would I have ever discovered the magic of tableside plating at a Michelin-rated restaurant? If I couldn’t recall my girlhood glee at slipping into a pair of plastic dress-up shoes featuring the face of my favorite princess, would I dream today about putting on a pair of Louboutins? If I hadn’t ever built a castle out of blankets and pillows, would I have ever invested so much time (and money!) into learning the art of interior design?

I owe so much—no, everything—to my childhood. To the small toys and seemingly commonplace moments that shaped me into the woman I am today. Why, then, should I abandon it into the wind when the very fabric of my being is woven from a million threads of nostalgia? This is my encouragement to you and me and all of us.

Embrace the past. Hold it close.

Make little you proud today and, in doing so, lay the pathway to a glorious future.

Did we hit on your favorite parts of growing up as a girl at the “turn of the twenty-first century”? If not, then what did we miss?