Thank you for asking the question.

One thought lead to another and continued on and on. I hope I’ve not wandered off topic or written too much.

John Bradshaw did a PBS special “Bradshaw on Homecoming” and “Bradshaw on Family”. He used a mobile to demonstrate how each person in the family is affected.

After reading Chapter 1 of Dr. Clay’s book speaking about the ‘advice industry’ and having acquired many books through the years, I’m now content to slowly work with self-talk and see what I find within and what evolves day by day.

Dr. Clay’s Psychological Self Help book has a link with several entries for the topic inner child. http://psychologicalselfhelp.org/cgi...ms=inner+child

Decided to reference ego states from Dr. Clay’s book and again much to read
http://psychologicalselfhelp.org/cgi...rms=ego+states

Just Musing
Letting the inner child write with the non-dominate hand has been a technique used to facilitate recognition and respect to the inner child. Sometimes acknowledging how I’ve not been present for self has been revealed from this writing exercise. I’ve experienced that the inner child can want me to be more trustworthy in taking better care of the child within. Wanting me to be a safe person and be there to meet a long-standing need of respect. The question generated a memory of a long ago experience. Meeting present need–respect, love, and trust for the inner child and for this aging adult too.

R–E-S-P–E–C–T is a word that I’ve found helpful to make an acoustic of. I chose the word praying for the letter P. The words P-practice or P-proving came to mind as I thought of people who may have a negative connotation about the word praying. A book title comes to mind as I think of all the different people who read what is written on the forums. “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse was a book I read in the same time frame as reading about the inner child. The methods of CBT, REBT, and the methods that are well explained in the Psychological Self Help book are good tools to use in helping me to care for the inner child and confront the issues of daily living. I need to seriously strive for balance gently and not take on too much.

I’m very thankful to have Dr. Clay’s book as a ready reference. Also, I am grateful for the forums and the caring people who share their thoughts, feelings, experiences, strengths and hopes. Reading shares (or posts) have been helpful in fanning hope.

Personally I find forming an acrostic to be revealing and helpful. So long as forming one is a spontaneous happening, I believe my inner self, whether the inner child or my spirit is helping me to help myself. Perhaps reading and writing is a way to allow my inner child or my spirit to help me to be more consciously aware in the present.

Sometimes so much can be derived from a word study or by forming an acrostic. Once when I was very upset and thinking, “I’m just earthy and gut level” I wrote my first acrostic and didn’t even know what an acrostic was.

An acrostic came into my thoughts automatically after reading a devotional on Respect forwarded in an email. I believe the inner child within me can be acknowledged and cared for by the applying the acrostic below.

R-real
E-everyday
S-support
P-praying
E-earnestly
C-caring
T- therapeutically.

Hopefully I have a focal point to help nurture the inner child and help the adult overcome creatively procrastinating time management in actively doing tasks respectfully and gently

for the topic. Hope I didn’t digress or write too much.

Gently Onwards
ibeme