Emily - maybe this can help you understand how some are able to do validation of their inner child.

the "inner child" just means that everyone even normal people have times when they feel like a child. the inner child isnt a disordered thing. its normal.

the basic normal not associated with any mental or physical health kind of inner child is just feeling like you did when you were a child or as a child would...

examples most use because they are things everyone can understand is...

getting something new and feeling like you did on Christmas morning when you saw your gifts or decorated your home for a special occasion.

that giddy pit of the stomach excitement over going to a party or purchasing tickets and you remember you felt the same way when you were in school preparing for the school proms, dances or sports events.

feeling sad when having to leave vacation to go home, like you felt sad when summer or winter was over when you were a child.

going to work and the boss says he wants to talk to you, and you feel like you did as a child when the teacher called on you, or you got sent to the principal's office.

these are all normal not disordered kinds of things where people (anyone) sometimes feel like a child.

Validation means you are noticing /acknowledging that you feel this way...that's all it is. thinking or saying you know you are feeling something you used to feel as a child. theres no big secret to doing it, theres no therapy approach to doing it. just noticing how you are feeling reminds you of a time in your childhood. its normal and everyone does it.

I woke up this morning and thought "Oh man do I feel groggy and tired"
thats validation. noticing and acknowledging how I was feeling. nothing more needed to be done to validate.

thats all validation is... noticing how you feel acknowledging how you are feeling.

doing validation is different than doing self care.

Validation is noticing / acknowledging.
Self care is doing something kind and caring for yourself.

After I validated (noticed and acknowledged) that I was feeling groggy and tired I practiced self-care - I got up, made myself a cup of coffee, then went out on my patio and watched a deer come out of the woods and explore the fawn statue and mineral block.

This thread is about people noticing normal times in their life when they feel like they did when they were children (validation) and doing their self-care (doing something to help their self with their feelings).

there's no hidden therapy or whatever with this. maybe you can reread all your posts and notice the times that you have posted how you have felt and what you did to help yourself with how you were feeling.

if you have a mental health treatment provider or physician, they can also explain to you the "inner child" concept and how to validate (notice/ acknowledge) your feelings and practice self care for how you feel.