What’s so bad about acting like a child?

IF you cast your mind back to your childhood, it is probably among the happiest times of your life.

You will have spent most of it being childish, having childish thoughts (could a cow outrun hippopotamus?), making childish mistakes (which stupid adult put a window near where we’re playing football?) and saying what the adults wanted to but didn’t dare (why did Aunty Jean leave you then Uncle John?)

When you were a child you had nothing to worry about. You could go on adventures as long as you were back for tea and birthdays were welcomed not dreaded.

At your party you’d play pass the parcel, eat crisp butties and make yourself sick on ice cream.

You could cut your nose off to spite your face, sulk when you didn’t get your own way, and walk around with your bottom lip out.

And so to the word childish — which was invented by a jealous adult. Green with envy at the fun children were having, adults attached all sorts of negative connotations to the word.

“Look at those children. How dare they giggle for no reason.”

It has come to represent being immature, petulant and foolish — so there — when really it should have meant being happy, sweet and innocent and under 5ft.

Thankfully, this jealousy has abated somewhat because modern adults have lots of opportunity to be childish themselves.

You only have to go into town on a Friday night to see many are practising this skill quite enthusiastically. Some are being sick when it’s not even their birthday.

At play centres with ball pools, adults are almost obliged to get into the spirit of things in the name of good parenting.

I even shout “woo!” when I go down the twisty slide and take the skin off my elbows.

It led one snotty seven-year-old girl to suggest I was a ‘nerd’. I just stuck my tongue out.

So perhaps now, more than ever, it’s a good time to relive the behaviour which made you a child. I’d say to be childish it to be creative, free and in the constant presence of snot.

Tantrums though, for adults, are really a step too far. I remember once having one in Asda when I was told I was told to stop being childish and embarrassing.

I got up and said: “You’re not my mum.” She said, “No, I’m your wife. Now put that Curly Wurly back.”

It was bed without supper in our house that night.