How to Grow Up Without Becoming a Grown-Up: Big Lessons from Little Kids

Being a grown-up isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. What if we got back in touch with the joy, freedom, silliness, and creativity of being a kid?

When we were children, we were passionate, imaginative, and curious, and we loved without judgment. Now we are adults . . . neurotic, anxious, socially inept, and oh so very lonely. Why did we rush to become grown-ups? Why must we trade dream jobs for high-paying ones, tree climbing for social climbing, and juice boxes for juice cleanses? Is it possible to get back what we lost?

Julian Shapiro-Barnum, comedian, former child, and creator/host of the viral, beloved show Recess Therapy , has spent the past five years interviewing thousands of children. He’s talked to them about everything from love, anger, and death to Spider-Man and farts. And he’s gathered a wealth of information leading him to believe that there’s a lot we can learn from kids on how to live a better life.

With tender humor and real wisdom, Julian gets to the heart of life’s biggest issues, seen through the eyes of the littlest among us:

• How to fully feel your feelings (and then let them go)
• Why reclaiming your imagination can make your life richer
• How to bring a sense of wonder back to your work
• Why breaking the rules is sometimes the right thing to do

How to Grow Up Without Becoming a Grown-Up is a guide for adults on how to get back in touch with the silliness and pure joy you may have been missing lately.