If you ask anyone who knows me, they will tell you that I love chocolate. Of course, this naturally extends to a love of chocolate milk. I have been known to add chocolate milk to my tea in the morning. Disgusting, I know.

But, back to the point: chocolate milk. It’s delicious, questionably nutritious and makes me feel like I am connecting with my inner child and making her happy. It’s whimsical and silly. But there is a weird shame I feel whenever I want to order chocolate milk in public. I’m out at brunch with my mom, ready to place an order for chocolate milk, the nectar of the gods, and… I get a lemonade.

My friends and classmates all told me that loving chocolate milk as an adult is not a hot take, and I’ve realized the shame I feel around ordering chocolate milk in public is definitely just a me thing. But I do think that there is a self-imposed shame a lot of people feel when they reveal a childlike habit they’ve kept into adulthood.

It might be keeping that one stuffed animal around or using barrettes or bows in your hair. It can even be the music you listen to. Everyone worries about how much they listen to that one song and whether or not it will be on their Spotify Wrapped.

We should be embracing the parts of ourselves that connect us to who we used to be, not squashing them to reach a certain threshold of “cool” or “competent adult.”

An article from Elle India talks about the resurgence of whimsy among Gen Z (and dillydallying, which is such a fun word!) I, for one, am here for it.

We can get so caught up in trying to fit into a certain aesthetic to fit other’s expectations, or to present as a fully-functioning adult, that we forget the things that make us unique and help us to connect to our inner child, joy and whimsy.

Kiera Hunter,a third-year political science major at DePaul, thinks that holding onto whimsy as you get older is important because there are parts of your personality that can be left behind in attempting to be more mature or adult.

“There is a stigma on enjoying things that are seen as childish,” Hunter said. “When certain things bring you joy, there is merit to keeping them close to you and taking them into adulthood.”

There are many reasons that people give up things that are considered too childish. 

Amber Hooker, a DePaul junior studying public relations and advertising, thinks that people give up whimsy in order to keep up with the fast pace of life and the societal expectation to be normal.

“As a kid, I was so outgoing and active and just loved everything,” Hooker said. “I’ve been trying to connect more with that part of myself lately by doing things that scare me, regardless of outside voices.”

Hooker said that modern society forces the norm upon people, and anyone that falls outside of that, like by taking a gap year to travel or pursuing a career in the arts, is seen as a failure.

I think that there is a time and place to be serious, ambitious and competent. But you shouldn’t be any less silly or original because of it.

Whimsy doesn’t have to be life-altering or dramatic. It can be bopping to music on the train (do this at your own risk), making faces out of your breakfast foods on your plate or wearing butterfly clips in your hair. It’s completely up to you, although I do suggest consuming more chocolate.

For 2026, I’m going to focus less on unrealistic goals and pretending to have everything together, and focus on hanging out with my inner child who adores “Sesame Street,” chocolate milk and embracing the whimsical parts of life every day.

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