People, I am an adult. In a few short months, I will be 21 and there will be nothing–short of running for office and AARP membership–barred from me based on my age. But here’s a secret.
Lean in close.
(I’M ACTUALLY SIX, AND I’M JUST STUCK IN AN OLDER PERSON BODY)
Whew, glad to get that off my chest. So, here’s what I did today:
RAAAAAAAAAAAAWR! Oh, my, excuse me! I didn’t see you there. My name is Timmy. 
Timmy the mutherfracking PINK DINOSAUR. Allow me to show you around my play dough world.
This is my mother. Timmolina.
A rare fossil of the love monster, kept in our house for generations
I am KING OF THE MUTHER FRACKING DINOSAURS!
Ummm, ahem, excuse Timmy. What he meant to say is that play dough is easy to make. Combine:
- 1 cup of flour
- 1 cup of water
- 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1/3 cup of salt
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- a few drops of food coloring
- bonus points: aromatic oils to make it delicious smelling therapy play dough
Cook over medium high heat until it comes off the sides of the pan. Knead for a few minutes. Enjoy the magic of childhood. If you wrap it up when it’s not in use, or store it in a ziplock, it will keep for months and months, maybe a year or longer.
Believe it or not, Timmy is a therapy dinosaur. He and his play dough brethren can help you connect with your residents.
My sophomore year, I remember visiting one of the other AD’s with a couple of RA friends. This particular AD had a very small office, but she had a table with all sorts of little toys and trinkets on it. In the small white little room, the toys immediately drew my attention. I found myself playing with them in spite of myself, and I asked her why they were there. She told me that she likes to have little things for students to play around with while they’re talking to her. Usually people are coming to her to talk about emotionally charged things, or because something is not going well. The toys help to make a serious environment more relaxing, and gives people something to fidget with while they talk. It also makes the conversation feel less contrived–it makes it feel like you’re there to spend time with each other, and not “okay, I’m going to spill my guts because you’re the person I’m supposed to spill my guts to.”
A few months later, I found myself in her office, dealing with my own emotionally painful situation. I felt wretched, embarrassed to be breaking down in front of someone I respected, and I was trying hard to keep it together. I remember being extremely grateful for having those little toys to play around with in between talking. Those little toys reminded me that it is okay not to be professional and impressive all the time. I felt that I was in a place where I would be taken care of.
Because Timmy the dinosaur eats bad feelings for lunch.
Too cool for fossil fuel
Everyday Batman 