Childish is an adjective that refers to that linked to childhood.
Infantile is an adjective that refers to what belongs or relates to childhood (the period of human life that begins with birth and ends around puberty). In some countries, infant is even a legal name for people between 1 and 5 years of age.
The notion of infantile, which originates from the Latin infantilis , is usually used to name the subgenre or category that is aimed at children . In this way, we can speak of children's literature as the set of literary texts that are considered appropriate for the little ones. In some cases, these are books written especially for children, while there are also works designed for adults that, because they do not contain words or ideas that threaten the healthy growth of a child, are accepted within this group.
In a similar sense, we can talk about children's clothing , children's music , children's movies , children's games and any other product or activity whose recipients are children. Children's should always protect the little ones and present a proposal suitable for their physical and emotional development . In the best of cases, it also contributes to the formation and growth of infants.
Childish behavior in adults
On the other hand, the concept of infantile can be used to refer to adult behavior that resembles that of a child . When you say that an adult is childish, you are describing him or her as immature and unstable. For example: “I can't have a serious relationship with you since you are very childish” , “Don't be childish, Carlos, and go back to the table” , “The truth is that I am a bit childish: I still like cartoons and I collect dolls.”
Conventionally, it is believed that a person should abandon their childish tastes once they reach adolescence; This encompasses all forms of entertainment you will enjoy, such as literature, movies, and games. In theory, the concerns of mature life should occupy our minds 100%; everything else, therefore, represents a distraction.
Toys are part of children's entertainment.
creativity
However, it is known that the basis of creativity is freedom, or at least the search for it; and this goal is possible only by shedding the burdensome structures such as the conventions of society. What would humanity be without the great writers, without the cinema geniuses who are inspired by the previous ones to create unforgettable films, without the actors and musicians who give color and shape to the stories?
If people like John Lasseter (founder of Pixar Animation Studios and creator of the " Toy Story " saga) or Tim Burton (the renowned film director of "Young Scissorhands" ) avoided contact with their childish side, or feared being seen "playing with dolls", the world would be deprived of great masterpieces .
Recognition of the child's side
The fear of human beings to recognize their childish side is one of the many contradictions that characterize them as a species, and one of the most easily evident. For example, using generalization, it is possible to ensure that the most authentic people, less attached to social mandates, tend to avoid marriage and reproduction, taking refuge in their vocations to fight against prejudice ; On the other hand, those who abandon cartoons and teddy bears are the first to marry and have children, children with whom they will watch said cartoons, and who will accompany them to the worlds of their beloved dolls.
In the same way, when children grow up and continue on the same path as their parents, grandchildren arrive, a new source of children's entertainment hidden behind the veil of caring for the little ones.