Child Hobby Horror!

Posted on 14. May, 2009 by anthony in Parenting

Find out how to cope with your own disappointment when your child’s hobby of choice is not the one you had imagined for him.

Hobby Horror

How to cope when you dislike your child’s hobby of choice

By Michelle Bruns

Before your child is old enough to speak his first words, you are already dreaming of the interests he’ll have. The mistake some parents make is that they do not consider that these interests may not ultimately be their child’s interest. This denial can result in some surprised adults when their child declares his love of chess rather than a desire to continue on in the karate class you’ve enrolled him in since age three.

No matter what your child’s interest, whether or not it matches your own, it’s important to support him and let him discover the hobbies that he loves. By encouraging him to thrive wherever his interests lie, you are giving him the chance to learn some valuable life skills.

Let Him Learn

Exploring interests outside of his required daily lifestyle gives your child the chance to learn skills that he will take with him beyond his toddler and teen years. Understanding teamwork, learning self-discipline, managing expectations, and figuring out how to recover from disappointment are important things he may achieve.

More importantly, encouraging your child to have his own interests may also help him stand up against peer pressure through his school-age years. Having a sense of individualism may help him discover that he does not have to follow the crowd and do something just because “everyone else is doing it.”

Hobbies Into High School

In high school, participation in school activities requires passing academic grades, which encourages students to succeed in their educational responsibilities. In addition, a study conducted in the mid 1990s by the National Center of Education Statistics reported that a high school senior who was involved in an extracurricular or school-related activity, such as music, clubs, or sports, was less likely to skip school or engage in non-excused absences, and earned a higher grade point average.

Get Involved

Don’t be afraid to jump on the bandwagon of your child’s newly developed hobby. You may be surprised to find yourself engaged in an interest you didn’t know you had yourself. Find organizations or groups that offer parent-child activities based on your child’s interest. If your child enjoys baking, take a class together and brush up on your culinary skills. If your little peanut is interested in joining a sports team and you don’t know a single thing about athletics, you don’t have to coach the team to get involved. Offer your time as a team parent or be in charge of organizing the snack schedule.

Activities Overload

We know that hobbies are good, but how many hobbies are too many for your child to have? The argument can be made that children with too many balls in the air can lose focus, and their schoolwork may suffer.

All in all, each child is different. When choosing a limit, consider how much time he is spending outside the home and the impact it has on him. Finding balance for your child is possible without having it take over your life either, and only you know what’s best for your family.

Well-rounded Adults

Hobbies are important throughout a child’s, and adult’s, entire life. Some of the lucky ones even turn their hobbies into careers, which may give them the boost they need to be more successful adults. Just remember that even if you cannot seem to pick up the interest in your little guy’s hobby of choice, keep in mind that it will probably change in a year or two anyway. Children grow out of their interests as quickly as they grow into them.

à What is your child’s hobby and how do you feel about it?

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Tags: child hobbies, child hobby