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Finding The Right Hobby For Your Children[/caption]
The Oxford Dictionary defines hobby as a favorite activity that a person does for pleasure and not as his or her regular business. In short, hobby is one's favorite pastime. It has been proven time and again that having a hobby makes a person of a more balanced nature and also provides an outlet for stress. We tend to look at our kids` lives in terms of their education, health and nutrition; rarely do we consider their hobbies. When kids express interest in some topic or subject as a hobby, we often tend to redirect their interests and energies towards study related topics.
This is one thing that we should avoid doing and in fact go ahead and try to find hobbies for your kids. This way you can be sure that they have well developed personalities and a readymade outlet for the stress that they will no doubt face as they grow up. Many parents try and impose their own hobbies and interests on their kids, which in some cases may work out fine and in some cases turn out to be a completely wrong fit.
Finding The Right Hobby For Your Children
Observe and Explore: One of the main things that you need to do as a parent, is to observe your child or children and explore their minds to find out where their interests lie. Children are not very good at deception and their areas of interest will become very obvious to you at a very young age. If your child shows interest in artistic aspects of life then you need to direct your kids` hobby interests to this line of hobbies. If the kid shows interest in scientific aspects, then you could have them doing stuff related to this.
Do not Judge: Sometimes your daughter can show interest in some activities that look like they are typically masculine interests and your son may show interest in hobbies that are distinctively feminine. The thing to remember is not to pass judgement and stop classifying areas of interest as feminine and masculine. let your child make up his or her own mind.
Try not to Stereotype: This point is an extension of the above point and what we are trying to say here is that it is better to let your children make their own choices. The whole idea of having your kids to have hobbies and interests outside of study and work is so that they have well-rounded and complete personalities. By casting stereotypes and putting, these ideas in your kids` mind you are defeating the whole purpose.
Accept that Interests Change: Having gone through the process of helping your kids discover interests they can take up as hobbies, do not be too shocked if you find that your kids` interests keep changing. The fact is kids do tend to become interested in new things and keep changing their areas of interest from time to time. The thing to remember is to ensure that you do not invest too much money into your children`s interests until you know it is going to last.
Tips for Helping Your Child Find a Hobby
Make a list of your child`s interests. Discuss your child`s current interests and make a list. This will help you find ways to expand those interests through relevant hobbies.
Introduce your child to new things on a regular basis. Trying new things is the best way to get life experience and discover interests that your child never knew about. Get creative when you help your child try new things: go on field trips for different subjects, introduce books on diverse subjects, and try plenty of fun crafts, experiments, and other activities at home.
Test hobbies before committing. Even if you identify a hobby that seems perfect for your child, start slowly. There`s no guarantee that a certain hobby will be a good fit for your child. Let him or her try it for a couple of weeks before you make a big commitment.
Give your child the freedom to explore the hobby. This means giving your child adequate space for the hobby and allowing him or her to dedicate time to it each week.
Help your child learn and make progress. Depending on the hobby, your child might not be able to take it further without your guidance. If he or she isn`t sure what to do next, work together to brainstorm ideas. If your child already knows what steps to take next, offer your support.
Know when to let your child move on. Some hobbies last into adulthood, while others won`t last long at all`even if your child enjoys them. Younger children often grow out of the hobbies they establish early on. When your child is ready to quit, don`t pressure him or her to continue. Just be ready to help him or her find something new.