Is it just me, or are homeschooled kids particularly good at exploring their interests? There seems to be a natural curiosity that, when combined with a flexible schedule, leads them on all sorts of rabbit trails. With time and research, practice and development, these interests can become a hobby. These hobbies can become a high school elective and, if we are lucky, these interests can lead to a lifelong profession.
This seems less the case with children who are in a traditional classroom, perhaps do a sport after school or on weekends, have to finish their homework daily, have dinner, spend some time with the family, and go to bed early for school the next day. Some call it the “culture of busyness,” which leaves little room for exploring interests freely and independently.
As a parent of adult children who are out of the house, I manage to have plenty of hobbies. It’s fun! I love it! I got to thinking about the origin of my hobbies. They all began with the freedom to explore an interest freely and independently, hmmm. I was a public schooled child of the 20th century and life was less busy back then (and my parents did not want to drive me all over the place). My siblings and I rode bicycles everywhere, played a lot of catch, made mudpies, and painted rocks. With friends, we played dress-up, braided each other’s hair, and made outfits for our dolls and cats out of old socks. On my own, I learned to sew, make scenes for my fashion dolls, read a ton of good books (even the set of encyclopedias), and played with my cat and kittens.
Would you like to guess some of my hobbies? Art of all kinds. Building things. Reading. Decorating. Being outside. Hmmm.
My grown children (ages 25 and 27) expressed interests as kids that later became hobbies and eventually led to careers. Hmmm. Perhaps we should consider our kids’ hobbies more seriously.
What makes a hobby a hobby? Typically, they are interests generated by the child. It may start with dabbling and evolve into a passion. Not every interest you explore will lead to a hobby. A proper hobby should carry some level of importance to the hobbyist. It doesn’t have to have value to the outside world necessarily. For example, one child who picks up rocks may just think they are pretty, and the interest stops there. Another child may delve into fossils, types of rock, read library books about rocks, learn about geology and perhaps paleontology, dinosaurs, anthropology, etc. It takes determination and dedication to become good at a hobby. Good character building there!
Occasionally, a parent will choose a hobby for the child. Piano lessons, for example, may begin as the parent’s idea. The child has no choice in the matter. “You will learn piano. You will practice.” However, as a child gets better at playing, they start to see the value in the lessons and take it on as a passion truly their own. This could become a hobby for life, and it could even become a profession at some point. Or it could become a way you unwind or express yourself creatively. Perhaps it can become something you share with others to enrich their lives. Some parents choose one skill for their child and focus all energy there. Other parents take a buffet approach and encourage their child to try all sorts of classes, clubs, and lessons to see what sticks.
Mostly, though, a hobby doesn’t feel like something you have to do. You get to do it! Hobbies hold an important place in our lives. We often find them relaxing or invigorating. They feed us in a way that other areas of our lives do not. They are what we choose to do with our time, when we have a choice.
Sometimes we have no time for our hobbies, and we notice something missing in our lives. I remember having little time for hobbies as a single, working mom of 2 young boys. But life has circled around and now I have all the time I could want for hobbies. I use my passions at work – reading, writing, evaluating, teaching. I get to be creative and make videos and review art supplies and craft kits. It feels like my hobby life and my work life crisscross, which is pretty awesome!
Having hobbies makes you an interesting person! You have something to talk about when asked, “What do you like to do?” I’m curious about what your kids would say is their hobby. As parents, pay attention to your children’s interests. Provide resources to help them learn more, whether it is books, videos, a class, or perhaps a mentor or teacher outside of the family. It may be a passing interest, but it could become a lifelong hobby they share with their own children someday. ~ Sara
