Parents have one of the hardest jobs on the planet. They have to raise children to take over what the present adults have established. Whether you are a parent, an aunt, an uncle, or simply have friends that have children, we can all encourage children to discover their hobbies. We all have a responsibility to the next generation.
What We Put Aside Yesterday, We Need Today
With all the stresses of daily life, it can be hard to remember what it’s like to play like a child. The pretend world often overlapped the real world. Play was a safe place where our imaginations could play out all sorts of scenarios. Play is even used to practice and learn conflict resolution. During their playtimes, children learn to interact with each other and build relationships with their peers. Children should be encouraged to play, dream, imagine, and create. If we find this so important while we are young, why is it any less important now? I’ve noticed some of my friends’ children are obsessed with modern technology. As adults we see the value in powering down once in a while. We unplug when we can and enjoy the quiet, simple life. Even if it is only to take a shower! We may take up a class like cooking, join a book club, start a small urban garden, or find our sense of peace through meditation. The important thing is that we take a moment to let the hectic daily routines wash away. As adults we often find ourselves bogged down with the cares and concerns of our schedules. Five minutes to ourselves and our minds begin to race with what we could or ‘should’ be doing. Sometimes we go from task to task, day to day, week to week, pausing only to sleep. What if, as a young child, you were encouraged to take some time to learn a craft or a small skill? My friend, the one with the six kids, shuts down all technological distractions; for an hour each night, before bedtime, the family sits quietly and reads. Yes, the youngest complains a little, but she is welcome to color and draw with her crayons. The idea is for the children to learn how to power down. She wants to instill an importance in taking the time to do something peaceful and enjoyable. For another family it may be simply sitting outside and counting fireflies. Learning something together like a craft, sewing, painting, coin collecting, or even just listening to music can help to instill the importance of finding hobbies early on in life. Hobbies for children can include musical training, drawing, painting, reading and more.
Why Hobbies for Children? It is Not All Fun and Games Being a Kid
Imagine having a job you can’t quit. You can’t even use the bathroom when you want to. You are tested daily or weekly on skills you only just learned. You also go in not knowing anything about the requirements. In fact, you don’t even have the skills needed to complete the job yet. Oh yeah, you are not paid either. Many times there is work you barely understand that you have to take home and have finished by the next morning. Your coworkers are not always nice and the boss is often too busy to help you. Welcome to school for a child. Children are often overlooked when we think of a stressful life. Their world may seem insignificant when you are trying to work to pay for basic needs. However, in the world of a child, even though everything is not so financially ruled, the psychological pressures are often much greater than those in an adult’s world. It is so important to instill good habits while they are young so that, as adults, they already know the importance of using their hobbies to decompress.
Applications & Resources
- Try to help them find their hobby. Something without a major requirement to perform
- Check out Global Post and their article with a list of hobbies for children
- Take a look at what a popular virtual public school has to say about Exploring Hobbies for Kids…
