Every parent is concerned that their child isn’t developing enough, or learning enough, but is it to do with their academic skills, or what they do outside of school? When we’re trying to implement a change in lifestyle for our kids, hobbies are one of the key areas to focus on. If your children have hobbies that consist of them sitting around, staring at their phone, it might be time to introduce something a bit more beneficial. And while it might be difficult at the very outset, it will benefit everyone in the long run. So, what hobbies should your kids be doing?
Play An Instrument
The benefits of playing a musical instrument are too numerous to state. It’s fantastic for your child’s social skills, developmental skills, and their academic skills. If your child hasn’t shown an interest in any type of instrument before, they might not have found the right one. A great way to introduce kids to instruments is to pick up a ukulele, as they’re so cheap and easy to form chords with. Also, websites like www.musicianauthority.com gives your child the opportunity to play along with their favorite songs. This is probably the best entryway, because if you give your child a violin and ask them to screech along to Stravinsky, they will, no doubt, roll their eyes at you.
I have a clarinet in very good condition that is looking for a new home since neither one of my children are in the school band any longer. Just needs a new pack of reeds and some oil and it will be good to go!
Take Part In Crafts
I envy my neighbor. Her son is extremely interested in crafting with her, and it is something that they bond over. Not to mention it is a very creative hobby, because it gets them using their brain and it’s something they are making themselves, which gives them a lot of pride. On pbs.org there’s a handy guide on crafts for children, but the great thing about it is that it’s a fantastic way to keep your children occupied for hours. By sparking their creativity, you might have opened them up to another world, so, instead of them going to the video games, they will go to the canvas.
Reading
Reading is something that is viewed as negative for a lot of kids, mainly because it’s something they have to do in school. And there are so many children who are turned off reading and don’t pick up a book until their 20s. But reading is such a great way to develop your child’s intelligence, regardless of the material. So instead of forcing Dickens or Shakespeare upon them, which they may find impenetrable, depending on their age, give them books that they will have an interest in. Some of the best go-to books for kids include the Enid Blyton stories, Roald Dahl, or even comic books. A lot of parents think that comic books are pointless, but if it gets your kids reading, what is the problem?
It’s important for you to speak your child and to know what things they’re into, so you can guide them towards a hobby that they will enjoy. If you force something upon them, they are not going to enjoy it, so it’s vital that you speak to your child, and get an understanding of what they really are into. And once you get a better idea of their tastes, from fishing to flying, it’s far easier to gently guide them towards a hobby they will love and will benefit them for life.
Well, Kimberly, I’m afraid my views on this subject will not be popular, but I don’t think children should be allowed to get a phone before the teen years, perhaps 14. And, even then, I would set strict limits for its use. I like all the hobbies you suggested: playing an instrument, crafts, reading (actual bound books, not ebooks). I, of course, would also suggest cooking and baking and also gardening and sewing.
I don’t disagree with you on that Jean! I too think that cell phones should wait until the teenage years unless there are extenuating circumstances (such as a child who comes home to an empty home and needs to check in with mom and dad – there’s no such thing as landline phones anymore in a good percentage of homes lol). I grew up being told to “go outside and play” and what you did then was totally up to your own imagination. Kids nowadays (literally) have the world at their fingertips and I’m afraid using their imaginations to dream up things to do on their own escapes them. I would spend hours laying in the hammock at my nana’s house, reading my Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy mysteries, the Bobbsey Twins, and imagining myself in the middle of the mystery and tried to figure out it out before the end of the book. I spent many a summer in that hammock and playing in the trees and romping through the fields … some of my best childhood memories! Wouldn’t trade them for a million cell phones or tablets in the world!
Well, Kimberly, I’m afraid my views on this subject will not be popular, but I don’t think children should be allowed to get a phone before the teen years, perhaps 14. And, even then, I would set strict limits for its use. I like all the hobbies you suggested: playing an instrument, crafts, reading (actual bound books, not ebooks). I, of course, would also suggest cooking and baking and also gardening and sewing.
I don’t disagree with you on that Jean! I too think that cell phones should wait until the teenage years unless there are extenuating circumstances (such as a child who comes home to an empty home and needs to check in with mom and dad – there’s no such thing as landline phones anymore in a good percentage of homes lol). I grew up being told to “go outside and play” and what you did then was totally up to your own imagination. Kids nowadays (literally) have the world at their fingertips and I’m afraid using their imaginations to dream up things to do on their own escapes them. I would spend hours laying in the hammock at my nana’s house, reading my Nancy Drew and Hardy Boy mysteries, the Bobbsey Twins, and imagining myself in the middle of the mystery and tried to figure out it out before the end of the book. I spent many a summer in that hammock and playing in the trees and romping through the fields … some of my best childhood memories! Wouldn’t trade them for a million cell phones or tablets in the world!