Hobbies. I can see some of you smiling because you remember skimming through numerous resumes, with a person's hobbies listed at the end, almost like a category. Well folks, hobbies are more than just that. It actually reflects a person's nature, character, their personality and even their identity. Yes hobbies are important part of growing up. I am sure you too had a hobby as a child. I know it's a long time ago, but still, it's worth recalling your fascination with your hobby and the different skills that you acquired for your children's sake.Remembering your hobbies will no doubt make you nostalgic for those fun times. Then in a bit your smile will wane away, feeling guilty at not following up on it as an adult. So you see, you had a way to express your passion for something and it made you happy. Regardless of whether it was asking people for stamps from their envelope or coins from places they visited, or playing cricket with your friends, or jamming your guitar or listening to music and attempting karaoke with friends pretending to be heroes or heroines or reading books, dabbling with paints or sketching or even working in your garden with your parents, all was fun.
Hobbies are healthy, not a waste of time. They are essential stress busters and best free time activity that provide much needed rest and relaxation to mind and body from the daily taxing routines. Surprised? Don't be because we all have hobbies whether we acknowledge it or not. Don't be bashful if you had one at one time but neglected it. Then again some might even have taken it up as their main profession, especially those involved in sports or computer programming. Do your children have hobbies?
Now I have stumped you, right? It is entirely possible you have no idea, because you have not had the time to find out. It is natural for parents to get an impression that their children are too busy studying to take time out for a hobby, but despite their busy schedule, your children will have one hobby or another. In a split second your mind tells you, 'they should rather be spending their time studying and not in some silly dillydally thing.' Are you perchance thinking hobbies are a time waster? Take it folks, there's more than meets the eyes in your child's hobby.
Remember you too had one as a child. Yes it's long ago and being a parent has changed your prospective regarding hobbies.
I am aware, you are tired of your son/daughter's senseless banging of drums or strumming of guitar or their dancing and singing at every opportunity s/he gets. Don't be harsh on them. After all, it is their way of expressing their passion for something. In absence of guidance it will definitely be a nuisance, but with your training and guidance your son might turn out to be an expert drummer or renowned guitarist, and that daughter of yours will bring in lots of awards for her singing and might even become a famous playback singer, you never know. I know you are still not convinced hobbies are a necessity. Well, hobbies allow children to develop some valuable life skills that they may be missing at school.
Hobbies work magic on children to develop their personality. Academicians believe it can help children learn to value patience, and to confidently manage both personal and professional life, while improving the quality of willpower, dedication, concentration and determination.
Hobbies are catalyst that can fuel mental and physical growth in children and are facilitators of lifetime passion and engagement. My experience tells me that children go through series of hobbies. Sometimes they are short and sweet and sometimes they last for years. Parents need to be aware of this and allow children to decide on what they like best and not consider them as whimsical, while they go through this phase. It's their way of finding out what they like better.
Parents' challenge is to accept and get involved in their children's hobbies and interests, thereby creating opportunities for learning. A good step forward is to designate time and space in agreement with your children, to work on their hobby so their activities are well regulated. As a next step, become aware of your child's hobby. Now that is not very difficult. You probably have heard a lot about it already from your child. Show your interest in the topic, even if it is not one of your favorites. The logic behind this is simple. If you want them to respect your interests, even if they don't want to, you could do the same for them. Respecting and enjoying your child's interest is the first step towards building a strong foundation for future experiences together.
Next make connections. Learning cannot be forced, so look for skills your child is developmentally ready to explore. For a change let your children take lead. It's their project. Provide educated suggestions but do not press. Since learning takes place all the time, it would be a good idea to exploit the situation and help your children develop important skills, while having fun in enjoyable and creative manner. It is up to you to introduce the creative component to the whole affair. Learning takes place when children are enjoying themselves.
Remember, the best way to encourage learning in your child is for you to be enthusiastic about learning about their hobby. Even if you do not know much about your child's chosen hobby, offer to research together with him/her. Do not push your child to something you are comfortable with. If you want your children to discover their passion for something, let them explore. This will help children decide on their pursuit that best fits them, and not be obsessed by other activities that might not be appropriate for them. Suggest brainstorming session as a starting point. This will prepare your child to lead the project successfully.
Finally, children's hobbies are not a waste of time. Considering the time children spend in front of the television and playing video games, having a hobby will definitely reduce the time spent on these activities. Since the hobby is of your child's choice, there is a built in motivation to improve his/her skills that in turn will improve their school performance. When children are motivated and are having fun, they learn fast. Now that's the greatest satisfaction for a parent, isn't that?
Pokharel is an educationist and author of several children's books
usha@pokharel.net
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