While having children can be fun and rewarding, the experience doesn’t often go the way that you had planned or foreseen. Because of this, many parents struggle with reconciling the future they envisioned for their children with the actual path that their children want to take, especially when it comes to things like shared interests or hobbies.
So if you have a child who wants to try something that you’re unfamiliar with, here are three ways you can show your support for that child’s hobbies.
Let Them Follow Their Own Passion
For many parents, it can be hard to view your child as their own person rather than just an extension of yourself. This can be especially challenging if your child chooses a passion or hobby that you wouldn’t necessarily pick for them. But if your child has decided that he or she wants to try something like gymnastics rather than take piano lessons anymore, one of the best things you can do for them is to allow them to follow that passion.
According to FamilyEducation.com, part of allowing your child to choose and follow their own passion when it comes to hobbies is not guilting them into doing something they don’t want to do or have no interest in. Even if it’s something you think they’d enjoy, for now, just allow them to follow where their heart or interest leads.
Give Them Time To Flounder
Not every child is going to pick up their chosen hobby at the first try. In fact, for many kids, it can take a long time for them to become proficient at whatever hobby they’re trying. So to show your support during this time, it’s good to know what the stages of trying something new are and allowing your child to flounder a bit during these stages.
Valerie Frankel, a contributor to Good Housekeeping, shares that, at first, kids don’t know how much they don’t know about a new hobby. But once they realize that learning this hobby will be hard work, they often want to give up. So until they can get over this hump, you might just need to give them some time to figure this out without judgment.
Remain Optimistic For Them
While your child is trying to figure out what hobbies to pursue, one of the best ways you can show them support is by being optimistic for them.
Even as young kids, Dr. Susan Newman, a contributor to Psychology Today, shares that it’s easy to feel deflated when things get hard. But if you’re always there to support your child with your optimism about things getting better and easier in the future, your child may have a much easier time coping with this learning curve.
If you want to support your child in their hobbies but aren’t sure how, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you do just that.
