I have always loved vintage clothing, but what makes shopping for it even better for me now is that my daughter comes along with me to go through flea markets, antique shows, car boots, and charity shops. She loves collecting mini pocketbooks and animal print clothing! Sharing your own hobby with your child is a joy like no other – believe me! It’s important that you try to make each visit or session short and fun for your child, otherwise, they can get bored and fed up. In my case, I make games for her, like ‘whoever finds a vintage clothing stall first wins!’. Sharing your hobby with your child adds a whole new level to your relationship – you’ll love it. Nothing will make you and your child bond faster than building a passion, so here’s how to do it:

Let Them Hang out With You

To pique your child’s interest, you should first let them hang out with you as you pursue your passion, whatever it may be. This could be anything; letting your son stay with you in the garage while you play about with cars, or letting your daughter shop for vintage clothing with you like me. Eventually, they might start asking questions and want to help you or try something for themselves. To involve your child fully, make sure you tell them exactly what you’re doing. For example, if you’re cooking something, you could say ‘I’m sprinkling the herbs into the mince now and I’m going to combine everything with my hands’. When you get to one of your favorite parts, make sure you tell them why it’s one of your favorite parts and ask them if they want to help. Ask their opinion on things too, but don’t forget to use kid language to make them interested.

Make Time

If you truly want your child to enjoy your hobby as much as you, you need to create an unpressured atmosphere and a sense of continuity throughout it all. You need to make time with your child a priority. This time doesn’t have to be particularly long, but you definitely need to set some time aside and stick to it.

Break it Down

If you give your child too much detail about the complex parts of your hobby, they’ll get frustrated as they won’t understand – even if you only collect dinky toys! How can you reduce your activity so it’s in the simplest form possible? Anything beyond your child’s ability will be a struggle and they won’t find it fun.

Reflect on the early days of developing your passion. Consider the unique journey that led you to where you are now. Take a moment to jot down the helpful pointers you wish you had known back then – those invaluable nuggets of wisdom that could have eased your path. For further assurance, share your insights with a friend who lacks familiarity with your hobby. Observe their reaction and assess if the pointers resonate with them. When documenting the pointers, strive to minimize assumptions and provide clarity that surpasses any knowledge gaps.

Is It Good to Share Hobbies With Your Family?

Sharing hobbies with your family is a great way to help foster a closer bond. It can be especially important for kids as hobbies can help them discover their own interests, build self-confidence and learn life skills. For adults, hobbies provide a sense of gratification and can help balance life by providing an enjoyable escape from everyday struggles. Whether it’s restoring an old car or creating scrapbooks together, hobbies create an opportunity for families to connect in ways that extend beyond the typical day-to-day conversations. At the end of it all, the result is often a deeper understanding of one another and more warm memories shared together.

No matter what, it’s important that you make this time relaxed, special, and fun. Don’t get angry with them if something goes wrong or you feel they are progressing slowly, or they will stop enjoying it. It’ll take time for them to get as good as you!