Encouraging hobbies

Hobbies are a wonderful vehicle for learning and help to develop a sense of commitment and accomplishment. A hobby started at the age of six or seven can sometimes become a lifetime interest. So the time to nudge your child into this delightful pursuit is now.

Some of the benefits of hobbies include;

• The pursuit of a hobby allows the child to become completely absorbed in an activity, encouraging concentration and attention to detail.

• It provides an escape into a world of enchantment, so the child returns to the everyday world ‘refreshed’.

• It makes her curious about the field of interest, leading to expand the horizons of knowledge.

• It encourages creativity and challenges the mind to seek more, delve deeper. The child develops a greater ability to deal with stress and upheaval.

• Hobbies reinforce the motivation to learn, influence the form and intensity of the child’s future, aspirations, add enjoyment in life and help in the overall development of the personality of the child.

Observing Interests:

Pursuit of hobbies amongst children should depend heavily on where the child’s interests lie. Parents may find help in discovering the child’s interests through:

• Observation of activities – that is what objects the child plays with, buys, collects or uses, when there is an element of spontaneity in their activity.

• Persistent and frequently asked questions by the child.

• Choice of topics of conversation by the child.

• The kind of reading material the child reads.

• Spontaneous drawing.

Once the child’s interests are identified, parents should encourage the child to participate in extra-curricular activities in school, or at a privately located area.

It’s important for parents to tap the child’s interest positively in hobbies, as interests are subject to extinction through disuse. Extrinsic rewards like praise, appreciation, coupled with intrinsic feelings of satisfaction, sense of achievement and skill development – all help to bolster the child’s self esteem and confidence.