Parenting Tips: Great Hobbies For children For A Great Future

I remember my mother pushing me into Bharatanatya class (Traditional dance of Karnata), Carnatic Traditional music, Hindi classes, Cricket, Chess coaching class etc. Initially, I used to get annoyed (except for cricket and chess). But after a few months in, I really used to enjoy them.  

Great hobbies are a must for children. It helps to build them their own character and personality. It is very important for your child to have hobbies. For a parent, it will be my first of the parenting tips. While school related studies is very important for your children, if time is managed effectively, specific time slot can be adopted in a child’s routine for hobbies.

Benefits of Hobbies:

• Culture and discipline: Hobbies fortify your child’s behavior with  culture and discipline.
• Hobbies make your children specially talented.
• Hobbies boost self-confidence. Among their classmates and friends,  your child will stand tall because of his / her special talent.
• Learns time management: The child will learn how to manage time, how to hit a balance between studies and hobbies and the skills of multi-tasking.
• May build the career: If your child takes up the hobby as the career at a later stage, your child may become an artist, a photographer, a professional dancer or a singer.
• Helps to improve learning skills: The rhythm in the music, dance and song, the fineness in the art, the patience & perseverance in collecting stamps and photography all add up to the learning skills of the child.
• Improve physical fitness: Hobbies like outdoor games, swimming, dance etc helps to keep childhood obesity at bay.
• Hobbies remove stage fear, inhibitions, hesitations to try out new things.
• Makes the kid more brave, courageous and confident.

How to choose a perfect hobby for your child:

• Watch child’s interest: Hobby should be something that interests the child. It should never be a forced burden. It should be something that  the child wants to do. So watch for the child’s interest and select one.
• Look into financial issues: Of course, you need to take your financial condition to account before you fund a particular hobby of your child.
• Time factor: The child should be able to hit a balance between studies and hobby.
• Age factor: Gym, weight lifting etc are not so good for children.

Time to start a hobby:

It is never too early nor too late for a child to pick up a hobby. There is absolutely no time constraint to start a hobby.

The bottom line is – hobby is a must for your child.

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