Do you ever wonder why your child has to be interested in hobbies that are absolutely of no interest to you? Do you ever think about how much fun it would be if your kids played the sports that you enjoyed growing up? You have studied the game and have insight that would greatly help a beginner. Or perhaps you are a great cook and would love to share that skill with your kids, but they have no desire to learn.
It is incredible to see how different our children are from ourselves. My son is interested in drawing, building, and watching "scary" movies; he loves dinosaurs, guns, and playing tackle football. How in the world do I enjoy time with my son when we are on totally different playing fields?
Well, the other day was a great example of how to begin this journey. My 4-year-old wanted to get a movie from the library. Instead of telling him "no" because it was not one that I wanted to watch, I approved. And what happened as a result, displays the blessings that come with embracing our children and their interests.
My son was so excited that he thought it was the greatest day ever. He shared his excitement with just about all the ladies in the library. He was able to be a delight because he was allowed to be an individual. In addition, on our adventures, I got to enjoy some delicious hot chocolate and find some fun Halloween books for kids!
We all want our kids to be happy, but do we sometimes deny our kids happiness for the sake of our own happiness? Perhaps, we can find a way to combine our kids interests with our own interests. We can bring our strengths together and find joy in family time. Say your child likes to play baseball. You think baseball is boring. Instead of just letting him play, you can actually embrace his hobby. Why not do something special for him before each game? Play catch in the yard, or make his favorite dinner. Those moments will end up being more important to him than the game itself. He may not even care if you decide to walk some laps and get exercise in during part of the game. That is a win, win!
When we approve of our kids, including their personalities and interests, we help them to build self-confidence, which they will carry with them everywhere they go. At the same time, we must ask ourselves three questions before we show our approval. "Are their hobbies/interests healthy to the body and mind?" "Are they moral?" "Are they reasonable?" Cupcake club once a week that involves you baking a batch of cupcakes for them every Monday morning is probably not a healthy practice for them or a reasonable request for you. On the other hand, if your kids like to run and get dirty, soccer would be a healthy, moral, and reasonable activity that the family can enjoy.
Get to know your kids and embrace what they love, and you will be able to teach them so much more along the way.
Thanks for reading!
Yours truly,
Melissa Seng
(If you would like my blogs sent to your email address, visit www.williamhseng.com and click on the "contact" tab at the bottom of the page.)
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