It is imperative for teenagers to have hobbies. Hobbies not only enrich teenager’s lives but also increase social interaction and skills while relieving stress and providing fun. However, for a variety of reasons in today’s world many teenagers seem unwilling to take up hobbies. If this is the case for your teenager, today we are going to try and assist – providing insight and guidance into how you can help you teen explore their interests…
First things first, it is important for parents to understand that hobbies are not something that children and teenagers are required to do and therefore when looking for hobbies for your teenager you should allow them to choose ones which they are actually interested in and wish to pursue for their own sake. No one, not even parents can “assign” hobbies for their teenagers, hobbies are deeply personal and individual and should be chosen by the individual. Yes of course you can encourage particular hobbies, but being too pushy can often put teens off even more.
You should sit down with your teenager and ask them straight up which hobbies they would like to take part in. Maybe they have wanted to try a particular hobby for some time but worried what you may think and unsure whether they would get your blessing. If they have a brief idea of what they would like to do, sit down with them and explore all of the available options, letting them choose whichever catches their eye the most. If they still aren’t certain what it is that they would like to do, look into your teenager’s interests with them, see what they enjoy and don’t enjoy, finding appropriate hobbies in line with this.
Of course, we would all love our children to share the same hobbies and interests as us, however this is not always the case and this must be accepted. Having different hobbies does not mean that you cannot spend time with one another. Whether your teenager’s hobby is football or hockey, gaming or airsoft using imitation guns and airsoft pellets, you should accept them and let them enjoy themselves. All hobbies are beneficial to personal development and growth and should be encouraged. If you are put off by a particular hobby because you simply don’t know enough about it, take time to do your research so that you can see where your teenager is coming from. Be supportive, but not overly involved as this can something annoy teenagers as we all know that they like to be left alone form time to time.
At the end of the day, as much as it is vital for teenagers to have hobbies and interests, it is also vital that they choose the hobbies which they participate in themselves. This will allow them not only to have fun and develop personally when participating in their hobbies, but also encourage them to be their own person. What are your thoughts on teenagers and their hobbies? Do you agree or disagree? We would love to hear what you all think!