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Entertainment Topics
The Benefits of Family Hobbies
Something to Talk About
Kids are cute, funny, angelic (especially when they’re sleeping) and provide
a steady stream of quotables for their babybooks. But somewhere between potty
training and the prom, communication breaks down. Maybe that’s why moms
stop writing down all the things their offspring say as they get older. Sure,
it could be that the phrases they utter are no longer novel. But it might also
be that they’re no longer heartwarming.
Opportunities
for open communication will arise.
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Family hobbies can help maintain the communication that flows between parent
and child, even when they hit puberty. A friend of mine with grown children
tells of their shared interests in camping and mountaineering and rock climbing.
She describes their hobbies as “a thread of continuity throughout the
changes.”
Opportunities for open communication will arise from:
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Shared Accomplishments — Finally conquering the double black diamond,
scaling a challenging rock or even finishing a 1,000 page novel can be an
emotional high that acts like relational glue.
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Shared Memories — Engaging in activities that have been part of your
routine for years has the potential to bring back good memories and feelings
from days that were less complicated. I suspect we’ll always make
reference to the time I almost stepped on a snake during one memorable hike.
The kids talked about my reaction for days and still bring it up whenever
we’re on the trail.
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Stories — There’s nothing better than going to school with
a good story. That snake encounter was the first thing out of my son’s
mouth when he got to preschool the following day. For the teen, being able
to talk about his accomplishments in the context of family — “me
and my dad ran a marathon together over the weekend” — is a
mark of identity and pride not common among today’s youth.
Beyond the school yard, those stories are great dinner-table conversation.
When family activities are built around mutual interests and mutual accomplishments,
they create opportunities for affirming, positive, relationship-building conversations
that build bonds of trust.
— Candice Z. Watters
Do you have thoughts, questions, advice on this topic? Post your stories and comments in the forum for other parents to respond to. Enter the forum now.
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