Inculcating hobbies among kids at a young age is important. There are ways to ensure you start initiate your children to take up a hobby of their choice.
Why start early
Dr Rati Singh, a child and family psychologist, reveals, “When the child is young, they are in the developmental phase. It is during this phase that they set their behavioural and life patterns. Hence, it also makes for an ideal time to introduce hobbies to young minds as they have more time and energy to develop and explore them to their full potential.”
Vishakha Jigar Maniar is the mother of 20-year-old Diya and 13-year-old Vihan. Diya is into Pichwai art and even sells her artwork. She is also into dancing and acting. Vihan, meanwhile, is into dancing, playing football and cricket and exploring new places. Vishakha feels starting young on hobbies helps the kids become creative, disciplined and passionate. “Early exposure to diverse interests helps children develop resilience, and a sense of identity, positively influencing their personal and professional paths in the long run. Diya has been into dancing and acting since she was a child and today is an influencer on social media.”
Way to go
Most opine that parents must introduce their kids to different hobbies to see which one they like. It is after they observe their kids’ leanings and rising interest. Ketki Sohoni, co-founder of the Asymmetrical.ai, a platform that works with children to inculcate reading and writing passion, reveals, “Only important thing is exposure. Maybe a couple of trial classes initially. Just check if the kid is enjoying and liking the process. Also, younger kids do not deal very well with uncertainty. So telling them about things like what to expect, or talking to them about the classes, routine, showing videos about those things, or the people they like following that particular hobby helps.”
Encouragement is the key word. Vishakha mentions, “Encourage them to be curious, give them tools to learn, and let them try different things. Make a happy place where trying is more important than being perfect, so they find joy in learning. Vihan initially wasn’t into dancing, but when he saw his elder sister enjoying it, he got inspired and started learning. Now, he’s become a great dancer, winning various trophies, all thanks to the positive environment he embraced and inculcated into.”
Anjali Patel’s 42-year-old daughter is still in touch with her riding skills, while her 40-year-old son is involved with his passion for basketball. “I did nothing special. I just put them in various activities. There was no internet back then. So I found some activities in the newspapers and put them there to attend. My daughter took up tap dancing first but did not like it. Later she took up karate and horse riding.”
Patel adds, “My son did take up karate and later loved basketball. We searched for clubs in our town, Milton Keynes, UK. He was also part of the Milton Keynes Lions U19 team. He was in the university team and was the team captain in his second year. ” She believes that things are easier now for kids due to the internet. “All the parents need to do is give them the time and take them to places,” adds Patel.
Things to avoid
Vishakha believes appreciation is essential even when things don’t go their way and being forceful is best avoided. Patel seconds that thought. “Don’t be competitive. Kids do not have to be first as once they enjoy they go ahead. Give them the time and do not push them.”
Dr Rati mentions, “Often, the guardians are under the notion that the child will have one hobby that they would stick with, but that’s not always the case. A child can have several hobbies that they indulge in as their mood pleases. It is important that the guardians do not pressure the child to pick a hobby. Over-stimulation can lead to frustration and for the child to develop a negative perception of hobbies.”
Most parents believe their opinions matter the most. Ketki points out, “But the issue is our opinions are based on our journey. So opinions and comparison are two things to avoid. It’s important for kids to have a safe corner or a safe haven where they know that they love doing something and they are good at it.”
As parents, you are expected to be good facilitators and supporters and not focus on the results.
