Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

What age did your child get a proper hobby they genuinely committed to?

105 replies

Fishandchipsatthebeach · 14/10/2023 09:25

What age did your child start an out of school activity that they actually wanted to do and committed to for a reasonable period of time?

What was the hobby?

DD is 5.5 and shows good natural sporting talent but we’ve tried and given up tennis, Playball, Dance, Rugby tots

She moans a lot about swimming but that’s a non-negotiable so she has to do it.

I don’t want to be pushy but I’d like her to do some form of activity or sport as she’s getting more into wanting to watch YouTube etc at the weekends

We are an active family and encourage outdoorsy time, visit lots of Nat Trust type places, but unfortunately some of her friends don’t seem to be active / outdoorsy and since starting school she talks a lot about TikTok (when I have not let her have!) and stuff like that which is what some of her friends seem to do.

I was obsessed with horses as a kid, but think that started closer to age 10

OP posts:
smilesup · 14/10/2023 09:29

Very varied
DS1 22 (seriously!) Nothing stuck now loves kayaking
DS2 14 running (did lots of sport but loves this)
DS3 nothing goes to athletics and runs most days went to rugby for about 5 years but nothing has been his thing (aged 16)
DD aged 3 football. Loved and stuck with it.

smilesup · 14/10/2023 09:31

DD is now 13.

MolkosTeenageAngst · 14/10/2023 09:32

I’m an adult and still never found a hobby I’ve actually stuck to!

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

10 year olds 5 year olds Families
Beezknees · 14/10/2023 09:34

DS was 8.

I'm 33 and don't have a hobby, I just watch telly at weekends or see friends. I don't think it's a massive deal personally.

gotomomo · 14/10/2023 09:35

Dd1, still hates sports, dd2 football aged 10, loves sports and outdoorsy stuff, manages to get paid for it nowGrin

DelurkingAJ · 14/10/2023 09:37

DS1 age 6, cricket. DS2 age about 5 also cricket. Both have done Scouts from 6, DS1 actively committed, DS2 wavers. They’re 11 and 7.

wellandtruly · 14/10/2023 09:37

She’s too young.
DD1 - dance. Seriously from about age 11. Several classes a week.
DD2 - never. Dabbled in ice skating, diving, etc, but not seriously. Did these things once a week.

SaracensMavericks · 14/10/2023 09:38

Both DSs have loved football since they were 5yo and cricket from about 9yo.

DD tried dance, gymnastics and swimming. Then netball at 10yo and that stuck.

Pleaseme · 14/10/2023 09:41

Boys, never, they’ve done things for a term to two years and then gotten bored. They have tried rugby, football, squash, curling, swimming, archery so it’s not for lack of opportunity. Current hobbies are young archaeology club, musical theatre and basketball for middle child. Kayaking ( just about to move back into the pool for the winter) for the eldest.

Girls have done ballet and musical theatre consistently for 3 years. Lots of other stuff in and off.

PuttingDownRoots · 14/10/2023 09:41

Mine both started at Beavers at 4 &6 (I was the Cub leader so 4yo joined in with the beavers) and still very keen Scouts at 10&12.

Sportswise... DD2 discovered Rugby 2 years ago.
DD1 likes dance at school, and recently discovered climbing.

At 5, just let her try things.

RosesAndGin · 14/10/2023 09:43

About 5 for both my son and daughter, horse riding and scouting.
They are teenagers now and both still attending their hobbies.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 14/10/2023 09:47

DS(8) has been obsessed with football since he was 6. It doesn't really help with the YouTube thing, because he watches football on YouTube and makes me watch endless goals.

The social reinforcement thing is really important, unfortunately. Do any of her friends do dance or gymnastics etc? Otherwise I would just insist on being active with the family, but let her keep trying things for herself to see what grabs her.

EfficientlyDecluttering · 14/10/2023 09:48

DC1 - Scouts from Beavers age 6 to Explorers age 18, football from about 7 to 18, hockey from 9 ongoing into adulthood, swimming age 3 till about 10. Climbing from about 11 to 14 and only stopped because the climbing wall closed down.

DC2 - swimming 4 to 17 (club), drama 5 to 13, archery from about 11 into adulthood, dipped in and out of dance, did Rainbows and Brownies, left shortly after joining Guides.

Their friendship circles were full of other DCs that do a lot of sports and hobbies though which helped.

2weekstowait · 14/10/2023 09:52

7 - football and karate.

I remember trying various hobbies as a child but the one that I was really passionate about I didn't start until age 9. All the others I would have rather stayed at home than go to them to be honest, but this one I really loved and hated missing for any reason.

Coldinscotland · 14/10/2023 09:54

Ds started football at 7 and a half...trains 5 times a week and plays 1 game every Sunday.. Is heading for great things we are told. Now 9 yo..

DinnaeFashYersel · 14/10/2023 09:56

Both DS and DD joined Beavers at 6 and have been very involved ever since. DS now an Explorer and DD a Scout.

If you are active then Beavers should be ideal but get your name on the waiting list asap as it can be lengthy in some areas.

DD has always loved sports and does lots but really into football. Started at 5 and now 11 plays 3 times a week.

DS 15 less sporty but always enjoyed swimming and now does lifesaving.

RandomMess · 14/10/2023 09:59

7

LadyGeorginaSmythe · 14/10/2023 10:00

DS1 age 12...he's never done anything, not bothered. Like to run about a play area, climb trees, ride his bike occasionally, splash in a leisure pool, but nothing with any instruction or discipline.
DS2&DD twins age nearly 11..swimming from small non-negotiable, tried preschool gymnastics, ballroom dancing for 2 years but didn't return after covid...both do school football and tag rugby, ans both do karate now 2 sessions a week. DS2 also does football club 1 evening a week and is getting quite obsessed. We're not really a football family so I'm not keen but they're starting a team so I guess it might become a bigger thing. DD is going to up karate to 3 sessions. Both are also St John's Ambulance "Badgers" which is fun and teamworky and learning decent skills.

Honestly though nothing stuck til ballroom aged 6/7 and then Covid ruined hobbies, so aged 9 I guess is when they started taking karate seriously.

Natsku · 14/10/2023 10:00

DD was 5 when she started circus school, she did drop it for one term when she was around 8 but then picked it back up again and has no intention of dropping it any more (she's 12 now). She also picked up volleyball two years ago and it seems like this might be her other hobby, she's very committed to it even though their coaches this year aren't very nice.

She's had other hobbies over the years (scouts, parkour, jujitsu) but those didn't last.

cocksstrideintheevening · 14/10/2023 10:02
  1. Horses.

Started of with ballet and then gymnastics but it was always going to be horses.

Swimming was a non negotiable too and they enjoyed it, stopped when covid arrived but they had both just got stage 7 so I was ok with that. They swim a couple of times a month now for fun.

KingscoteStaff · 14/10/2023 10:02

DD riding from 7 - never got that pony, but learnt a huge amount from spending her teenage Saturdays helping out at the stables and dealing with scary horsy ladies. Cricket from 10 - she’s still playing at County level.

DS rugby from 5 and cricket from 6. Still playing both at uni + club. With those, I wonder how much was that he made brilliant friends there and also that DH loved taking him and got involved in coaching.

Also, both DH and I came from families where hanging out at the cricket/rugby club was normality, so we always wanted to take them - never made weekend plans that clashed with training or matches.

Wolvesart · 14/10/2023 10:02

DS enjoyed his Kung Fu from age 7 and didn’t like to miss class, in this sense to was different from swimming or regular after school sports. I’d hesitate to say it was a hobby. They do activities they enjoy and some they don’t. Lockdown and going onto Zoom soured the Kung Fu and only sporadically attended once live classes resumed. He was 15 then.

His consuming interest has always been film and he’s been part of BFI youth and the film watching and making scene locally in recent years. His hobby is film reviewing. His passion for film started at 5.

cantkeepawayforever · 14/10/2023 10:02

Dd started dance at 3 and continued into university.

DS obsessed by football from a similar age, played till 17 but music (started at 8 but more serious from 11) overtook it and is now a musician.

With both, we started off on a wide variety (Beavers/ Rainbows, music, dance, rugby, football, cricket, netball) which gradually disappeared as the ‘main’ hobby expanded. Both did 10+ hours of their main hobby weekly from 11 up.

Smartiepants79 · 14/10/2023 10:07

Both loved to swim from an early age.
DD1 is not sporty but cooking is her passion. Started when she was about 9.
DD2 is very sporty. Has played football since she was about 6. Now enjoys several other team sports.
Both in guiding.
Both enjoy crafting also.

Wolvesart · 14/10/2023 10:10

One thing on this thread I’m curious about is the notion that at 5 or 6 they have generally found something to stick to they like. Two things about this, firstly most things only start after kids have left pre school. Secondly, adults tend to facilitate sports.

Also, I like kids to be interested in football but if I see a 5 year old in sports kit I think it’s adult led