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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:
chuffachuffchuff · 14/10/2023 10:12

9!

CurlewKate · 14/10/2023 10:14

Ds-love of music. Started as a baby-he's now 22 and still going strong.

Dd-all the usual "girl" things- dance,gym,horses..... none stuck. She still sings and swims, but came back to them as an adult.

Ohmylovejune · 14/10/2023 10:15

How many of us do what we did as kids? It's great for children to try different things. It builds social.skills and gives them confidence to try things. I don't think.it matters if they don't stick to it - you don't want to pay out when the enthusiasm goes.

A mates daughter was considered potentially national standard ability in her hobby but she decided she didn't want to.commit to that, stayed local but gave up when her studies took priority. My mate was devastated but she's now a successful professional with amazing academics- that's where she wanted to spend her time.

My son stuck to his theatre group and music the best, although he gave up grades as they were boring and learned for fun. That stopped when college came and he wasnt home in time. The skills, though, have put him in good stead for life in general. My daughter never stuck at anything, but she's a very good, loyal, employee.

I wouldn't worry to be honest

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squashyhat · 14/10/2023 10:16

I started horseriding at 9 and have kept it up on and off all my life. In fact you have reminded me to have another go!

Brocollimatilda · 14/10/2023 10:19

Ds2 4 - performing arts, now works in them.
ds3 - never! Tried a lot but nothing lit the flames of passion!! 😀

Chickpea17 · 14/10/2023 10:19

My daughter just turn 5 and does 4 hobbies a week and loves them all still at the moment. The newest one is piano she only been doing that's for 9 months but still seem to love it. I have told my daughter she can drop all her hobbies except swimming but she still happy with them all at the moment. I really think it depends on the child and not to put to much pressure on them

Brocollimatilda · 14/10/2023 10:19

I started horse riding at 6 and still do it five decades later

NuffSaidSam · 14/10/2023 10:21

The real joy of five year olds is that they'll give anything a try. They don't fear that they've left it too late or that everyone else will be better than them or that they don't know anyone there any of the other things that put people off trying something new.

Embrace this. Don't look for her to settle on something now, instead think how great it is that she's tried multiple different things already and is probably open to loads more. Keep this spirit alive for a long as possible.

WaterfallOfDreams · 14/10/2023 10:22

DS joined cubs at six. He genuinely never missed a night at cubs, and moved on to scouts and explorers. He’s an adult now, and still volunteers.

He's made lifelong friends, travelled abroad, and tried things as diverse as hill climbing to quad biking, camping to kayaking, dragon boat racing and more, thanks to being part of that organisation.

I’d recommend it to anyone.

Ratsoffasinkingsauage · 14/10/2023 10:22

DD is 7 and loves ballet, drama and horse riding and swimming. She is also desperate for music lessons. But almost all of that comes from influences from friends. The only thing we introduced was swimming. Even when they are little they listen out for what friends recommend.

Also, don’t be put off my the moaning. DD moans about getting ready for all her activities but will be extremely upset if you have to cancel a lesson and suggest not going. She just doesn’t want to get ready and stop watching TV.

We’ve massively reduced screen time to help her with this.

cantkeepawayforever · 14/10/2023 10:24

The inly thing I would say is that if you want ‘stickability’, avoid the ‘Tots-style’ franchises - dead end provision for endlessly renewing groups of very young children.

What you want, if at all possible, is the youngest age group of a club or school that continues up the age groups - the junior section of a local rugby or football club, the primary class of a dance school, the minis bit of the local drama group etc. That way, your child has a visible onward path, older role models to aspire to - and the leaders are always teaching towards the next stage.

No1MumPendant · 14/10/2023 10:25

DD was naturally athletic and did all sorts - ballet, street dance, gymnastics, athletics, basketball and diving - before she stuck at football when she was about 9 years old. She’s 15 now and still trains and plays weekly, although it’s not a career interest for her.

To be honest, she got loads out of participating in all the other stuff, too, even if she didn’t end up loving it or mastering the hobby. My rule was if you sign up for something you do it for at least the term. Some things (street dance, gym) didn’t last much longer than that. Others (athletics, diving) she did for a couple of years and got quite good at.

Ultimately, once they’re at secondary school, they can’t fit too much in, so it does focus their Interests naturally.

DS wasn’t remotely sporty or a ‘joiner’ and was well into his teens before he really found a hobby he loves (animation).

prettygreenteacup · 14/10/2023 10:26

DD1 is 8 and loves her theatre school on Saturdays. All things drama, dancing and singing. That only happened this year. Other than theatre she enjoys brownies, she's been there since joining from Rainbows.
DD2 is 5 and in Rainbows, also desperate to join the theatre school but am waiting another year so the logistics of Saturdays work as she'd be in the next age group (single parent).

soupweather · 14/10/2023 10:27

DS was 13 and joined Army Cadets. He’s 16 now and missed it once due to having Covid.

Everything else has come and gone.

Saschka · 14/10/2023 10:27

Oh mine didn’t get any say in it! He is 6 and does swimming, gymnastics, rugby and tennis.

Seems to enjoy all of them, but I suspect rugby and gymnastics will fall away when he hits secondary school. He does absolutely love swimming, spends all day in the pool on holiday, and seems really really into tennis, asks to do tennis holiday camps.

If he didn’t like any of them we would stop. I do think it is good to get him out of the house, and it is more interesting for me than sitting in the park.

BlackBean2023 · 14/10/2023 10:28

DD1 - 13 (a sport)
DD2 - 5 (dancing)

Me - 34 (paddle boarding!)

Favouritefruits · 14/10/2023 10:29

When my youngest son had just turned was 3 and my eldest was 7 they joined a dance school and they are 6 and 9 now and still go every week and love it! They have a big group of mates and get invited to dance friends parties they love the people as well as the dance which makes a huge difference.

BlackBean2023 · 14/10/2023 10:30

Also to add both DDs joined scouting at 6 as Beavers. DD1 is now an explorer and training to be a Young Leader. DD2 still a Beaver but loves it.

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 14/10/2023 10:31

DD started dancing at the age of two and a half! It is still a big part of her life at 18.

I always wanted dd to do karate, but the dance was suggested to us by our lovely nanny, based on her observations of dd and how she used to respond to music. She took to it instantly and never stopped.

She tried various other things at different stages but none of them really stuck, except for drama which she discovered at around the age of 11.

Velvian · 14/10/2023 10:35

None my DC really have hobbies outside of home and school. I made them all go to swimming lessons until they could swim 50/100 metres or so.

They do stuff at school/after school hours. Music lessons, choir, pottery, allotment...from about 8 onwards. They have hobbies at home, craft, lego, Minecraft, animation, board games that we sometimes get friends and family involved at the weekends. It works much better for us than driving to rugby/football after work.

Get a tie dye kit or an air drying clay kit and ask some friends or family over, it's really good fun.

Ifyoulikealotofchocolateonyourbiscuit · 14/10/2023 10:38

Ds football aged about 5. Also enjoys boxing which he started about 8. Swimming was also non negotiable for him, he stopped last year aged 10.

dd has tried out a few. Currently does netball, football, drama and swimming. At the moment loves them all but will need to narrow them down when she gets older. She is 8.

Saschka · 14/10/2023 10:42

The inly thing I would say is that if you want ‘stickability’, avoid the ‘Tots-style’ franchises - dead end provision for endlessly renewing groups of very young children.

We actually found Rugbytots was great - DS started aged 3, and it was great for him picking up skills while still being geared up to a child who basically was too immature to follow instructions first time, or join in without a parent. He moved up to age grade rugby this year (aged 6.5) and it was a very easy transition.

MojoJojo71 · 14/10/2023 10:46

DS tried lots of different things but it wasn’t until he was a teenager and joined air cadets that anything really stuck.

DD tried a few activities too but begged me to start cheerleading which I wasn’t keen on but actually has been really good for her fitness and confidence and she’s been training 5 hours a week and competing since she was 8 (now 11)

IWFH · 14/10/2023 10:46

Both of our sons became involved in music from the age of seven or eight and this has stuck. Other things have come and gone (swimming, warhammer, cubs, cycling, lego etc.)

I really don't think it matters too much - your child needs to find something they like doing, rather than to be pushed down a particular route. All we, as parents, should do (subject of course to finances) is to provide opportunities and encouragement.

2023shady · 14/10/2023 10:50

5 for me - horses
My mum was still insisting it was a phase when I was 37...