Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

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

Tell me about hobbies or interests that you are rubbish at :)

37 replies

topcat2014 · 10/08/2025 11:10

I'll start:

Piano - lessons for years, can barely play a note
Bellringing - on and off for decades - getting overtaken by the teenagers
School governor - not sure I achieved much..

That's before we add the charities I have been on..

Maybe in a few years I can try walking football? But then, I was crap at "running" football when I was 10

OP posts:
Talltreesbythelake · 10/08/2025 11:13

I am trying to learn Mandarin Chinese. After 10 years I now can manage HSK1 and 2. This is a very low level. I imagine I am less skilled than the average Chinese toddler!

WonderingWanda · 10/08/2025 11:43

I have a sewing machine, I like making things but it's so time consuming because I make so many mistakes and spend so much time unpicking and redoing....and never seem to learn!

goodthinking99 · 10/08/2025 11:49

Ice skating. Took it up with DD when she wanted to learn, and three years in of 2 lessons a week I am barely off the beginners grades. See also Ukelele and badminton. I feel like I’ve got some hand/eye/body placement impairment so can never get out of the beginner stages in anything that’s not just cerebral! It’s so frustrating 🤣 knowing I’m not alone would be reassuring!

Gardendiary · 10/08/2025 11:51

I have been trying to knit. After many attempts I can still only passably manage a basic knit stitch.

Luluissleeping · 10/08/2025 11:52

Tennis. I am useless. I was crap with any game involving a bat and ball while I was at school.

TheVeronicas · 10/08/2025 11:54

Same with bellringing. I just cant let something slip through my hands and not try to grab it!
And gymnastics. I dont like being upside down unless I'm holding something and I didnt like the classes.

ReignOfError · 10/08/2025 11:56

Crochet. I learned as a child, tried on and off as an adult, picked it up again to teach my grandkids (at their request) and am shite. That’s 60-odd years of being bad at it.

FakeMews · 10/08/2025 11:58

Sewing. I taught myself from YouTube and belong to a lovely craft group but I'm rubbish. Sewing requires careful measuring, precision and patience. I'm more "that'll do" and consequently everything I make is not quite right.

TheNightingalesStarling · 10/08/2025 11:59

I love house plants.

I can even kill cacti. I'm not allowed house plants now.

Waggytail · 10/08/2025 12:03

Writing fanfiction 😂 I love it, but I suck at writing. Thankfully standards aren't that high

petitpasta · 10/08/2025 12:28

Crochet. I can sew and have made evening dresses with boned bodices so I am clearly not crap at creative stuff, but crochet? Fairly sure it's witchcraft with wool because I just can't get it.

Ditto languages.

And any exercises that requires me to move at the same time and in the same direction as other people. Zumba is practically a health and safety hazard

Judellie · 10/08/2025 12:47

Crochet is beyond me.
Knitting I have tried but don't know how to take anything back. I did manage to knit a couple of string dishcloths during lockdown that the kids like best as cleaning cloths, but that's all I ever managed.

Cattenberg · 10/08/2025 12:56

As a child, I seemed to have green fingers. I planted seeds, some came up, I watered them and potted them on. I wondered why some people found difficult.

As an adult, I have lost whatever knack I had and am hopeless. Most of my plants die. If a plant is drooping and turning yellow, I can't usually tell if it's been underwatered or overwatered. I can't keep a closed terrarium going. My sunflowers are no more than a metre tall with tiny flowers.

LancashireButterPie · 10/08/2025 13:13

I'm ok at cooking and baking. Not fancy but good. I go for flavour rather than finesse.
I am an enthusiastic theatre goer, reader, friend, traveller.

I'm bad at Art, Music, all sports, Gardening, and Crafts.

AffIt · 10/08/2025 13:14

Baking.

I am an excellent and intuitive cook, but I just cannot make cakes at all (with the exception of meringues, which I'm weirdly good at).

I think people who can make scones are witches / wizards.

I also can't knit, in spite of being shown how to on numerous occasions: my brain has just decided not to retain the information and focus on the lyrics of obscure 90s indie songs instead.

SisterTeatime · 10/08/2025 13:16

I have done quite a lot of ceramics over the years and remain absolutely terrible at it. My DH made several really decent things on his very first short course - not only nicely made but all the glazing was good too.

FloofyKat · 10/08/2025 13:18

Crochet. I really wanted to be able to do some basic stuff. Tried written guides, YouTube etc. Even went on a day’s course aimed at complete beginners. Nope. Just couldn’t do it!

Skissors · 10/08/2025 13:20

I also bought a sewing machine a year or so ago.

Very frustrating! Even threading the thing is a PITA. I've spent hours watching YouTube videos where annoying women tell me how to set it up. I refuse to rewatch them, I should have learnt it by now.
Yesterday the thing started sewing backwards. To me that isn't logical.

I've resigned myself to just doing hems with it. Had great hopes of recreating favourite tops and skirts...

MaryTheTurtle · 10/08/2025 13:23

Can’t get past the basic granny squares in croichet and can only knit and pearl can’tread a pattern. You tube on slow and I still can do it.
mum used to knit so fast and watch tv at the same time!

Poor plants must tremble when they see me. I’m useless. I want so much to be a plant mum.

Ohwhatfuckeryitistoride · 10/08/2025 13:27

Pottery. I did three terms and my pots are awful. Waste of money and now my house is full of shite pots.
Knitting. My mother and sister were accomplished knitters. My.mum tried so many times to teach me. I've started again at 65 but God it's boring and slow(and im sure it shouldn't have that many holes in it)

yellowingdoors · 10/08/2025 13:34

DIY. I wish I was one of those people who could just fix and make things but no matter how many sets of instructions I read or YouTube videos I watch, it always ends in failure.

I once assembled a set of IKEA drawers and even though they were a bit wonky, was reasonably proud of myself. I woke up in the middle of the night to them splintering and falling in on themselves. I once tried to paint the kitchen and spilled a whole tub of paint all over the floor (needed new vinyl). I’ve hung countless pictures which have fallen off walls and after attempting to remove a door, sand it down and put it back (only for it to fall off a hinge), I finally gave up.

TaborlinTheGreat · 10/08/2025 13:39

petitpasta · 10/08/2025 12:28

Crochet. I can sew and have made evening dresses with boned bodices so I am clearly not crap at creative stuff, but crochet? Fairly sure it's witchcraft with wool because I just can't get it.

Ditto languages.

And any exercises that requires me to move at the same time and in the same direction as other people. Zumba is practically a health and safety hazard

It's funny how people find different crafts easy/difficult! I can knit and crochet well, but I'm disastrous at sewing (with or without a machine)!

Cinaferna · 10/08/2025 13:46

Gardening. I want to love it. DH loves it. DSis loves it. I have a dream of creating a gorgeous potager garden with veg and flowers to cut for the house. Instead I just go, 'Ew, my hands got dirty. I want to wash them' as soon as I touch the soil, and then get grumpy when nettles or brambles or creatures scratch or sting me. I just want a bath after being out there for five minutes.

Cycling. In theory, I'd love to cycle away, all carefree, through the woods for day-long adventures, Enid-Blyton style. I used to occasionally when DC were small. But my bike is always the one to get a puncture as soon as we start out. The brakes fail, the seat gets loose. I spend half the trip shouting 'Hang on' while I sort out the bloody falling apart bike. And then rest of the time dismounting because I'm so terrified of flying over the handlebars if tree roots are sticking out or the path is too steep. As for cycling in traffic - I hold my breath feeling on the brink of being mowed down. I'm just a bike wuss and would way rather walk. Except the London Sky Rides when the roads were closed to traffic except bikes. They were bliss.

Cinaferna · 10/08/2025 13:49

yellowingdoors · 10/08/2025 13:34

DIY. I wish I was one of those people who could just fix and make things but no matter how many sets of instructions I read or YouTube videos I watch, it always ends in failure.

I once assembled a set of IKEA drawers and even though they were a bit wonky, was reasonably proud of myself. I woke up in the middle of the night to them splintering and falling in on themselves. I once tried to paint the kitchen and spilled a whole tub of paint all over the floor (needed new vinyl). I’ve hung countless pictures which have fallen off walls and after attempting to remove a door, sand it down and put it back (only for it to fall off a hinge), I finally gave up.

That's weird. I am not very practical or creative and yet I can do all the things you mention. If I put up a shelf, it stays up for years, even if it's a botch job. But - as my previous post suggests, all I need to do is get my bike out of the garage and it falls apart. Every single bike ride results in multiple punctures, brake failures, saddle dropping or swivelling. It's like there's a ghost in different machines for different people.

coxesorangepippin · 10/08/2025 15:47

Gardening

Omg I'm terrible

It's given me a new found respect for people who can actually grow cauliflowers