To think I'm a boring person

[Gingerninj]

I was asked what i do in my free time yesterday, I didn't really have an answer. An honest answer would be when I'm not looking after the DC or working I'm probably scrolling through facebook or on mumsnet or catching up on a tv show. I'm 30 now and I haven't had any "hobbies" since I was around 13, I always gave up after a while anyway, I've been a parent since I was 16 about it's been my main priority since. I'm not particularly good at anything. I feel like I don't have much of a life outside of being a mum. So I think I'm offically a boring person

Wow! I could have written your post! Similar age and was a teen Mum too so never really got to develop my own interests as an adult. I’m finding now that my DC are becoming more independent I have more free time and I have nothing to do with it.

My youngest is 2 in a couple weeks so I still one who's very dependent on me but she's out with her dad today and I'm realising I have nothing to do. I seem to rarely see my oldest now that she's a teenager

What would you like to do?

I always giggle at posts on here who talk about hobbies. I think of teenagers.
And if I'm not looking after the kids I'm at work. Husband is the same as we work opposite shifts to save on childcare. This includes late nights, so when kids in bed I'm still home alone with them. 1 day off together a month, so who has time to then spend a day apart enjoying something alone.
When asked I just ask them when, and what spare time is.

You don’t need hobbies to not be boring.
The most interesting people I know are those who can talk intelligently about the world and who’ve been to interesting places.

Tbf I don't think genuinely boring people realise they're boring so I wouldn't worry too much!!!

I know what you mean. Whenever I watch game shows the host always asks the competitor about hobbies, and they rattle off a list of interesting things they do. If I’m ever on Pointless and Alexander Armstrong asks me about my hobbies I’m not sure watching YouTube and rummaging around charity shops is really going to cut it.

I'm sure you're perfectly normal, but I do secretly despair of women who don't know what to do with themselves, when without their children. We shouldn't lose our own identity to that degree.

You don’t need hobbies to not be boring.

This. A spot of macramé and spelunking doesn't make anyone interesting in and of itself.

We probably seem boring as we don’t have “hobbies” our hobby is gardening, or fixing/service stuff around the house.

I'm boring and glad to be boring. I don't want to be #livingthebestlife #soproudofbeingtotiemyownshoes

#boringlifeisstilllife

There is nothing wrong with not having a hobby or significant interest.
If you feel bad about not having something to do and don't like your own company, then that's another matter.

Many people like to lose themselves in music, or film, or books... 'boring' to some, but not to others.
The problem comes when you don't feel content with your situation. If that's the case, then yes, an interest would be good to have.

Chances are, you do have interests, you just don't identify or label them in the same way others do. They might be minor interests, but they are still interests.

I don't do much - look after the house, look after the dgc, look after the dog. Friends of mine, though, SHE paints, cooks, goes round bootsales looking for vintage clothes and other treasures, plays and teaches "Go" (an old Japanese board game), and travels. HE does the GO thing, and is into all things Japanese, photography and Ebaying. And they do a lot of socialising! Makes me feel quite inadequate!

I call it relaxing when I have no kids or I'm not working as it's so rare!

But I like box sets (watching tv), and the occasional exercise. Plus kids, work and life admin take up the majority of time

I never used to think I was boring, but I think I probably am now. Working full time as you get older, takes an awful lot of your energy, however, when there’s something I really want to do, I find the energy

What would you class as a boring person?

PP has already said it. You don't need hobbies to be an interesting person. Could you sit down and have an intelligent, interesting conversation with someone? If so, then you're very unlikely to be boring.

I think however you should really be asking yourself 'am I happy?' which is much more important.

Someone asked me the same question - what are your hobbies? I was stumped for an answer.

I did so much more when the kids were smaller - PTA, Governor, studying for my job, archery and now nothing.

I think what would I put on a CV for my interests now?

Hate exercise, watched nearly every box set on Netflix, live music, theatre, currently reading my 82nd book of the year, loves cocktails!!!

Oh "and is constantly planning the next holiday - I research all there is on the capital cities we go to" - Athens at Christmas!!

I am probably the most boring and irritating person you’re likely to meet but if I didn’t have a hobby I would loose my mind, it is the only thing that makes me forget about everything, family, work, any worries i have just disappear when i’m doing what I love

Boring is often a term associated with criticism. In fact, I'd say most people use it to be critical.

It needn't be boring though. It can just mean you're not prone to excess and you don't need lots of attention or to feel busy doing adventurous or glamorous things. Who is doing the judging? the mass of people living amazing lives vicariously through Facebook posts?

Sometimes, you can be deep, thoughtful and insightful, it's just some people don't have the capacity to see that, and assume 'boring'. The right friends can see something in you that's far from boring...

I have long been bothered about our society's expectation that we are all "interesting" and somehow exceptional. What happened to being grateful for what you have around you (whether it is loving and being loved, safe place to rest your head at night, nice food, health, something else). And then just today I read this: Our culture is quick to dismiss quiet, ordinary, hardworking men and women. In many instances we equate ordinary with boring, or even more dangerous, ordinary has become synonymous with meaningless.

And this: we are a nation hungry for joy...because we are starving from a lack of gratitude.

There is nothing boring about a life well lived with compassion and connection. You are raising a family and I am sure your actions touch many others.

I have a hobby that I love and I am the most boring person you could meet, as I know I go on about it. A hobby will stop you being bored, but not boring.

MartyMcFly1984, thinking about people having hobbies makes you giggle? Bizarre.

TBH, I do find women (I don't know so many men) whose lives seem devoid of any interest outside of home life to be tedious. I gravitate to people I can learn from and those have interesting experiences. It might be that they're fascinated by Saxon churches or are building the first car to run on water! The point is, whatever it is, it DOES make them an interesting person.

Having a hobby doesn’t make you not boring - my DSIL is passionate about her hobby, she devotes hours to it every week, travels the country (and sometimes outside the country) pursuing it and is considered to be an excellent practitioner of said hobby but she can be incredibly boring because she bangs on and on and on about it assuming others share her passion. I really don’t. She’s lovely and I’m glad she does it because it brings her so much happiness but to me it’s incredibly dull. She drones on and I nod and murmur politely but in my head I’m screaming ‘ I DON’T CARE, SHUT UP. I DON’T GIVE A SHIT’.

OTH I have couch potato friends who I can turn to to discuss CBB or family life or to have a good gossip who I find eternally entertaining.

And as others have said films/tv/reading etc are all hobbies too.