Mum-appropriate hobbies

[ChildWontStopGrowing]

I know you're supposed to include your kids in your hobbies, but my hobbies are video games. And I'm definitely not about to let my 1 year old watch me playing all day - that definitely wouldn't be good for him!!

What are your hobbies that can include your toddlers?

Are you meant to include them? We do family activities together that we all enjoy but both DH and I have our own hobbies and interests that don't involve the kids or each other.

I w never heard that you’re meant to include them. You are allowed to have something just for you.

The whole point of hobbies is that you get time away from the kids!!!

Nothing wrong with having your own hobbies that don't include DC.

Hobbies of mine that do include DC- walking, cooking, film, classical music.

Art, knitting, baking, birdwatching/nature notebooking, walking/hiking, animal care, growing food/gardening

Hobbies are meant to be for yourself.

Their are plenty of activities you can do with your kids.

Why do you have to include your children in your hobbies?

You can encourage your children to have their own hobbies and interests e.g. taking the 1 year old swimming etc

And when you are older you may find them taking an interest in yours, I have a shared hobby with my mother for example

But unless cycling, football playing, gold club wielding fathers are suddenly all taking their 1 year olds along with them I can assure you there is absolutely no reason why your children need to be included in your hobbies!

Agreed!

Find a relatively child friendly video game that you enjoy, give the kids an un plugged controller each, crack on.

I do hobbies to get a break from my child 😂

I have never heard you should have hobbies that include kids.

i thought the main point was to maintain your own time so you get time to be you. Rather than your whole existence being only in relation to your child.

if you want a joint a hobby I would guess 1 year old is a bit young to do anything you could both participate in.

Please tell us where you saw that your hobbies are supposed to include your children!

It's literally the opposite...

I took up baking when my children were younger.

I have fond memories of gardening with my parents as a child.

Maybe learn an instrument together when they're getting older

Also volunteer at a chikdren's vlub when they're older. There are football teams, scout groups etc.

Pole dancing

But yes also have hobbies that are just for you too.

To all the people saying don't include your child, the whole point is that I need something to do during the day WHILE PARENTING. Like you can only play peekaboo so much in one day...

So you don't actually want to talk about hobbies then, you want to talk about parenting techniques and activities you can do with your child, that's a whole different thing!

So do you mean stuff like:

Playdoh, painting and messy/craft play
Jumping around, baby yoga routines and running type activities
Pretend play with toys like a teddy bears picnic etc
Reading to them
Listening to music/having a little dance

Or stuff like:

Taking them out to dance groups, music groups or general child groups?

Or do you genuinely mean like actual hobbies, like dance or an instrument etc, because 1 feels a little young for that?

Think OP means "hobbies whilst parenting" e.g. some video games aren't suitable for kids to watch

I've started baking with my toddler. It can be as simple or complicated as you like. He enjoys it plus its teaching him a useful skill. I'm enjoying it so much now I also do it by myself if it's something more complex.

...You don't pursue your hobbies while parenting. (Other than maybe when they're very tiny and you can just stick them in a sling and crack on.)

You do child-centred activities while parenting and pursue your hobbies while your children are asleep/in the care of someone else. Toddlers need watched.

If you're lucky, by the time they're 5+ they may enjoy something that you also enjoy and you can do it together. My kids and I like playing Just Dance a lot.

My kids are now huge, but my hobby is running, so I'd pack one into the double buggy to fetch the other from nursery and run there. Then dawdle incredibly sloowly on the way back looking at every twig.

Ah, I assumed as she mentioned parenting a 1 year old she wasn't wanting suggestions for video games to play. I'm now very confused what suggestions are needed, I clearly need a nap! 😂

Oh dear - I'm failing miserably because my kids have little to no interest in gardening or sewing (my main hobbies). Sigh.

Stuff I did when mine was 1:

-Took her to mum and baby/ toddler groups, mostly the ones for a few quid in various church halls but also we did tiny talk baby signing which was good as I felt like I was learning something too
-Swimming
-Walks in the park, in the woods, at the seaside, round a local reservoir - I joined a group on Facebook where other local parents would arrange meet ups/ walks too,
-Stood her in her kitchen helper tower and made simple muffins and pancakes and stuff with her, then let her ‘wash up’ for a bit
-Tuff spot tray with water or rice or pasta and lots of containers for pouring / filling and emptying
-Read lots of books with her
-Visit local community farm (free/ donations only)
-Library
-Danced and played instruments along with whatever was on the radio

Not many things there I’d call hobbies but passed the time

But that’s not what you said in your op which confuses people.

you said ‘I know you’re supposed to involve your kids in your hobbies, what hobbies can I do?’ not ‘can people share their ideas for activities I can do with my one year old’

Its 2 completely different things. And no one has heard anyone say ‘you should include you children in your own hobby’.