One Spring evening, my cousin dropped by for a visit. In true Southern hospitality with a touch of Pakistani culture, I offered him tea and a bite to eat. As we chatted over tea, the conversation turned to our kids growing up. He advised me not to wait for the kids to grow up before starting something for myself. His mom had waited for her kids to need her again, but once they were in high school, that rarely happened. He encouraged me to explore new hobbies before I found myself feeling “unneeded,” which could lead to loneliness.
That summer, I bought myself a Silhouette Cameo for my birthday. It’s a DIY machine that uses a small blade to cut various materials, including paper, vinyl, and fabric. I enjoyed several projects for myself and the boys before moving on to new interests. However, his words stuck with me, and the importance of prioritizing “me” time echoed in my ear. It’s true—my boys are getting older and require less and less of my intervention. Do I find ways to stay involved or sit by and wait to be “needed” again? I chose to explore my interests so that when the time is right, I can pour my heart and soul into a long-awaited activity.
Everything my cousin said made sense, and I encourage everyone to have a hobby, but I feel it is vital for stay-at-home parents to have an activity to escape to. Hobbies are important because not only do they bring joy, but they also offer numerous health benefits:
- Mental stimulation: The more you use your brain, the better it gets.
- Stress relief: Hobbies de-stress your mind from a demanding schedule.
- Social support: Group activities encourage you to mingle with new people who share similar interests.
- Break and refocus: Being a mommy is exhausting, and it is easy to get overwhelmed. Hobbies allow you to relax and refocus.
- Confidence building: It’s rewarding to tackle a task you enjoy.
- Rejuvenation: Especially if your hobby involves physical activity, like a cardio workout.
- Sense of purpose: Stay-at-home parents often leave their jobs or interests to stay home with their new baby, making it easy to lose their identity. Having a hobby helps you feel more in control of your life.
- Creativity boost: Most hobbies require creativity, which is an added bonus at work and parenting when you can come up with fresh ideas.
Hobbies should be something you enjoy doing. Start by making a list of things that interest you. Here are some ideas if you need inspiration:
- Knitting or sewing
- Drawing and painting
- Crafting
- Pottery
- Photography
- Playing an instrument
- Gardening
- Running, hiking, swimming, camping, biking
- Bowling
- Reading and book clubs
- Writing
- Woodworking
- Cooking new recipes or baking
- Dancing
Personally, I lean towards crafting, writing, and drawing. I took a few art classes in high school, but I was never particularly good at it. Nevertheless, I still enjoy working with a color palette. I tried digital drawing and painting tools on a tablet and often go back to it. I picked up blogging last year because I found myself either writing journals or stories inspired by my kids’ schoolwork. As mentioned earlier, I recently bought a cutting machine and enjoy working with vinyl. It is so rewarding to customize kids’ belongings, projects, cards; and my favorite is working with heat transfer vinyl to customize shirts.
*** blog story originally posted in November 2018
Hope you enjoyed reading and don’t forget to share the activities you enjoy.