All Kids Need Hobbies

I had a plethora of hobbies when I was a child and though many have faded into obscurity as I grew into an adult some still remain and are with me to this very day. I collected GI-JOE action figures, Comic Books (I had Spawn #1 and Xmen #50 at one point), Computers, Nintendo, Role Playing (Dungeons and Dragons) and I even had a period where I did rock tumbling.

Rock tumbling was interesting I used to find rocks in my back yard and put them in one of my rock tumblers for a few days, they would come out all polished and cool looking and I would use the polished stones as treasure that my action figures had to find or protect.

Or I would use the polished stones to represent gems that my D&D players would find when pillaging dragon hoards or dungeons. They added a nice physical element to a cerebral and virtual game and players enjoyed having the tangible item to hold as a reward.

The rock tumblers I used as a kid used to take day’s to polish stones, I think they have gotten faster and more efficient lately, but often when I pass one in a craft store or something I consider purchasing one to see if my son would find it interesting.

Bottom line though is hobbies are very important for kids who need to be kept busy and active, it doesn’t matter what hobby and you shouldn’t judge if a girl likes boy hobbies and a boy likes girl hobbies. So what if your six year old son likes playing with Barbie’s, or your little girl is making dinosaurs eat soldiers. Let them play and role play whatever they want, and as long as their hobbies aren’t dangerous they should be encouraged and supported.

You will be remembered as a parent who encouraged them to try anything new and enjoy hobbies, rather than one that criticized them for what they chose to do and play with.

-Justin Germino