raising kids: choosing hobbies/skills (1 Viewer)

[Joe Szott]

Ah, ok...

 

[David_Moechnig]

I think I'll let my son do what he's interested in. Of course, there are some things like sports and other things that my wife and I will have to help generate some interest but if he doesn't enjoy it there is absolutely no sense in pushing any further. Other things like math/sciences, reading, and the arts will be a normal part of everyday life and won't need to be pushed.

 

[Steve Schaffer]

Not just reading but the concept of reading for entertainment at an early age. My mom gave me my first hardcover "real book" when I was 8, Have Spacesuit Will Travel by Robert A. Heinlien. It started me on a lifelong love of reading just for entertainment's sake.

If a kid starts reading for entertainment and not just reading for school assignments and such it opens up their imaginations tremendously. Home Theater is great, but the "Theater of the Mind" is priceless.

 

[LanieParker]

Reading is big in our house. My 7 year old learned to read at age 4. My 5 year old is doing great at learning to read and write.

Here is an interesting trick someone told me they use on their kids ( who aren't really into reading for fun). For kids who like to watch tv, make them turn on close captioning (sound off) and read the show outloud to you. Apprently this trick has worked for them adn now their kids will actually pick up a book to read because of it.

I limit my girls tv time. It's only allowed on the weekends. During the week they need to find other ways to entertain themselves.

 

[John Alvarez]

What a great idea. And with the DVR you can pause etc...I might just do that with the spanish sub titles to improve my spanish.

 

[Hugh Jackes]

Joe Szott --

Here is a really well written column by a Scouting mom that shows her opinion of the program.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/ar...TICLE_ID=43699

Full disclosure: World Net Daily is a right-wing website. But this column is a personal story about one woman and her kids, not a political column. Specifically, the column includes a summary about the percentages of various accomplishments that kids who have participated in Scouting have achieved. I alluded to it in my earlier post, without quoting specifics (because I couldn't remember the exact numbers). The numbers are impressive.

 

[Al.Anderson]

A good choice! For my kids it was A Wrinkle in Time that sucked them in. Harry Potter sealed the deal.

A mini-story that I find humorously ironic is that I was having trouble getting my son into reading (~age 5) until I gave up pressuring him and let him play some of my console games, but without helping him. When he realized he needed to read to progress he was reading well within a month (and moved on to books).

 

[Zen Butler]

For Hobbies for myself growing up:

Guitar- without this growing up, I would have been in a lot more trouble than I already been in. Of course, not all children will take to it.

Fixing Up Cars- ever since I was little I learned to work on our own vehicles. Well, that's because our family cars were beat up Dusters, Country Squire Wagons etc. It's amazing how girlie my younger brothers are. They'd call me on my phone if they got a flat. Roadside skills are important for both genders. Our dealership now conducts roadside/safety classes. Good stuff to know

Martial Arts- Still think this is one of the best to get a child involved in. "Ridiculous moves" one here said. Well, it isn't about that. The disciplines and art are what stuck with me. For Hobbies for myself growing up:

Community Service- Truly, some of the most rewarding, quality time I've spent with my brothers. We've worked with adopt-a-beach, Wetlands Restoration.


I have found with working and living with teens that small accomplishments really build or support their self-esteem. Tuning up a car, getting your yellow-belt are small, reasonable goals. You know, baby-steps.

EDIT: Copy and paste gone wild

 

[Hugh Jackes]

I remember fondly how my father, not the most kid-friendly or kid-competent of men, got me to be a reader. In first grade, he signed me up for a series of kiddie books that were mailed to the house. The Happy Hollisters. The Hollisters were 5 siblings, aged 5 through 12, who, like their older peers, The Hardy Boys, solved mysteries. The very first book took place in a haunted house. My dad read my the first chapter and hooked me. He told me that if I wanted to find out what happened next, I'd have to read chapters 2 through 18 myself. It took me a couple of days to get through chapter 2 and I sped up from there.

A few years later, he institued a rule that I had to read an hour for every hour of TV that I wanted to watch. By that time, I was reading so much that I ran an ever-increasing balance of dozens of hours of TV time that were mine whenever I wanted them. I have that policy now for my sons, with the addition that video game time needs to be earned by reading too.

 

[LanieParker]

One of my favorite books series growing up was the Trixie Beldon seires. I loved reading those books. I also loved Choose Your Own Adventures. I think I may even still have some mine from back in the day.