Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.
Parents-to-be often get excited about all the things they’re going to share with their children. They want to do it all together, including both what they like as an adult and what they loved in their own childhoods. Sharing your interests with your kids can be a super fun way to bond with them, and maybe even have a connection for life. But approaching it in the right way is important. You can’t expect that your children will always share your interests, so you have to make sure you’re not forcing them into things they don’t enjoy doing. Fortunately, there are plenty of things you can do with your kids if you want to share your interests. They might even teach you a thing or two too.
Image from Pixabay – CC0 License
Get Nostalgic with TV and Movies
Some of the things you might be most excited to show to your children are the movies and TV you loved watching when you were their age. And, when they get old enough, it’s great to share the things you enjoy now too. If you want to do this, the first challenge can be tracking down what you want to watch. It’s not always easy to find the things you’re nostalgic for, and even finding where to watch Harry Potter movies and other popular media can sometimes be tricky. It’s not necessarily as easy if you can’t just buy a DVD or similar physical media, but there are options out there. Just remember that there’s a chance your children won’t love it as much as you did.
Listen to Music Together
Music is a fun thing to share with your children too. It’s not something that’s restricted by age, although there might be some explicit music you want to stay away from. You’ve probably listened to music that was made long before you were born, so there’s no reason your kids can’t too. Music can be great to exchange with each other too. You introduce your children to what you love, and they can show you what they like to listen to. It can be a bit hit and miss, but you’re likely to find things you both love.
Invite Them to Help You
If you have any particular hobbies, getting your kids involved can be as simple as asking for their help. It eases them into what you’re doing so you can start to teach them the skills they need. And they’ll feel like they’re being a good helper and getting to join in. There are lots of activities that are suitable for this, including gardening, cooking, or various crafts. Even if an activity is a little risky, you can still start off slowly and teach your children how to do it safely.
Keep Fit Together
When one of your interests is keeping fit, combining that with spending time with your children might seem tricky. But the truth is that there are actually lots of things you can do to keep fit together. It’s a great way to set a good example for them and help them build a love of exercise for life. You can easily walk or hike together, go on bike rides, take them swimming, or even go on runs. You can play games too, from football to tennis, which can sometimes be a more fun way to get everyone moving.
Image from Pixabay – CC0 License
Get Out and About
Taking your kids on trips is another option if you want to engage them in the things you love. That could mean visiting places like museums, galleries, or National Trust properties. Or maybe you like going to parks, going out to eat, or exploring nearby towns and cities. Whatever you enjoy doing, getting out and about is especially fun on weekends or during the school holidays when you need to keep the kids entertained.
Don’t Force It
One thing to keep in mind is that you can’t make your kids like anything. So although you can introduce them to things you like, or anything you liked as a child, it’s still up to them whether they actually share your interest. Keeping this in mind is definitely going to help you avoid disappointment. If you hang your hopes on being able to share one thing with your kids, you could quickly find that they’re not interested at all. You might even discover that something you liked as a kid isn’t as good as you remembered it. So try to keep your expectations at a realistic level.
Share your interests with your children for a fun way to bond and maybe even form shared interests for life.
