I hope I convinced you that homeschool mamas need hobbies. I convinced myself. Now I’m going to say something somewhat controversial.
I think your hobby should be something for you. I want to encourage you to choose something that isn’t just supportive of your vocation as a Homeschool Mom.
I would love to see us pick hobbies that are not professional development centered. I like to read about educational philosophy and think about better ways to make my homeschool work. I watch videos and webinars and help with Pam’s weekly FB Live broadcasts about just these things. I listen to podcasts. A lot.
I need to study how to plan, how to ask better questions, how to make the flow better. I need to explore the best resources and methods for instructing the children I have. I believe that’s part of my calling to be a Homeschooling Mother.
That isn’t a hobby for me. That is work. A Profession. I think we need something different. Something active, or something creative. We need something separate.
I want to encourage you to choose a hobby that’s primary focus is not in service your family vocations. That isn’t to say that it can’t serve your family, but that service isn’t the only focus.
A few example hobbies for moms
A friend of mine has gotten interested in photography. Yes, she takes a lot of photos of her children and homeschool day. But she has gone the extra mile learning about light and layout and processing and improving her photographs for the sake of artistry – even to the point of taking pictures for others.
Or, cake decorating. Another friend claims it as her only handicraft. She makes cakes for her children’s birthdays – of course – but she also helps with cakes for friends and family. She uses her hobby for serving others and expressing her artistic sense.
A third friend has recently taken up quilting. She already enjoys all kinds of creative endeavors and is incredibly talented. She already sews. She has taught her children to sew. She has been struggling with making seams and corners just so; with making blocks and piecing colors, so they come out how she imagines them. She is working to improve her skill set and self-expression.
All of these ladies above? Homeschool moms.
They’re using their time and talents for their enjoyment, improvement, service, and artistry. None of these hobbies are directly related to their vocations but enhance them.
If your hobby – craft, mastery, interest – is for the purpose of raising and educating children, can it be extended when parenting is no longer a part of your day today? When your kids are grown and out of the house – maybe raising and educating their children?
Hobbies for the long haul
I would like us to consider a hobby that can be enjoyed for the long haul – that we can enjoy with our children now and without them later. I would like to consider a hobby that is perhaps an adjunct to our general vocations – supportive but not directly related to those vocations.
I think it is good to have a hobby where you spend time that is not hyper-focused on your child(ren)’s needs. It is good for them to have time when they aren’t the center of your world. It is good for them to realize that you are a person in your own right and have needs of your own that are separate from them – but can include them, too.
What do you enjoy doing that you could enhance? Do you enjoy cooking? Can you take a cooking class or work through an instructional cookbook? .Do you enjoy sewing? Can you pick up needlework? Do you like walking in the woods? Could you add geocaching or hiding your own clever caches?
I would encourage you to think carefully about the kind of hobby that would serve first your needs and secondly the needs of your family.
Next time, let’s reflect on the hardest part of hobbies for a homeschool mama – carving out some time to work on a hobby.
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