Today, your five-year-old might be obsessed with baseball. Tomorrow, it could be dinosaurs, football, or cooking. One of the beauties of childhood is being introduced to new topics and learning about them.
You never know what might become a passion or really strike a chord in your child. As a parent or caregiver, it may feel difficult to keep up with their changing interests, but it’s important to nurture those – no matter how short-lived or obsessive they might be. Here’s why.
Being passionate about something releases joy.
We have all experienced the happiness that is associated with doing something – or learning about something – that we love. The joy that comes with that causes a dopamine release, a feel-good chemical that creates a sense of happiness and accomplishment for your child. This helps keep them interested and concentrated, motivating them to work hard and develop their gifts and talents.
Interests help children discover what they’re good at.
Even as adults, we discover new things about ourselves. The process of self-discovery truly takes a lifetime. Encouraging children to try new things allows them to figure out who they are and what they are passionate about. Over time, they will start discovering themselves and what they most enjoy doing – or what they don’t enjoy. This contributes to their identity development.
Passions help bring focus to a child’s life.
When children discover something that they love, chances are they are motivated to engage in it. For example, if your child falls in love with theater, ballet, basketball, or playing the piano, they will want to spend time doing those activities. Kids that are engaged and busy usually have less time to engage in bad behaviors or habits. In addition, it helps them learn discipline and how to set goals – both of which are important life skills to hone.
Passions can introduce them to new social circles.
Hobbies generally have unique social circles and there’s a chance that if your child takes interest in a passion project, it could very well introduce them to new friends. They will feel surrounded with like-minded people that they can build friendships and relationships with that very well might end up being lifelong connections. You never know what interests may open up doors for your child’s future.
To foster curiosity and discovery in your children, encourage them to try new hobbies or learn about things that pique their interest. Sign them up for different sports, extracurricular classes, and take them to the library often to read about different topics. Teaching your children to follow their passions and pursue hobbies starts with your positive reinforcement.