When you’re a parent, it can be easy to lose a little sense of self. Things you did before parenthood can fall by the wayside, and you might be put off trying something new. Hobbies in general can be time consuming, but they can also be a great to help you feel like yourself again.
I tend to gravitate towards creative pursuits. Before I had kids I played musical instruments and liked to draw. After having children I realised I wasn’t making enough effort to do the things I liked.
As soon as I realised I was neglecting my own pastimes, I made a conscious effort to spend child-free time doing things for me. Of course, my time was never truly child-free, but I was able to snatch an hour or two to myself when the kids were in bed (or while one was napping while the other was at school).
Now that both children are school, I have another one on the way, so time to myself will once again be limited. I’m confident that I know what it is I like to do now and how to make the most of tiny windows of opportunity. This seems like the perfect opportunity to share my knowledge so other parents can benefit.
Creative Hobbies for Parents to Try at Home
No matter what your tastes are, there’s bound to be something on this list that appeals to you. Creative hobbies can be a great way to unwind, and let’s face it – all parents need to unwind!
Painting
I love painting and I never get to do it enough! It can be quite time intensive (unless you love some big, abstract brush strokes), but the payoff is always worth it. I tend not to paint in a sketchbook and instead opt for acrylic paint on canvas. Wholesale Canvas packs are available at Adventa if you’re looking to get good value for money.
I like to set up in my back room, leave all the stuff out for a week or two and nip in to add bits here and there when I have a free half hour. It can be a bit messy as painting equipment takes up a fair amount of room, so I only do it a few times a year. I found this approach is better than fully packing away each time, but it is heavily dependent on space in your home.
Crochet
I began learning crochet when I was pregnant with my second child. I found it very relaxing and made him a few little blankets before moving onto clothes. Since I breastfed, I spent a lot of time sat down with him having feeding marathons on me. Because crochet focuses on one hook, rather than two needles, I could crochet while he fed and time passed very quickly! I recently gave crochet a go again, ready for my next round of cluster feeding!
Writing a blog
Believe it or not, I started this blog when Greg was a couple of months old. He went through a phase where he slept reasonably well for about 6 weeks and I thought I would be well-rested forever. I was very wrong but the blog is still going strong five years later (even if I did delete all the early stuff because it was total rubbish!) There is a surviving post from that time, where Greg is sporting the finest handmade whale top – which is something I managed to crochet for him during my mammoth breastfeeding sessions.
Blogging is a great way to get back into writing if it was ever a hobby. It’s also a lovely way to connect with people like you, who have children likes yours and are up at the same unsociable hours. Another amazing aspect is that if you fancy it, you can even turn it into a job! I like to think my blog helped me hold onto my sanity during that difficult first year, and helped me build a community over the past five years.