Hobbies are important. My children had no T.V growing up and that left time for them to develop their talents. One became an artist and a musician and the other can really sing. I never heard they were bored and they always had energy for their hobbies. We also did ice-skating which was fun. The secret was always to follow the child’s interest and never impose something on them that they were not willing to practice at. That is how I ended up having to have piano lessons. The kids hated them, but I had paid and I think both the teacher and I were glad when that money was used up! I still maintain not having a T.V was the best decision I ever made although of course, being older, we also avoided the intrusion of the Internet till the kids were quite old as it was not really in use.

While our daughter was growing up, she asked for a guitar, so we bought her one. She studied guitar through a book she bought and she can already play it while she sings.

Then, she wants a tennis table and played table tennis with her father. After a while,she became busy with studies. The playing of table tennis stopped and the table tennis was kept. The table tennis is now nowhere to be found.

Though her guitar is still at her bed. She didn’t even play with it when she came home for a brief vacation because she is into watching Korea novela instead on her laptop.

But at least, whatever she would like to try, we give it to her.

A good plan prospective.

Thanks, dear @Albena, I hope all the ideas or learning of our life can be shared here and help each other to learn and have a better life other than making earning via blogging or commenting here.
Cheers!

For me, the best thing is to have another peer come over the house. I did that to our daughter when she was still a kid.

We would ask the neighbor’s kid to come over the house. The kid would be there in the house with our kid the whole day. The helper would let the kid eat with our daughter and they really have fun playing.

In the evening it’s our turn to play with our daughter. 🙂

Yes, you are right, @Dina,the kids need another peer, if not, they might need the parent to stay along almost the whole day.
I have two kids, so they can play with and play around sometimes, but do need the guidance from the parents sometimes.

Some single kid can play and stay alone for hours, it’s good also for them to have “me” time, I think.

There is a lot more you can do. I would like to write an article on this myself. As we did not have a T.V as my kids were growing up I have a lot of experience! One thing I did was create a craft box with all sorts of things to make things with and paint and brushes and glue and junk. If it would work to make something, into the craft box it went. We had many happy afternoons getting that box out and once, my daughter and I used a huge cardboard box and made it into a play oven. That was an afternoon and then other afternoons “cooking” for the dolls.

Those are actually all the things I did when I was younger. I am a 90’s child so cellphones and computers were fairly a recent thing especially the Internet.

But my favorite things to do when I was a child was playing with my neighbor. Would would make up the weirdest games,camping in our back yard or just play finding Waldo.

Those were the times we’re we actually spent quality. time with people.

Now a days I see children with iPhones even and that is something I dont find right. I can’t say how to parent a child but let them be a child while they can. Once technology hits it will be impossible to get them off it.