Your child may naturally come across something they find intriguing and will start exploring this area further. This is not always the case and they may need a bit of guidance and encouragement to dig deeper into discovering what they are passionate about. There are many ways for your child to discover their passions, not only attending various classes or school activity clubs. In this Journal post, we are sharing with you some ideas about what you can do to help your child find their passion!
Engaging in some DIY tasks is one of the best ways to have fun with your child and let them explore their creativity! Encouraging your children to try various arts and crafts will help them find the area they particularly enjoy - maybe it’s origami, design, painting, or making small pieces of furniture! Once they have established their niche, it will be much easier for them to find interesting resources and activities in this area, and to develop their hobby.
It seems like an obvious thing to mention, but there are a lot of ways your child can nurture their love for a sport other than just playing it. Have they explored different areas in the sports world? Maybe your child loves football and enjoys writing? Encourage them to write an article about their favourite team, or maybe a report from the last match. Maybe by taking some photos in their new sports outfit they will discover their love for photography? The possibilities are endless, they just need to be encouraged to discover them.
Your child probably already has something they like to do in their free time. Pay closer attention to it - if they are watching YouTube videos, what are they about? As a parent, you can turn their genuine interest into a passion by suggesting alternative activities in the same area. For instance, a video game player may be interested in designing a character for a game and therefore become passionate about graphic design. If your child spends a lot of time using TikTok, how about an online dance class? Or perhaps if they enjoy purchasing scented candles, you can order them a kit to make some at home? It will be much easier to get your children excited about an activity if they already have some interest in the area.
Inspirations for your child’s next passions are everywhere! Within two months of the premiere of 'Queen’s Gambit', a Netflix show about a woman chess-master, there was a 215% increase in sales of chess sets and accessories, according to Kara Gibson, a spokeswoman for eBay.1 Their fascination with a certain movie, book, or a character can be easily translated onto their next hobby - make sure to share with them the materials you find portray valuable role models for your child to mimic!
Speaking about role models, your children may just need one to follow in order to find and develop their passion. This can be someone from your family, like their great-grandma who was a professional gymnast, an aunt who was a dedicated biologist, or someone who you just admire for their passion. Telling children stories about passion-led people, sharing articles or just paying more attention to some public figures can be a great way to inspire your child to follow their own dreams.
You know the bookshelf in your child’s room that is possibly gathering dust? What if you let them change it? They could redecorate their space and move the bookshelf, they could paint it a different colour, or even make a desk out of it. In the process, they may discover a great fondness of interior design or furniture renovation. It might be beneficial for a parent to put aside their objections and, safely, just let the child act on their ideas. Try to embrace them, no matter how peculiar you think they may be - children’s imaginations are infinite and you never know what will be the outcome. What if they find a passion that defines their career?
Engage your children in whatever you do! Children like to mimic, so your passion can become theirs. Even house chores can become fun and potentially lead to some exciting discoveries. Imagine organising a day to tidy the garden - your child can become really fond of plants and flowers. Big cooking day? You may have the next Bake-off winner in your household! If you practice yoga on Thursday evenings, what if you ask your child to join you this week? Engaging children in activities that you do or enjoy yourself can open their eyes to new, fun possibilities.
We all have natural predispositions and certain things come easily to us. Even if your child is not immediately passionate about developing their natural gifts, you may be able to suggest a way to connect it to some of their other interests. This can also work another way around - challenge your child to explore the area that they might not have previously had luck in! Revisiting a hobby after some time can bring surprising discoveries and perhaps a new passion?
Being passionate about something doesn’t have to mean reaching Olympic levels in this discipline. Your child can enjoy doing something and, frankly, not be so good at it - and it’s okay! Being sensitive in this matter is crucial, as too much pressure on a child can cause them to quit and back off from what they previously found fun and interesting. So let your child nurture their passion and develop it in a way that they find satisfying.
Imagine your child passionately designing a logo for a coffee shop, while discovering the basics of marketing and learning about creating a brand for a business. That is what many people saw their children doing during a recent livestream hosted by 8billionideas! We offer an online learning space with interactive experiences, courses, videos, and live mentoring where your child can find and explore their passion and build their career around it. For more information on the areas we will venture into, follow this link. If you want your child to join our Livestream on Saturday 6 Feb 2021, sign up here - they can play a fun game and listen to an inspirational, role-model guest speaker while mapping out their future career following their passion.
1. Marie Fazio, NY Times, November 2020
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8billionideas is an online learning service with interactive experiences, courses, videos, and live mentoring where your child can find and explore their passion. They want to teach children what schools do not, through live experiences and mentoring with trained facilitators, engaging videos, and courses that kids can explore at their own pace. The platform offers unlimited mentor support to give children the possibility to talk to a real person who will support the curious minds. Learn more at 8billionideas.com