Last month, I featured Rhien, whose hobby is paper crafting. The enjoyment she got out of creating things like invitations and nursery mobiles eventually turned into a small business. It’s something she enjoys doing, regardless of whether or not she made money from it. But, it was a bonus to be able to turn something she loved into a way to generate some extra income for her family. Those kinds of stories always impress me.
Not all hobbies have to do that for you. And, I want to inspire you to do something you love without regard to turning it into a profitable venture in the future. I want to encourage you to pursue a passion that makes you happy. Whatever it becomes later is a bonus. My intent is to help you realize the value in investing in yourself because you are more than a mom. Take me for example. My hobby is Autocross. I don’t earn anything from it. There’s a chance I never will. But, I continue spending the money once a month to go out and race, simply because it makes me happy. I keep building on my driving skills and taking at least one day a month to be myself … and it’s something I get to enjoy with my husband.
That’s my whole purpose. Getting you to pick something you enjoy and encouraging you to invest time and money in your happiness. Yes, I said invest. Because hobbies usually cost money. Mommy’s desires don’t have to (nor should they) be on the back burner until the kids go off to college. Katelyn has found a satisfying mom hobby in reading and participating in a book club.
Katelyn is a blogging friend of mine over at What’s Up Fagans? She shared her story with me, hoping to encourage you, too!
Meet Katelyn
Is your family anything like you pictured?
I’ve always had an image of what my family would be like before I was married with children. I have two kids, a husband, and a dog. It’s pretty similar, except I thought I would have two boys. But, my family is also significantly different than I’d imagined. So, I asked Katelyn about her imagined vs actual family.
Katelyn tells me she never thought she would have twins. But, aside from such a big surprise, she doesn’t believe her family is too dissimilar from what she expected. “I have a big family, just like I always wanted and an amazing husband! … I like to think that we are a happy, fun-having, connected family…”
She also sees herself as the parent she thought she would be, and attributes it to being a “practically, laid-back, realistic person.” The choices she’s made for her parenting stemmed from her childhood, so she was pretty sure she knew there were certain things she did and didn’t want to do with her own children.
Katelyn’s Mom Hobby: Reading and Book Club
“Reading a book is a simple way I can escape the norm of my life, look outside of my sphere of influence, and explore new situations, stories, and experiences.” Katelyn tells me reading gives her a chance to educate and improve herself, and often find inspiration.
She’s been part of a book club since 2010, and before her move to Texas, she was actually part of TWO monthly book clubs. And, even if she didn’t actually read the book, she loved going to the meetings to socialize without the kids. Here, she tells me how necessary it was for her to do this because she’s an extrovert. (girl, I hear you … and I’m NOT an extrovert!)
After moving to Texas, Katelyn started a book club in August of 2014. Once a month, she meets with friends from church to discuss the book that the host had picked. They meet later at night so that they have some kid-free time!
This hobby allows her to have a connection with other book club members, time for herself, and she says “…lets my children know that I am a person outside of ‘mom’, that I have my own set of friends, I enjoy reading (so they should too!) and that I like to get out.” She believes having a hobby and making time for herself shows that she respects herself and her time, and helps her children understand they should do the same.
If you’re a reader and looking for a little more socialization, Katelyn shared a post about how to start a book club.
How do you find the time?
Sunday is a day of rest for Katelyn and her family, so she uses reading to pass the time without feeling like she’s impeding on the requirements during the week. Although, reading only once a week makes it difficult for her to finish a book before the monthly book club meeting. She may find the time during the week when she feels like she needs a little break from work or housework, while her kids watch a movie or play a game.
Would You Like to Follow Katelyn?
What’s Up Fagans? on Facebook | What’s Up Fagans? on Pinterest
See … mom hobbies don’t have to be expensive. You can expand your world through books and gain so much more than “me time” as you gain knowledge, new perspectives, and potentially new friends. Of course, borrowing from a local library makes reading extremely inexpensive. Plus, you can use the time at the library as more “me time.” Heck, I’d suggest taking an extra 30 minutes to sit in the library to start your book before getting back home to the kids.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO ENCOURAGE MOMS TO FIND A HOBBY?
I want to give you the opportunity to be featured. Any mom hobby, no matter how mundane you believe it may be, can be an excellent source of inspiration for a mom struggling to maintain her sense of balance. If you’d like to encourage another mom by sharing your mom hobby, click here to the mom hobby interview.
Please follow the rules of the interview – mainly, encouraging moms to join or start a business IS NOT the focus and will NOT be featured. It’s okay if you make money from your hobby, but NOT okay if you only started something to make money. We’re trying to free mom from thinking about more obligations.
If you have social media following, this is a good chance to get listed ?
Take into account I will try to publish mom hobby interviews generally once a month unless interest warrants more frequent posts.
