When you have kids it’s so easy to forget about your own needs- you can be so busy making sure that they have everything they want and need that you’re always at the bottom of your priority list. But it shouldn’t be this way, it’s important to look after yourself too. And having hobbies that you enjoy is a great way to do this, as a busy parent you won’t have all that much downtime but when you do get the opportunity, hobbies can keep you productive. They help to build your skills, give you something to work towards and help you to retain a bit of ‘you’ that’s separate from being a mother and partner. The best hobbies for busy mums are cheap and from home, that way you can easily pick them up when you can grab a spare minute- here are some ideas!
Blogging
Blogging makes a fantastic hobby; it’s free to start and allows you to build your skills and network with like minded people which can allow you to make friends. No matter what your interests are, you can write about them on your blog and be sure that somewhere out there, someone else will be interested in your views and share your passions. You can set up a free blog on a site like WordPress or Blogger, as time goes on you can always pay to have a nice template installed or to purchase your own domain name but you don’t have to. Maybe you want to rant on politics, share your love of pets or just document your parenting journey? No matter what it is, a blog can allow you to express your thoughts. Later down the line, you can even start earning money from blogging. Companies will ask to work with you once your blog generates authority, and it can be a lucrative way to boost your earnings in your spare time.
Crafts
Getting crafty is a fun way to spend your free time, it’s something you can do with your kids or just by yourself. You could find project inspiration on Pinterest and follow along, or you could just get creative with fabric, paper, glue dots, sequins or whatever materials you want to work with. With Halloween and Christmas around the corner you could make some festive decorations for your home, or you could make items to sell. If you’re particularly good at a craft, you could set up your own Etsy store and sell your creations to earn a little extra money. Just find your niche, it could be anything from making candles to jewellery to kids clothes to soap. Crafts can be done from the comfort of your home and are a fun way to stay busy when you have some spare time.
Cooking and baking
As a mum you’ll already be spending a good part of your day in the kitchen in order to feed your family, so why not embrace it? Ditch the convenience food and start making your own recipes from scratch, have fun in the process. It’s a great way to get your whole family eating better, and if you get the kids involved it’s more likely they’ll eat what you’ve cooked. Baking can be a fantastic way to get creative, you can try out all kinds of flavour combinations and recipes and then have fun decorating what you’ve made afterwards. Search Youtube tutorials and again Pinterest for ideas, if you’re new to cooking and baking start simple and work your way up to more complex creations as you get a grasp of different techniques. It’s something you can enjoy doing whether you’re a total beginner or already good enough to put the contestants of the Great British Bakeoff to shame!
Gardening
Gardening can be a really fun hobby- it keeps you active and burns a surprising number of calories while toning muscles. Perfect if you want to lose some weight or get fit without having to leave the house or visit a gym! You could grow your own ingredients which could then be used to make things in the kitchen. You could grow flowers to make your garden look pretty or make your own fresh bouquets for the house. You could even grow plants which can be used to make your own skincare products such as lavender and aloe vera. Growing herbs is a smart move since they are easy to grow but expensive to buy. If you wanted to get kids out into the garden, growing seeds is a great opportunity to educate them on some basic science, it also shows them that patience and hard work is rewarded- if you tend to and water your plants each day, they eventually give you food or flowers. You can tend to your garden while your kids are playing outside as a nice way to spend a sunny afternoon. As the weather gets colder, you could always invest in a greenhouse.
If you don’t have any hobbies to speak of, why not consider one of the above? It gives you something to talk about when people ask you what you do in your spare time (your limited spare time, as a parent that is!) What starts as a hobby could even open the door to paid opportunities or new friends so give it a go- what do you have to lose?
What kinds of hobbies do you enjoy doing?
