Does your child have a passion?

[laurad1125]

Growing up, music (playing cello) was vital to my emotional well-being, especially through those turbulent teen years. I really want my boys to have something like that as well. Music would be nice, but anything would suit me - just an outlet, an area to shine in.

 

If your child has a passion, what is it and how did they find it? What do you do to encourage it? Any suggestions for helping my boys (right now I'm mostly concerned about the 10yo) find theirs?

 

Thanks!

[Wyndie]

Nathan's passion is drawing. He is very good at it and loves to do it. He doodles for hours on end if he can't be outside. I bought him several "childrens" drawing books to begin with but he didn't like the baby-ness of them so he has adult drawing textbooks now that he uses every day. It's actually part of his schooling right now to draw once page out of the book daily. He has also watched videos on proper drawing techniques. I knew it was his passion b/c he was constantly doing it, talking about it, it just was very obvious.

 

My daughter appears to love music but I don't know if it's a passion yet. This interest just recently surfaced but we will continue to give her books or whatever she needs to pursue her interest. She is also VERY interested in gardening so I take her to a local nursery that loves to nurture her interest and let her talk to them. Last week they gave her a small "job" to do for about 2 minutes, they've also given her snippets of certain plants to let her grow on her own. We will continue going to nurseries and planting whatever and learning from books and internet as long as she seems interested.

 

The little one is too young for us to see anything other than digging in the dirt as a passion.

 

I think whatever you son appears to spend most his time thinking about would be something worth pursuing.

[EthiopianFood]

I attempted to find a passion with my niece. She is naturally gifted in gymnastics. She was always hanging upside down on the playground, and doing a lot of physical stuff like that (gee, I'm eloquent today, but I could tell she was a natural in that area LOL). We tried on and off for 2 years, and while she enjoyed it, she didn't practice at home (she doesn't live with me, so home support could have made some difference, I'm sure). Long story short, she is immature emotionally. She is very active and "here and there." She wasn't emotionally ready to put time and effort into the same thing every day. In hind sight, this seems obvious, but I had hoped doing something she was already doing on her own, but in a more structured way, would inspire her to be more disciplined. It didn't work. Maybe what I'm saying is that some kids don't have the inner maturity to be focused on one thing in the way that we think a passion would express itself. We need to be open to our kids expressing their passions in whatever way works for them, even if it's not how we were at that age.

 

I second the PP's advise to pay attention to whatever they are interested in, and see that as a potential passion. I once knew a man who (at the time) knew more about loons than anyone in the country. Why loons? Who knows, but it interested him, so he put the time into learning about them.

[Storm Bay]

Despite obvious ability in art & music, my eldest burns off the stress off the stresses of adolescence swimming laps on a swim team. She prefers harder workouts. I'm not sure what my younger two will do for that, but I'm guessing it will be grappling martial arts for my 11 yo, since she likes contact sports, and that's the one that is supposed to have the lowest injury rate of kids' contact sports.

 

ETA We moved to swim team because there were no more lessons for dd at her level. I had no idea that I had given birth to a child who would actually enjoy swimming lapsm so I didn't do anything to get her into it. Any attempts at igniting passion for her artistic talents have been in vain, so I don't push it. She draws all the time, but won't do it seriously because it takes too much time to really do it right (her opinion.) All 3 swim. Ds has had a passion for flight for about 4 years, but he has more than one passion, so I'm not sure yet.

Edited October 3, 2009 by Karin

[Jennifer in MI]

My 13 yo's passion is everything ROCKETS!!!!! He is seriously obsessed. It started VERY early when he was little and loved it when I'd read very dry books about space to him (we're talking about 3 and 4 years old). Then, at 6 after he got his first rocket, that was it!!! Now, he builds his own and they break the speed of sound and go over a mile high! Seriously - he wants to work for NASA someday and I think he will.

 

My second son's obsession/passion is baseball. He plays, watches, reads about it, etc. It's crazy!! But it's him. Last year, he became interested in music. He plays piano (he's very good!) and started teaching himself guitar. Yesterday, he bought himself a Les Paul guitar. We're holding off on the amp! LOL He's also GREAT at drums. I see a drum set in our future.

 

My third son, nothing so far. He loves tv!! If I'm not on him, he'll watch it every waking moment. Ugh. But, he's actually quite an active kid.

 

We're still waiting on dd3 too. She's VERY small and very coordinated. I'm thinking of a dance class or gymnastics for her next year. But, so far, no obsession.

 

ETA: I just realized I didn't answer your questions. I didn't do anything to get them interested in these things. THEY chose them. I think that's important. We had a lot of stuff around the house - books, instruments (we have a piano, multiple violins, guitars, accordian, mandolin, etc), etc, etc. It gave the kids an opportunity to discover. Dh is a sports addict, so we watch it regularly. The boys have also taken any number of classes - chess, art, etc. We'll see what happens in the future!!

Edited October 3, 2009 by Jennifer in MI

[AngelaNYC]

Dd (13)'s passion is dance. She's been at it since she's 3. She now takes from 7 to 16 hours of week of dance, is an assistant teacher to 7-8 year-olds, and does many regional (and a few national) competitions throughout our tri-state area.

 

I suggested she try it and she just took to it like a duck in water.

 

I encourage her in so many ways. Mainly by helping her be a part of all the opportunities and experiences that arise.

 

I would suggest writing out a list of all the things your boys enjoy and things they may be interested in. Find lessons, apprenticeships, volunteering. Provide them with resources and let them see if it's what they like.

 

Ds (8) loves making movies. We got him a cheap video camera. He loves filming family and friends and makes stop-motion animation using drawings, clay, and toys. He took a stop-motion class at a museum. We plan on going to the Museum of the Moving Image in a month or so. We have a high school of the arts where he can major in film-making if he wants to. Opportunities are everywhere.

 

You never know what a child's (or adult's) passion can stem from. As parents, all we can do is make suggestions and foster interests. Good luck!

[HollyDay]

My almost 10 yr old's passion is ballet. She is developing a love of violin, but so far, it is just "a love", not a passion.

 

When my dc were little, about age 4 or 5, I put them in gymnastics. I wanted them to have a fun class and a good start at a lifestyle of healthy fitness. They both really enjoyed it. My oldest branched out to soccer and basketball and even gave tap a try. My youngest asked for cheerleading which led to dance. We started with a ballet/tap class for both. Youngest loved ballet and has been going and loving it for the past 4 years now.

[gingersmom]

My daughter is on a synchronized skating team and it is her life (and mine!).

 

Her brother also likes to ice skate as much as possible. My son though since an early age has been reading books about prehistoric animals, extinct animals, ice age mammals, visiting museums, etc. I have no doubt he will land a job in either a zoo, aquarium or the Museum of Natural History in NYC one day.

[Donna]

Music tends to be the passion of choice in our home.

 

For oldest it is drums, middle ds has guitar, and youngest violin. My oldest also is very into wrestling...wrestles year round, works out daily, watches it on the net all the time.

[Lolly]

DD 16's passion is drawing. I haven't done anything other than provide her with paper and pencils. She has always loved to draw. I tried having her take art lessons. I tried giving her direction. She balked and refused. I backed off. She soared.

 

Dd15a's passion is swimming. All my kids have a talent there, so we started swim team. Dd 14a loves, loves, loves it. I pay for it, get up at insane hours, and drive a lot.

 

Ds12's passion is the xbox. I do not encourage it. He does it anyway. I wish he didn't. He would like to be a professional gamer.:tongue_smilie:

 

Dd14b has too many passions. She seems to collect them. Her first passion is reading. Next came swimming. Then, violin. Making jewelry. She tremendously enjoys them all. If I had to narrow it down to one, it would probably be reading. Well, unless it is swimming... or violin... You get the picture.

 

I have not really promoted their passions in any way other than financially. Well, that and driving up to 4 hours a day to get them to the pool and back, and there, and back again. I have found that their passions seem to come on their own and blossom when left to mature without any interference.

[CactusPair]

ds 10=baseball

 

playing baseball, reading about baseball, studying stats, calling (radio announcing) pretend games he sets up with his playmobil guys

 

dd age 8 doesn't have a passion i know about, but she likes dance, acrobats (esp. acro), sewing, making crafts, cooking, nature study, dog handling, hairstyling, and reading biographies

[zaichiki]

Oldest's biggest passion would be reading, followed closely by reading. He reads fiction, but he also reads to collect information (about his other current passions). He would also spend hours a day with Legos (if he had any more hours a day to spend). Being new to school, the first thing he recovers with when he gets home is the Legos... or a new book.

 

Dd's passion is music: mostly viola, sometimes violin. She'll try *any* new sheet music and she loves to watch people playing their instruments on youtube. She's constantly humming something.

 

Youngest's passions are books and puzzles. He'll sit with them for hours.

 

ETA: We definitely encouraged oldest's interest in reading by providing him with hundreds of books and reading to him for hours a day. Dd seemed to decide on her passion on her own, after accompanying her older brother to some of his cello lessons. We enable her, too. (lessons, orchestra, buying sheet music, playing CDs) Youngest is *definitely* encouraged in his passions: I admit to being happy to know that, when I need him to sit quietly, a new book or two will do the trick.

Edited October 4, 2009 by zaichiki

[Impish]

If your child has a passion, what is it and how did they find it? What do you do to encourage it? Any suggestions for helping my boys (right now I'm mostly concerned about the 10yo) find theirs?

 

Thanks!

My children's passion is playing a game first described by Erma Bombeck. Its called, "Get Mama". As far as I can tell, whichever causes Mama's head to actually explode, wins.

 

Other than that, Diva loves arts, crafts, drawing, sewing, reading, creative writing...no serious 'passions' just lots of activities she loves.

 

The other two just seem to thrive on 'Get Mama'. :lol:

[Crissy]

For my teen, the passion is reading--libraries, books...

Last year he was invited by the Librarian of Congress, Dr. Billington, to Washington DC for a personal tour of Thomas Jefferson's library.

We took him back to DC in January, and oh, my! What an experience that was for him!

 

The arts are my younger son's passion. Drawing, painting, digital compositions and sculpture are all very important to him.

I used to make sure math, Latin and English were covered every day, but with Hunter, art is equally important. We either study an artist or work on a piece of art every day.

[SilverMoon]

Does reading every comic book in existence count? :p Ok, the (tween) boy does love his Boy Scouts. But the comic books are in second place.

 

My others, toddler to 9yo, don't have one that I know of.

[elise1mds]

My DS has several. His main one is bugs/lizards/outer space/science. I have no doubt his future job lies in the scientific field. However, he also loves to swim. I wish we could afford to have him take private lessons. He'd be in heaven. He loves to read, too.

 

DD enjoys her violin, but I don't think it's what I would consider a passion yet. Yes, it was her idea, and yes, she does love practicing (most of the time), but she's only 4. It's kind of hard for me to consider anything a true passion at the age of 4.

[Retired]

My 16 yo is electric guitar every waking minute of the day.

 

My 12 yo is determine to make Eagle Scout by age 15. He loves everything outdoors. I can't keep him inside to finish school work.

 

I didn't have any hobby or passion in my teen years except surviving.

 

I am please my boys have a passion and direction in their lives

[Joker]

My 7 yr dd loves to be creative. We keep everything - boxes, tissue paper, old shoes and shoe laces, paper towel rolls, etc. We also make sure we always have glue, tape, tacks, scissors, popsicle sticks, etc on hand. We never know what idea will pop into her head but when it does we just get out of the way and let her go. I have no idea what this means for her future but we all really enjoy the directions she takes. :001_smile:

 

My 9 yr dd has been saying since she was 6 that whatever she does when she's a grownup will involve traveling. I get lots of books for her about places she's interested in. She wants to see everything and go everywhere and then start all over again. I have a feeling I will hardly ever see her when she's old enough to leave the nest. :glare:

[BikeBookBread]

Hard to know with such young ones, but the Princess Duckie Girl's duck fixation lives on. Anything about ducks: yellow rubber ducks, grown up ducks, real ducks, toy ducks... She can spot a duck from a mile away. She almost had a fit two weeks ago when we were driving home from Phoenix and she saw a 10 foot tall blow-up rubber duck advertising some store by the freeway. (Don't recall WHAT kind of store...had nothing to do with ducks or water, though!!!) Also, she could color and draw (very well, mind you) 24 hours a day if we let her.

[hillfarm]

I am still waiting for 10yo dd to find a passion. She likes many things but doesn't seem to Looooove anything yet. She enjoys a wide variety of things and will try most new things and says she likes them but nothing really stands out as a passion.

 

She has occasionally gotten interested in one thing more than the rest for a period of time (Littlest Pet Shops, Webkinz), but after a few months the interest fades away.

 

I wonder if she will be more like dh, who is one of those very contented people. He likes almost everything about the same. I, otoh, always have at least one passion/obsession going. Right now it is paleoIndians. I study obsessively, talk to experts, attend activities, learn as much as I can, and then usually move on to another, often unrelated, topic.

[Jlynn]

10yr old son's passion is Legos, legos and more legos.

[s.z.ichigo]

My daughter loves all animals, real or otherwise, though I think that's pretty common among little girls. Of special interest are horses, unicorns, and dragons. She's imagined whole universes of unicorns and dragons, drawn up maps, made up lineage of unicorn royalty, etc.

She also loves the idea of animal medicine. She could easily spend all day with her doctor toys, applying elaborate bandages on every toy she owns. She has a great imagination and her toys have rivalries and get into terrible wars. If this continues I can see her going into veterinary medicine, which is what she's always said she wants to do.

[Erica in PA]

Growing up, music (playing cello) was vital to my emotional well-being, especially through those turbulent teen years. I really want my boys to have something like that as well. Music would be nice, but anything would suit me - just an outlet, an area to shine in.

 

If your child has a passion, what is it and how did they find it? What do you do to encourage it? Any suggestions for helping my boys (right now I'm mostly concerned about the 10yo) find theirs?

 

Thanks!

 

I don't think everyone has one of that type. My oldest's son's (13 yo) greatest interest is in reading, but that doesn't really offer an opportunity to "shine." My middle son's (9 yo) is drawing, but though he enjoys it, it's not something really competitive or anything that people outside our family would know about. And my daughter's (7 yo) greatest ability is her social ability-- that girl can make a room full of girls into her best friends in just a few minutes. So they all have special abilities, but none of them are really of the type that you described.

[Renee in NC]

My 11yo's passion is motors right now. He fixes them, builds them, runs them, etc. He spends his money on parts. He also has a tool set that most men would envy.:D

 

His passion used to be fishing. He still loves to fish, but he doesn't eat, breathe, and sleep fish. Recently, he went on a campout where they were to earn their fishing merit badge. My ds did most of the teaching.:lol:

 

ETA: My 16yo's passions are music and the Vietnam War. He loves history, especially the more recent wars. We (my parents and us) bought him a SWEET bass for his birthday this year.

Edited October 4, 2009 by Renee in FL

[Jean in Newcastle]

DD7 - gymnastics. She will flip out of bed in the morning and flips and twirls her way through the day.

 

Ds12 - legos, computers, math

[mktkcb]

Well, passions are funny things. My oldest, a freshman in college, doesn't have what many would consider to be a "passion", but she is very driven academically, ultra logical (maybe thats her passion), and just basically very responsible. Over the years she has liked lots of things (art, drawing, painting, math), I guess, but no overarching passions. She is trying to figure out what to major in. She could be a great engineer. My middler, 16yo dd, is passionate about creating things. She loves making jewelry, drawing, embroidery, etc. Loves crafts of all kinds. Plays the violin. Sings in choir. Loves musical theater. She says she wants to "do something with my hands".....whatever that might ulitmately look like. She is not academic, but very smart, capable of good grades, except for math...not her thing. Youngest ds, almost 13, is overwhelmingly musical, literally since birth. Plays piano, loves musical theater etc. I have a hard time saying he is passionate about music, though. He is my mildly SPD (actually oldest was as well), probably gifted, but very immature. He has many passions. Board games, Japanese, golf (yes, golf, even though we don't watch it, play it, or let him play it....it's his dream sport), chess (he's not that great at it, but hey..), .....the list goes on. I guess I would say he's compulsively musical....meaning it is just an integral part of *him*. He'll sit down and play literally anything that he's heard that he likes and wants to figure out, but he complains bitterly about having to practice (we treat piano lessons like math for him......you can quit when you graduate (if he was less gifted I'd let it go, but at least when he is a bit more mature, the skill will be there in spite of himself ykwim). He loves to perform, and has no fear of stages at all. He is just immature. Lots of passion, not a lot of follow through. Lazy. almost 13. you know the type :o). I think my policy has been to follow a combo of interests and giftedness.

[mazakaal]

My 13yo's passion is surfing. He can surf for hours at a time, a couple of times a day. When he's not surfing, he's editing the surf videos that dh takes of him or on-line watching surf videos that other people have put together. He surfed all through the winter last year and hardly gets bothered by the cold if the waves are good.

 

I have no advice on how to help him find a passion. I wish my 11yo would find something that really got him fired up.

[Cera]

My oldest will only be 5 this month but her passion is definitely dance. She started asking to take dance classes before her second birthday and has taken ballet since 2 1/2. She added Hula at 3 1/2 and now wants to add a jazz class. When she isn't in class she is at home dancing, watching others dance or trying to convince me to sign her up for more classes.

 

I have no idea where her passion comes from. I don't dance (at all!) and have never wanted to but it is what her life revolves around at this point.

[EarleneW]

My oldest daughter does competative cheerleading and it is her life. She loves it more then anything and she is quite good at it too. This is her 6th year competiting. The other 3 have tried many things, but still have yet to pick just one.

[babysparkler]

Ds9's biggest passion is Chess... he stumbled upon my dh's set when he was 5 and asked to learn. Within a couple months he could beat dh (who is very good). We sign him up for every available chess tournament (when it doesn't conflict with soccer... another passion) and he does lots of computer practice. Dh and I teach 2 chess classes for our co-op (per his request), ds takes the advanced class and helps with the beginner class. Dh also spends every Monday morning doing one-on-one tutoring with him, and we are looking for a private tutor. Other big passions include: Math & Soccer.

 

Dd7 hasn't found a passion yet... perhaps someday it will develop to be art, or maybe even volunteer work. She spends much of her free time creating art, and is the kind of person that see's someone in need and wants to help. I encourage these passions by giving her opportunities and praise for following her heart.

 

The younger 2 don't have a passion for anything yet... :)

[laurad1125]

Some good points made here (and lots of different passions among our kiddos) I guess I'll just keep exposing him to different things so he has options.

 

For now we're encouraging his interest in photography and I plan to sign him up for a camp offered next summer by the homeschool orchestra/band in our city. I won't force him towards music but I don't think five 2-hour classes is too much to ask either. Maybe learning about it in a group setting from Not-Mom and getting to try other instruments will interest him.

 

I'm also going to thing about ways to help him with the teen turbulence (of which we are already seeing signs) that don't involve a passion like I was envisioning. Basic stress coping and communication skills.

[jewellsmommy]

ok, I can't believe that I am admitting this. Hopefully no one is going to attack me or anything but....my 7 yr old dd has recently developed a passion for shooting. She has joined a jr rifle team at a local gun club that my father (former police officer) is a member of. It is actually a very bizarre story that maybe I will post one day soon. It turns out that she is a pretty good shot naturally.:001_smile: She says she wants to compete and wants to do it forever. She also wants her own rifle with a pink lizard on it. :001_huh:

[jg_puppy]

My 9 year old loves dances. It is very much her passion. She likes many other things, but dance is her favorite. She has said for the last 2 years that she wants to be a dance teacher. I think there is a very good chance that we will become a dance teacher.

 

My 6 year old likes math and baseball. I would not say that either one is a love yet, but I think they might become one in the future.

 

Jan

[kalanamak]

Skateboarding and classical music

[LittleIzumi]

Dd is 4, so it's princesses and penguins :lol: (both of which she has loved since she could express a preference, even without princess movies or much TV).

[Shawna in Texas]

Anime. Manga. Japanese culture.

 

DD has met a few girls online (New Moon Girls forum) that also like these things, but it's pretty hard to find any groups locally. The downtown library has one for 13-18, she still has a couple years yet. She's been able to convert a few family members, but they live 5 hours away.

[Peela]

Dd has a passion for drawing and watercolours, but also for Scouts and friends. Ds also has a passion for his friends and for computer games etc.

I could say my ds doesnt have any passions but the I thought about his friends, and his love of computer games...maybe they're not your healthy classically educated homeschooled kid type of passions but they are what floats his boat. Both kids love to read good fantasy as well.

 

I honestly wouldn't worry about it.

[camibami]

MY oldest has no real "passion", per se. She never met a class, sport or activity she didn't enjoy, though. I guess its all her passion!

 

My youngest has been obsessed with rhythmic gymnastics since she was 5 1/2. She was previously a kid who hated every organized activity- even Mommy and Me! She preferred to stay home with the babysitter I got for oldest DD and send me to Mommy and Me by myself.:glare:Training in no AC (and soon, no heat!), in a language she doesn't understand, with training methods that are...uh...a bit more energetic on the discipline, has not dampened her enthusiasm, so I guess it really qualifies as a "passion" now.

 

I do wish my oldest had something she really was into, like my youngest. But then again, it could be something totally ridiculous (like, say, rhythmic gymnastics:lol:) and expensive, so maybe we ought to count our blessings!

[Beverly L. Adams-Gordon]

My 15 y.o. dd has a passion for music. She loved anything with music from the day we got her! She plays the pipe organ at our church, then goes to the Methodist church to play their organ or grand piano and then comes home to do about four hours of practice on her organ, piano, harp and voice. She practices at least four hours a day and teaches three students piano. All the professors at Washington State University school of music know her by name, she has been studying pipe organ there since she was 13 years old. She already has won a music scholarship for organ study (for college). I think this might qualify has her passion. (Am I bragging about her too much -- really she is an amazing kid.)

 

But she loves anything artistic too. She oil paints and makes jewelery that she sells in our bookstore. Just, Please don't ask her to do math -- it just won't stick. I had always heard music and math abilities went together, but not in her case. Can someone tell me why?

[SheWillFly]

My middle child most certainly has a passion. She loves art in all it's forms. I don't know if my oldest has a passion yet. We are exploring some athletic options this year. I think my youngest will likely be passionate about music from the way he responds to what he hears and how he loves to sing and can already tell when someone is singing "not right" as he calls it.

[Beverly L. Adams-Gordon]

My dd put her hand over my mouth when she was 18 months or so and said no sing mor mor (what she called me). I am tone deaf and am not someone you really want to hear sing, but a baby had never complained when I sang lullabies before -- blew me away. Her voice and piano teacher say she has perfect pitch. One of those people who can change her voice to match famous singer: Patsy Klein to Barbara Streisand and Elle Fitzgerald to Charlotte Church. I love to sing, she still gives me "the look" if I sing in public though. lol.