What New Hobbies Do You Want to Pick Up After Having Kids? What Hobbies Have You Paused?
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Today over at Corporette, we’re talking about what hobbies are on your bucket list — as in, what you are too busy for right now but hope to one day learn or do. So I thought a related and fun topic over here might be what hobbies are on PAUSE now that you’ve got kids — and what hobbies have you ADDED to your bucket list since having kids? Examples of bucket list additions might be designing a maternity line of clothes for working mothers or coaching a kids’ soccer team. They don’t have to be “when the kids are grown and out of the house” kinds of bucket list things — just “sometime later that is not now.”
For me, I never thought I’d want to be on a school board or something like that — but in most places it’s a great example of a small elected position for getting more involved in local politics and having an impact on your community. (The founder of Run for Something recently noted the advantages of starting really local — and remember, Madeleine Albright got her political start sitting on school boards!)
Ladies, what hobbies have you “paused” now that you’ve got kids? What new hobbies are now on your bucket list that you only got interested in because of your kids, their interests or experiences, or your life as a mother?
Stock photo of a community meeting via Stencil.
Sales of note for 3/14/25
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Nordstrom – Spring sale, up to 50% off
- Ann Taylor – 40% off everything + free shipping
- Banana Republic Factory – 40% off everything + 20% off
- Eloquii – Extra 50% off all sale and select styles with code
- J.Crew – 40% off everything + extra 20% off when you buy 3+ styles
- J.Crew Factory – 50% off all pants & sweaters; extra 50% off clearance
- M.M.LaFleur – Friends and family sale, 20% off with code; use code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – Flash sale until midday 3/14: $50 off every $200 – combineable with other offers, including 40% off one item and 30% off everything else
And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!!
- The concept of “backup care” is so stupid…
- I need tips on managing employees in BigLaw who have to leave for daycare pickup…
- I’m thinking of leaning out to spend more time with my family – how can I find the perfect job for that?
- I’m now a SAHM and my husband needs to step up…
- How can I change my thinking to better recognize some of my husband’s contributions as important, like organizing the shed?
- What are your tips to having a good weekend with kids, especially with little kids? Do you have a set routine or plan?
Things I did before kids: went to the gym, watching TV in peace, video games for hours, sleeping in my bed alone, and going anywhere I wanted to without having to plan ahead more than 20-minutes.
Things I want to do after kids: cooking edible meals [newly married and luckily my husband can cook], travel with my family [not just to visit family], and take more self-improvement classes [never interested until I had kids].
Things I gave up: Dance (I started and ran a fusion bellydance/Bollywood troupe for about 5 years, and used to take dance classes in other styles and travel for workshops). Yoga (both teaching and practicing). Travel. Cooking/baking.
Things I picked up: Sewing kids clothes (and occasionally my own). Cross-stitch. Doing 472 loads of laundry a week.
Things I’ve given up- reading (sad face), cooking nice meals, and going to the ballet (I trained to be a professional ballet dancer, so I really miss this activity). I’ve really committed to my new hobby though (Pure Barre). I’m really lucky that my husband watches our daughter so I can go at least four times a week. Amping up my workout routine has drastically improved my mood and, in turn, our family dynamic.
I’ve given up regular studio classes in the evening – barre, etc. Not worth it to pay for babysitting to go workout. Would prefer to slouch on couch. My partner and I used to do long, hard mountain hikes. Now we settle for kid friendly ones and do fewer of those. We did buy a canoe and take our kid out canoeing now.
Wow! Definitely in the same boat regarding cooking and baking – still making food, but haven’t been as exploratory as I was pre-DS.
I didn’t realize it was a “hobby” at the time, but I miss being a dedicated gym or studio person – right now the best I can do for consistent workouts is the web-based stuff (which, on the flip side, makes me realize how much more efficient workouts and working out can be!).
Have always wanted to be involved and eventually run for city-level office, but not interested until we (fingers crossed) relocate to my home city in late 2019/early 2020.
Like many others, I don’t cook and bake as much as I once did. But now that kiddo is getting older (just turned 3), I’m picking that back up more (both with her and on my own). The biggest thing I have given up is golf. It’s just not important enough for a 2-4 hour commitment anymore. The biggest thing I am doing is running. I really need it, or I am just a horrible person.
Paused — pretty much everything. For four straight years. Though I have recently resumed Jr. League and choir. I was technically still in Jr. League but I was barely active. Now I’m actually doing stuff.
Someday soon I want to do more working out and traveling. We’re doing our first family “vacation” (as opposed to a trip to visit family) in February, and we’re hoping to take kiddo to Europe for the first time in 2020.
Paused- skydiving (airport is too far away, takes too much time on the weekends, need to stay current to do it safely), most biking, international travel
Someday: elaborate baking projects with my kids, art classes with my kids, biking, travel
Cooking and baking have been a big pause for me – I used to really enjoy these activities but now I just want dinner on the table as fast as possible with as little effort as possible and I even (gasp!) used commercial baby food because I didn’t want to spend my minimal amount of precious free time standing over a blender pureeing.
Like Anon at 2:20, I’d also love to be a Girl Scout leader, room mom or otherwise involved in my kids’ lives. I’m also WAY more involved in politics than I used to be, but that’s due to Trump, not my kids.
Paused: Pre-kids, I was really into food and creating elaborate and exotic meals. I still do that more than most, but definitely have new respect for simple and kid-friendly meals! I also was very involved in politics for a while, and would like to get back into that, though I’ll probably have to see what’s really out there for me when I do.
New: I’ve always wanted to take a class and really learn how to take good photographs. I wish I’d done that pre-kids for obvious reasons, but I’d still like to do it, but who has time for regular classes? I’ve also always wanted to take a shooting class and maybe get comfortable enough to get a carry permit (though I don’t think I’d really use it).
Paused – skiing (frowned upon while pregnant, too much relaxin post-partum to be comfortable last year, but going for the first time in two years this winter (before we try for #2)!), cooking anything that takes more than 30 minutes (so tired), swing dancing (would rather spend time with DH and LO these days), computer games.
Someday-maybe – relearning how to crochet (my mom made beautiful blankets for me and our daughter and I’d like to be able to do that for her), girl scout troop leader or PTA board member (difficult with my current hours, not sure how to handle all the mom-politics as a rather straightforward no-nonsense person)