Helping Your Teen Find A Hobby

 

Teenagers are each unique, and each teenager will mature through their adolescence at a varied pace, while encountering nuanced and distinct challenges. The likes and dislikes of each young person vary drastically, and often continuously shift as they enter new stages of their lives. As parents we must honor our teen’s newfound need for autonomy, inspire their process of self-discovery, give them the space to try different things, and support their individuation. Adolescence can be an incredibly confusing time in a young person’s life, and it is not uncommon for young people to cope with their teenage challenges by retreating. Instead, encourage your teen to explore all the gifts life has to offer and to find a healthy hobby to occupy his or her time. 

Tips

There are many ways you can help your teenager find a hobby. Consider the following tips to help your teenager delve into the wide array of enjoyable hobbies and discover which resonate best. 

1. Think about your teenager’s interests and use them as a starting point to introduce hobbies. Beginning the discovery process with activities that are familiar can help your teen get comfortable with the idea.  
2. Try different things. Encourage your teen to try a variety of different types of activities that may spark your teen’s interest in a hobby that they hadn’t previously considered. For example:
   • Physical hobbies could include sports, horseback riding, dancing, rock climbing, yoga, etc.
   • Artsy hobbies could include drawing, sculpting, ceramics, cooking, landscaping, writing poetry, clothing design, choir, graphic art, composing music, photography, etc.
   • Intellectual hobbies could include web design, coding, learning a different language, learning to play a musical instrument, etc.
3. Brainstorm options and co-create a list of possible extracurricular opportunities with your teen in which he or she would be willing to participate.
4. Have your teen volunteer in different settings (e.g., an animal shelter, a food pantry, a nursing home, a museum, a nursery, a homeless shelter, etc.) to expand their horizons while simultaneously giving back and providing a needed service in your community.  
5. Be openminded to your teen’s discoveries. The hobbies that may resonate best with your teen may not be what you expected or what you would choose for them. Allow them to take the lead and try not to project your opinions or pass judgements about their choices. 

Adolescence is a time of self-discovery and growth for a young person. Engaging in healthy hobbies can help your teen expand their worldview, foster friendships, and serve as a much-needed outlet to diffuse some of the challenges of adolescence. 

For Information and Support

Seeking help is never easy, but you are not alone! If you or someone you know needs mental health treatment, we strongly encourage you to reach out for help as quickly as possible. It is not uncommon for many mental health difficulties to impact a person for the long term. The earlier you seek support, the sooner you and your loved ones can return to happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives.

Our admissions team is available to answer any general questions regarding mental health issues, treatment, and/or specific questions about the program at Pacific Teen Treatment and how we might be able to help your family. We can be reached by phone 24/7 at 800-531-5769. You can also contact us via email at info@pacificrtc.com.