
What’s Next? Hobbies For Moms With An Almost Empty Nest

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If you’re a mom that’s teetering on the edge of having an empty nest, particularly a stay at home mom, chances are it feels like you’ve been asked “What are you going to do now?” at least 7,863,916 times over the last year. Your standard answer is something like:
“Oh, you know, I’ve got all kinds of projects lined up.”
“I’m finally going to get all the clutter out of my house.”
When what you really want to say is “Dear Lord, I have no freaking clue what I’m going to do with myself! I’ve been focused on being my kids Mom for so long now that I don’t even remember what I’m interested in anymore.”
You know you need to find a hobby but you have no idea how to figure out what that might be or where to start.
I mean, surely to goodness you’ll find things to do, right?
Sure. But eventually, one of two things is going to happen; you’re either going to run out of projects or they’re going to start feeling more like busy work and less like the meaningful, interesting and/or purpose-filled something you’re really looking for.
The truth is, when the kids start taking care of themselves, at least as far as daily routines are concerned, it’s normal to struggle with who you are apart from being “Mom.” And honestly, if you don’t start addressing this now, it’s going to cause problems later. The very last thing you want is to start feeling unhappy and unfulfilled simply because you aren’t adjusting to the new normal very well.
The almost empty nest years are the perfect time to be intentional about finding something you really, really love to do that has nothing to do with your children.
A hobby will give you something to get excited about and will distract you from all the changes taking place and will help you start building a life you love. Plus, figuring out what you enjoy is a great way to start getting to know yourself again!
Hobbies can also help you make new friends because they encourage you to meet people that share your same passions. And, they can help strengthen an existing bond. You and your spouse have been busy being parents and raising your family and now you have a chance to reconnect as a couple.
Finding a hobby you can enjoy together might be the perfect way for you to get to know one another again without the kids around. My husband and I love to fish and ride his motorcycle. It’s really nice to be able to hang out and have fun doing something we both really enjoy.
When you find a hobby you enjoy, you’ll realize how badly you needed one. The problem is how do you find the right one?
Honestly? You just have to try things. That’s why I think lists like this are so valuable-as you read through the options, write down the ideas that spark your interest and look into those. That way you’re not throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks.
I know I tried so many hobbies I can’t even remember them all; refinishing furniture, baking, a gazillion different crafts-now is probably a good time to mention that I do not have a crafty bone in my body. Sadly, that’s never stopped me from trying.
You might be like me and have to try several hobbies before you find the right one. Or, you might try the same thing more than once-which I also did. Sometimes it’s the right idea, just not the right time so if there’s something you’ve tried that didn’t quite work out but it’s always the first thing you think of when you think hobby, try it again.
That’s what happened to me with blogging. I had a blog in 2006, mostly just to keep family updated. I enjoyed writing but it wasn’t the right time; I was just too busy with my family to make it a priority so it fizzled out.
After that, the idea was always in the back of my mind but it was a full 10 years before I circled back around to it and longer still before I knew blogging was the right fit and that it was the right time.
This list has a ton of great ideas to try so hopefully something will jump out at you.
Like I said, me+crafting=a hard no. But, so many people are super talented and I love the idea of making pretty things. Crafts of any kind are perfect hobbies for moms.
In recent years, craft stores like Hobby Lobby, Michael’s and JoAnn’s have started offering classes on everything from decorating cakes to calligraphy to making clothes. A lot of them seem skewed towards beginners so this would be a great way to try things out. The classes vary by location so check with your local stores.
If you aren’t interested in the in-store classes, CreativeLive offers free online classes each week.
There are also some really amazing kits available to help beginners get their feet wet. Some kits seem simple enough that even I could make something I wouldn’t want to hide or explain away as my child’s kindergarten art project when we have people over. Not that I have ever done that or anything.
Class or kit, both mean you can try several things without spending a bunch of money accumulating a metric ton of junk you’ll never use again if you decide you don’t enjoy it.
There are some interesting kitchen related kits these days as well.
Most of these are excellent hobbies for couples explore because they’re a really good way to spend some quality time together without any distractions
This is by no means an exhaustive list but hopefully one of these ideas caught your attention or one of them sparked another idea for something you’d like to pursue. If so, or if you already have a hobby, I’d love to hear about it so be sure to let me know in the comments section!
At the end of the day, what matters is that you find something you enjoy doing that motivates you to get out and have fun. You deserve a rich and fulfilling life that makes you happy.
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Pre-kids one of my favorite hobbies was training with our dog! I had so much fun doing something called “scent work” classes- think beginner drug/explosive/etc dog training!
Oh! And of course, crossfit! At a Crossfit gym, you’ll get the double whammy- an awesome workout AND those gyms tend to have a very close social group!
Working with your dog on something specific is such a great idea-I love that it gets you outside and around other people too! And, I’m so glad you mentioned Crossfit-would you believe I actually wrote it down?! Apparently, I missed it when I was typing up the list. I didn’t even realize it wasn’t there until I saw your comment, ha!