I regularly reference sharing my hobbies and childhood passions with my children. I was incredibly blessed to become a step-father to two amazing kids at a point in my life that I had amassed an impressive amount of hobbies and "toys" in my life. Though I haven't been their father for very long, I like to think that I'm making up for my lack of time with depth of experiences and support. Any hobby or interest that catches their eye, I do my best to help them explore and enjoy alongside them. Be it my son's love of Legos or the Mario Bros, or my daughters passion for art and fantasy worlds, I enjoy being there with them every chance I get to push those interests. When I'm lucky, both of them fall in love with a hobby of mine and I get to bring them into one of my worlds. This couldn't be more true than in our mutual love of building and painting miniatures.
The first time my children ever came to visit my home when their mother and I were dating, they were awestruck by the nerd palace that was my house. Being a bachelor, decorating my home was less about color choices and interior décor styles. My style was fandoms and my decorations were whatever brought me joy......so my house looked a lot like a gaming store. I had shelves of movies, shelves of video games, replicas and collectibles from my favorite titles adorning every open nook and cranny. Everywhere you looked, there was something else tucked away that referenced some fandom, anthology, game, or comic. As the children walked in and their eyes adjusted to the low lighting, they were first greeted by a wall of Legend of Zelda memorabilia and my movie collection. Their eyes danced like flames in the wind...instant sensory overload. After they had stopped flitting around my front room like puppies with the zoomies. I proudly invited them into my "office" (a spare bedroom that I used for arts and crafts as well as a room to host D&D nights.) It was in that moment that I knew they would be my children. My daughter turned to her mother and said "That's it Mom, he's perfect. We're keeping him, so don't mess this up." We all got a good laugh, and bonded as a family for the first time. This is still one of my fondest memories of the creation of my new family.
Fast-forward a few years and my "gaggle of goobers" is still laughing and enjoying our nerdy passions. None more than painting tiny soldiers for our collection. The children have even taken to painting minis and putting them up for sale at craft fairs. The confidence they've gained from seeing strangers stop to admire their work and being impressed with how talented they are has been amazing for them and has made their mother and I immeasurably proud of them....This brings me to the point of this story. My children have officially become award winning painters. They chose their favorite models and entered them in the county fair. My daughter painted a statue called "The Judge" and my son painted an Ork Warrior. I warned them both that painted miniatures might not be what the fair judges would be looking for. But their excitement could not be dampened. The minis were entered and the crafts booth was setup. They would pass the time waiting for the judge's decision by selling their projects and homemade jewelry at the fair. Meanwhile, I went to work and waited for a phone call to let me know how they did.
The call came on Friday night...both of my kids had won 1st place in their age divisions! I jumped up and cheered...bringing strange looks from all the people around me at that moment. I was so incredibly proud of both of them for having the courage to put their art out to be judged and for taking their "craft" so seriously as to not only win, but wow many judges and onlookers with the caliber of work they had created. I finally understood the joy in being able to say "Yeah.. that's MY kid."
So, to all the parents or prospective parents out there reading, never miss a chance to support your kid's passions. Never stand in the way of something that brings them joy and builds their pride and character. I'm lucky to share many hobbies with my children. But I know many parents that don't understand or value the interests of their children. Let them shine, let them grow, and let them discover their own identities. We, as parents, teach and nurture. We instill values, morals, and healthy boundaries. But we don't need to force our children into any particular molds. Let them be who they are and grow into strong individuals. Believe me, you'll be infinitely more proud of them shining at being themselves than pretending to be who YOU want them to be. Just some thoughts that have been swirling through my head. I love my children with all my heart and I couldn't be more proud of the dork and nerd they are! Great work you two!! GAME ON!!!
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