Of Habits and Hobbies
Last week I wrote about some of the challenges I’ve experienced as a mother with two children under two years old. This week I’m going to look at some habits and hobbies I want to add and grow in my life. And how I plan to implement these goals all while having a two-month-old to stop me from getting enough sleep every night…
Faith Based Habits
First on my priority list is the building up and growth of habits involving spiritual growth. When I was in university, I was quite good at completing spiritual reading, and praying the liturgy of the hours. After having children all I am quite good at doing is remembering to thank God for any night I get a good night’s sleep, or even a stretch that lasts longer than three hours.
I have been doing a lot of icon corner time since having children, but I want to get back into saying morning prayer daily, within my first two hours of getting up. I also want to continue my spiritual reading. Even when I initially stopped consistently reading, I kept buying books. So, I definitely have a place to start and some catching up to do. And because these are habits that I want to form, I have a plan for how I am going to start. Visual aids help me to remember things, so I am going to tape a sticky note about morning prayer on my water bottle. I have a white board that I use for a visual to-do list, and I’m going to put spiritual reading on that board.
Hobbies for Health
I’ve never been very fit, and as I mentioned last article, I did not learn many healthy habits growing up. So, it seems clear to me that some health-based hobbies are a good place to start. Especially since these are easy ones to include my children in and benefit them.
The first health-based hobby I want to work on is going for walks. We have a double stroller for the girls. And Little Fox cherishes every moment she has outside. Plus, now that school is out for the summer, the nearby park is a wonderful place to take the girls. This hobby is, of course, weather dependent. But there are two months left in summer here for us to enjoy this family activity.
The next health related plan I have is more about habit building. Having a new baby makes self-care habits seem difficult and lower on the priority list. But because I want my children to be healthy and I need to set a good example, now is a good time to make a plan to get this done. I am going to make a morning self care routine. One that I can do with the girls after everyone has had their breakfast. This will include washing up, brushing teeth, and combing hair. As my oldest learns to dress herself, I’ll add that to the list.
Finally, I want to make a hobby of learning how to cook. I figure I can pick out a few recipes during the week and try them out with my husband or mother in law on weekends. I’ll do this until I find doable meal plan and feel more comfortable in the kitchen.
Artistic Hobbies
Just before Little Badger was born, we bought a keyboard piano. Little Fox loved the piano in her first home, and I’ve had an interest in learning to play as long as I can remember. I’m hoping to practice at least once a week. So far Little Fox plays at least once a day, so I won’t be able to catch up to her any time soon – haha! My husband is big into music, so as the children get older I think singing as a family might be a great family hobby as well.
Little Fox is also getting into drawing and colouring. I also like coloring, so I want to spend time making pictures with her at least once a week as well. Once a month I might print off some more saints or Pokémon colouring pages that I have collected on my computer for us to work on together.
Other Hobbies
Other hobbies we already have as a family are reading together, board games, Lego, Pokémon, and other video games. Let me know what your favourite hobbies that you do with your spouse or with your children are in the comments!
The Byzantine Life
If you enjoyed this week’s article, you might also be interested in reading about organizing your life.
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