Lifelong Interests

As parents, when we think of lifelong interests, we often choose from a small bucket.  We think of things we know adults do and then try to introduce our kids to those things.  Certain things may already have sprung to mind for you: maybe playing tennis, watching sports, going to the movies, running, doing puzzles or golf.

Additionally, we may try to modify activities we see as ‘adult’ to introduce our kids to these lifelong pursuits. Maybe we take them to the Children’s Museum to introduce them to the broader spectrum of museums for adults.  Possibly we take them to a kid-friendly musical theater performance to introduce them to the world of theater in general. These are all fantastic ideas, ones that our typical and special kids will probably love!

For our special kiddos, they may have hobbies that are outside this narrow range. Even though they are not lifelong hobbies for most adults, our kids may hold on to the joy of these activities.

I encourage you not to worry too much about this.  So, I share with you that my almost 20-year-old son still loves bubbles.  He has loved them since he was a toddler (see post linked below) and he will likely love them until he is old and grey.

I take great comfort in the fact that he has activities that make him happy.  It’s okay that those activities are not favorites of every 20-something.  It’s not up for a vote. He likes what he likes! This is what we hoped would happen – we wanted him to have autonomy over his own life.   We wanted him to be able to make his own choices. Mikey chooses bubbles!