What would happen if you let your daughter choose her own hobbies, activities, or sports? We live in such a fast-paced world and often enroll our children in all kinds of activities from the time they’re big enough to participate that we sometimes don’t stop and think about what they want. Every girl is an individual, and there is value in letting them determine what activities will fit best for their life and personality. So how do you begin encouraging your girls to think outside the box and explore new activities, sports, or hobbies? Here are some ideas to get you started. 

Make a List of Interests 

A great exercise to try with your girls is to make a list of interests. What do they love to do? It can be wildly imaginative as those ideas can spark other thoughts. This is an excellent exercise to do throughout your girl’s stages of development, as what they enjoy most at four will be different at fourteen. 

The list can be straightforward, or you can turn it into a fun project on its own by making a collage or vision board. 

Try New Things 

Don’t be afraid to let your child try new things. Just because you’ve tried something doesn’t mean you must make a long-term commitment. New experiences expand horizons, so encouraging them is always good.

One of the easiest ways to try new things is to allow your daughter to tag along when a friend invites her to an activity. It builds social skills and exposes her to new ideas. 

Take a Test Run

To the idea of committing, taking a test run for an activity is a good idea before you invest too much time or money. For example, if your daughter is interested in playing tennis, sign her up at the local rec center for a summer program. You can consider investing in the hobby more during the school year if she likes it. 

Your local parks and recreation center or after-school activities are great places to look for classes that can give your girls a taste of these new activities. 

Provide Time for Exploration

For a long time, parents have felt pressured to enroll their children in every possible activity to fill all their time outside school. While this can be good for some children who love to stay busy, it doesn’t provide any time for personal exploration. 

Keep in mind your girl’s personality. For a shy, introverted, or socially anxious girl, packing the day with activities can be challenging. Let your girl steer the ship to find their comfort zone. 

Follow Their Lead

In the end, your girls can share their feelings about an activity. There will be many reasons they are no longer interested in the hobby or sport, but you’ll need to determine if that is a solvable problem or something they should simply let go of. Follow their lead and try to dig down to find out why. 

Provide a safe way for your daughter to tell you if she is experiencing bullying or challenges within her activity. Some girls are likely to shut down when they believe they are disappointing a parent, but these are critical issues that must be addressed. 

Know When to Move On

What happens when your girls want to quit and try something else? We do have a perception that children tend to have short attention spans and are likely to give up on things without giving them a real chance. But sometimes, there are reasons to move on. 

Find out if fear or boredom is the primary motivation for wanting to quit. Some things can be coached through, but others do require a reset. 

At Ladybug for Girls, we encourage trying new things and building community. Contact us to learn more.