Does your partner approve of your hobbies?

My wife doesn't understand the whole gaming thing but gets it that it's a way for me to relax (if I have 1/2 hour gaming a week I've done well to find the time sadly).

I used to have lots of hobbies, cars, airsoft, footie, console gaming, lan gaming, mountain biking but all had to go when the nipper came along as I simply couldn't afford the cost/time. Sometimes feel I gave it all up a bit quickly, as much as I love my family you do need other interests to keep you a bit sane, even to get you out of the house occasionally. Gaming doesn't quite cut it but I was chatting with the missus last night about hobbies and most (that I enjoy anyway) are really expensive to get into.
 
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Since children arrived on the scene, I barely have time for any hobbies at all. I'm limited to 10-15 hours of gaming each month, and browsing sport & computing websites whilst at work. Everything else has fallen by the wayside.

My wife sometimes gets a little impatient with me for spending "so much time" on computers but, to be fair, she has no time to spare that isn't dealing with the kids or running the family - she has no time for hobbies - so I understand her position.

I'm happy to forgo the things I used to do (playing football, poker, pubbing, staying up all night to watch the boxing etc) to contribute to the family - an insistence on keeping doing all the "me" things given our other lifestyle pressures would be unreasonable on my part.
 
boxman2000 said:
My wife doesn't understand the whole gaming thing but gets it that it's a way for me to relax (I rarely play unfortunately).

I used to have lots of hobbies, cars, airsoft, footie but all had to go when the nipper came as simply couldn't afford the cost/time. Sometimes feel I gave it up a bit quickly, as much as I love my family you do need other interests to get you out of the house occasionally, gaming doesn't quite cut it.
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The only other hobby I have is Photography which she's fine about :rolleyes:

I know what you mean though, while having children is a blessing, you still need your own time!
 
cheesyboy said:
an insistence on keeping doing all the "me" things given our other lifestyle pressures would be unreasonable on my part.
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Yes, this, exactly.

But do you ever find it a little frustrating occasionally that you don't have that time?

Don't get me wrong, I love my family to bits and I gave up some of my prized possessions to enable to afford for my wife to stay at home to look after the family but there are times that an hour or two once a week would be a real welcome break.
 
My Wife does not really like me being on my PC. But I put my foot down on her tantrums early on. At the end of the day I was a PC enthusiast before I met her. I will not be giving it up. She has accepted that, but she would still rather me not have a PC. That said she did not have a problem with me spending over 2 grand building a new one at the end of last year. So I guess it is not all bad :)

As a compromise, I only game when she is not around or if she is busy doing something else :) The fact is that I would probably be on my PC all the time if I could get away with it, which really is not healthy or productive. So in a way I am kind of pleased she brings a bit of blance into my life. One of the many reasons I married her. :)

(Its ok you can puke now! :p )
 
boxman2000 said:
Yes, this, exactly.

But do you ever find it a little frustrating occasionally that you don't have that time?

Don't get me wrong, I love my family to bits and I gave up some of my prized possessions to enable to afford for my wife to stay at home to look after the family but there are times that an hour or two once a week would be a real welcome break.
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Cant you make the time, or you not allowed the time by family demands?
 
My better half is extremely supportive of any hobby I have. People who feel the need to give up something they enjoy to please their partner are in the wrong relationship as far as I'm concerned.

She maybe doesn't understand where I get the enjoyment from when it comes to tinkering with PC's but if it keeps me quiet for an hour or two :D
 
boxman2000 said:
Yes, this, exactly.

But do you ever find it a little frustrating occasionally that you don't have that time?

Don't get me wrong, I love my family to bits and I gave up some of my prized possessions to enable to afford for my wife to stay at home to look after the family but there are times that an hour or two once a week would be a real welcome break.
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Oh yeah, it's tough. I wouldn't want to go back to wasting as much time as I used to on pointless things, but I miss going out with my mates who I now see on a very infrequent basis, and being able to go out for a run 2 or 3 times a week, and being able to just decide to do something, like drinks after work, or arrange a holiday with friends.

My 2 are still young (4 & 1). I suspect my free time will improve a little as they get older. Certainly, with our eldest things got better after he turned 2 - I anticipate the pressure easing when Daughter gets a little older too.
 
cheesyboy said:
Oh yeah, it's tough. I wouldn't want to go back to wasting as much time as I used to on pointless things, but I miss going out with my mates who I now see on a very infrequent basis, and being able to go out for a run 2 or 3 times a week, and being able to just decide to do something, like drinks after work, or arrange a holiday with friends.

My 2 are still young (4 & 1). I suspect my free time will improve a little as they get older. Certainly, with our eldest things got better after he turned 2 - I anticipate the pressure easing when Daughter gets a little older too.
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I agree! With my little one at pre-school there is some time freed up, but then again we're working so that makes no real difference.

topgun06 said:
Cycling takes up too much time.... apparently. Rubbish!
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+1

There may be one factor here which I'd forgotten about and that's going back to my days playing BF4.

The state of the game would put me into a rage, swearing, banging the desk and generally being an unpleasant person to be around. It's been a good 10 months since I stopped playing and I have indeed calmed down. I also didn't want my son to see me like that - not sure if she sees it though.
 
She likes watching my game so long as she finds the game storyline interesting (she doesn't like Destiny :p ). She doesn't mind football, but she wouldn't come watch me play. She is into F1 and watches it every week on the tv and will be attending another grand prix with me next year :)

Her biggest gripe, funnily enough, is my job, but I had that before she got with me and I'm not leaving my job for her. She'd happily see me take a lower paid job for a more stationary life. I think if I did that it would be the beginning of the demise of our relationship.
 
Mine doesn't dislike my PC hobby, be it gaming, building or just tinkering, but she doesn't enjoy the time I spend on it.
She says she's fine with me gaming and what not, but then she'll just come and sit there and watch me, wanting attention. She'll get grumpy if I'm too focused.
It'll probably get worse when I start working from home, I'll just have to lock her out my home office which I'm sure will win me no favors.

The fact she has no real hobbies doesn't help, and any attempt to get her into computers any way is met with a flat out no. Nevermind.
 
Ghosteh said:
The fact she has no real hobbies doesn't help, and any attempt to get her into computers any way is met with a flat out no. Nevermind.
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I am in the same boat. However my wife loves to play the lego games on Xbox with me. The hypocrisy was interesting to discover as she went all out mad for it when we first started playing. Like 10AM till 1AM the following morning for about 4 days straight!!

This behaviour coming from someone who does not like me spending time gaming........ Oh how I larfed as I pointed that out to her :D
 
My ex used to complain about my Mountain Biking, which was ridiculous since we met on a group ride here in Sheffield.. Confused me a little. Ah well, she's gone now anyway. :p
 
I've been married 28 year now and through that time my hobbies have changed from more physical pursuits like football and rugby to more leisurely ones like gaming etc. In that time of all the things i've done the only one she really hated was golf (i dont play now cos i fell out of love with it), even then she still supported me doing it and I used to go off all over the country to play.

Gaming she is ok with but hated it when I was in a few clans through battlefield and cod series. It did used to get a bit hectic though when playing scrims so I can see her point. I dont game much now but if I do its a more single player type of game.

I work shifts too so I can do anything I want some days as she's at work. Im going to buy a nice road bike in the spring and get out and see some more parts of the country and she's ok'd that no problem and even set a budget that was a lot more than the one I had in my head...result..:D
 
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