How do your hobbies effect your family?

[RobH]

This goes out to you guys who are lucky enough to be married with young children.

I haven't been to an R/C track, but I know what I'd find -- dirt, a box to stand in, and a bunch of men. This "sport" (racing anyway) seems like a unwelcome place for the wife and kids -- unless the kids are old enough to race.

If your kids are anything like mine, trying to control all of them all at once is surely a road to insanity. Therefore, if you leave your family at home, your wife is going to get mad and demand you reciprocate by letting her go out while you watch the kids.

Thus far, I've been taking my family to the playground. The kids play all they want while I run my R/C in the ball-field. This is fun, but the track is calling me, begging me to come and play.

How do you balance your hobbies with your family? Do you and your wife have an arrangement where you each take turns watching the kids while the other goes out alone? That doesn't seem like it would foster a healthy relationship between you and your wife.

Unless someone builds a playground next to an R/C track, I have a dilemma on my hands.

(PS NitroNewbie, if you have the space at your track, a playground would get folks like me to come, but I don't know how many people that would be.)

-rob

 

[mjime714]

Rob, I dont have kids yet, but I can see your delemma. I have a great wife that supports my addiction....Umm, sorry wrong topic.... Supports my hobby. She will even go out with me to the track to watch. She enjoys the time together, I guess. But when the kids do come, I dont know what I wll do. Just have to wait and see.

 

[FastEddy]

My wife and I seem to find that alone time is just as important as family time. On the other-hand whats wrong with her keeping the kids under control at the track while you race? In turn you can go to the quilting bee with her and watch the kids.

Its all about the balance of life.

 

[mquejr]

i know what you mean novicerob, i often feel guilty when i go do my hobbies, like paintball, snowboard, mtbike, shooting range, online games...it is tough but i'm lucky to have a very supportive wife...you just gotta find time to spend with the family and when its her turn to have her own moment, be it going to salon, shopping, she doesn't hear questions from me, i say 'have fun, i'll transfer funds to your checking' and i'll watch our son...but always have family time together, we have annual pass to disneyland, so once it gets really warm here in socal, major balancing between disney with my wife and kid and my hobbies...

 

[vtjvt]

I am new to this hobbie, but already highly addicted, my wife doesn't mind me going and playing, and I try not to abuse that, I try to balance the time for family and myself, since I work the night shift and the wife works days we only get the weekends, so balancing is sometimes a challange, I have taken my 8 year old son with me once to the track, (my 2 daughters don't like r/c) and he was greeat for a hour or so but then got very bored and antsie, A friend of mine in salt lake is trying to get a building for a track, he is planning on 1indoor offroad and 1 indoor onroad, plus 1 of each outside, also he is planning on a small track for the kids to play while dad plays, I think giving the young kids something to do is a great idea, it will only help and build this hobbie,

 

[NCNitro]

I've been with my wife for 12 years, shes glad to get rid of me for a few hours, lol. We also have a place here called Hobby Park, which is very family oriented. I take the family with me when I go there. Take a small portable gas grill, some dead animal products to throw on the grill, and a cooler full of beverages. My wife is very supportive of my hobbies, as I am of hers. Just like Eddy said alone time is just as important as family time. If you watch the kids and let her do something she enjoys every so often, you will be amazed how far that will get you.

 

[Nitroaddict]

novice rob - already got the kid thing covered - we still have some old horse hitching posts on property, figured i could buy a couple of large dog leashes, strap em to the posts, and well............ on second thought,, maybe not sucha good idea


:jk:

 

[KMN]

No kids, and no wife... but, I had a girlfriend who was really cool with the hobby(Even bought me a Nitro 4-tec for the birthday...).

After a while she got REALLY annoyed anytime I even mentioned the subject of NitroRC/Bass/Computers/etc...

Needless to say, I'm no longer with her.:classic:

 

[SilentHunterKellen]

Can anyone say BABY SITTER?
[move]-Kellen[/move]

 

[Çh®i§tiªñ]

I dont balance at all. I just do what feels right. I definately spend Wayyyyyyyyyyy more time with the wife and kids than I do on my R.C. hobby. So, that said, when i go to the track, the kids stay home. Besides, my son would FLIP OUT if he couldnt run on the track. He is 5. No, no 8th scale buggy alone time for him. There is always a full house on the track.

But, in the yard and at construction sites you will find me with at least one of my 3 kids. The reason I take one is so there arent two fighting for a ride. I 'have to' still keep and eye on the cars and the controls as well. 2 at a time is VERY hard. Even when I drop the EPA down to 35% on the throttle......

All in all, I spend less time at the track. So one usually goes with me to bash. And my oldest, well she is into R.C. as well so thats cool. My son has 3 of them too.

 

[M@xximillion]

I have a nine year old daughter, when I go and bash she comes maybe half the time. I have only been going once a week at the most since winter started. The good thing about having a bad winter, is being able to spend more time with the family. Now that the weather is getting better I will probably go more often, but what I typicly do is what I call drive by bashing. I have a lot of spots mapped out, and I will keep my maxx in the trunk, so when I am going from job to side job, or whatever, I can just pull over and burn a tank or two. Seems to work out well, I don't have much time, so I try to maximize it.

 

[mrfatride]

well i am not old enough to have kids and be married and all but i swear the first thing i hear when i come in the door from my mom is "what did u break this time?"

 

[Mike c.]

same here! lol

 

[Maxxcrazy88]

Only had that happen once (The funny thing was it was KoRNKiD'sa maxx that broke) it's usually Get off the computer , do your homework, etc.

Ratio

RC 6 F 4 so 6:4 not too bad but I get yelled at a lot

 

[SilentHunterKellen]

Heres my order of Importance: RC, Video Games, Baseball, Soccer, RC, Video Games, RC, Family, then homework. But i usually get 3.8-4.0's every time! Amazing eh?
[move]-Kellen[/move]

 

[AoD]

My girlfrie... wife... whatever... is anal about the deal. She knows I love to play with my truck. And yes... EVERY TIME I head to the track. When I get home anymore I just open the door and say this. "No I didn't break anything." Before she even starts to ask. And if I did break something I'll say... "I broke a _____ _____" "I'll fix it next payday". LOL

As for Family to RC ratio.. It's definetly more family time. Though I live with my GF, and my dad... I still can't wait to break out the RC's. I can't play much around here now, since the nieghbors throw a hissy fit about it being so "loud". Screw them.. Anyways...

I get to RC about twice to three times a week, which is a bummer. But when I really RC, I'm out RCing for 5 hours or more. It's all about having fun in my opinion.

 

[vtjvt]

Originally posted by mrfatride
well i am not old enough to have kids and be married and all but i swear the first thing i hear when i come in the door from my mom is "what did u break this time?"

my wife and kids say the same thing, so far I have been really lucky, only broke 1 $2 part.

 

[Supernitro17]

i dont have a wife of kids, my girlfriend thinks its "cute" that i play with "toys" all the time. she just recently got me the new Alfa Romeo Body for my supernitro