My husband is a third generation hunting fanatic. He loves spending time in the woods each fall and never sleeps the night before rifle season opens. October 20 (opening day) has been on our calendar for months! Though it’s not a passion I share, I’m thrilled to report I’m not a hunter’s widow.
My guy also loves football, another seasonal interest I do not share. Believe it or not, I don’t single parent during football season either.
Whether it’s football or hunting, we’ve found ways for all of us to “win” this fall.
Saturdays are for family
Instead of him abandoning us for the woods or holing up in a man cave glued to ESPN, we’ve made fall Saturdays family days. You read that correctly. We’re a family, and we spend Saturdays together. We’ve found a way for my husband to engage in the hobbies he holds so deer (pun intended) while the rest of us look forward to fall as well.
What’s made this work for us is adding to our tribe each Saturday.
Our family spent lazy summer weekends at the neighborhood pool, where our kids played for hours with neighbors. Now that summer is winding down and football season is in high gear, we’ve transitioned from hanging out with friends at the pool to hanging out with them in our homes. We rotate hosting Saturday football-grilling-play date marathons.Last Saturday, it lasted for 10 hours! At the end of the day, bellies were full, our house was a mess, and those who wanted to watch sports had done so. All while enjoying quality time with their friends and families. It was beautiful (well, after we helped our daughters clean the playroom). The cycle has repeated itself each weekend since Labor Day.
Once hunting season begins, my husband will miss some games in order to chase live game. When our foster daughter learned my husband is an avid outdoorsman, she expressed interest in hunting with him. He took her down to the family property, and they spent the day exploring and talking about hunting safety. Currently, there’s a partially assembled deer stand for two sitting in my garage.
If your spouse has a seasonal hobby (or two, like mine), consider how you can support your partner and give them freedom to engage that passion instead of resenting it. You and the kids can ride in the cart while he plays golf, or accompany her on a day of bargain hunting at yard sales. Whatever it looks like for your family, determine to help everyone win whenever possible.
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