If Your Mom Has Any Of These 11 Hobbies, You Were Likely Raised By A Very Good Woman
PeopleImages | Shutterstock Having hobbies is generally tied to better happiness, well-being, and life satisfaction, according to a study published in the Nature Medicine journal, but specific interests and rituals can even be more beneficial. From reading to leaning into creativity, if your mom has any of these hobbies, you were likely raised by a very good woman. Not only are these hobbies clearly a sign of her own self-assuredness and well-being, but they also remind us of her balance between individuality and a parenting identity.
Considering many women lose touch with their personal identities and struggle to put their needs first after becoming a parent, if your mother has kept in touch with her own interests and hobbies, she probably showed up as a more well-rounded parent. She didn’t forget to take care of herself amid caring for everyone else, and your well-being as her child flourished because of it.
If your mom has any of these 11 hobbies, you were likely raised by a very good woman:
1. She cares for plants
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Research shows that having plants indoors often boosts personal well-being and reduces stress, but the simple act of caring for them can also have a number of benefits. If your mom took care of plants and kept them healthy as a hobby, chances are you also got a lot of that affectionate, nurturing energy yourself.
It may seem simple to have a warm parent and affection at home, but it’s influential. A study from the Journal of Family Psychology found that parental warmth growing up plays a big role in coping mechanism development and general well-being for adult kids later in life.
2. She reads regularly for pleasure or learning
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According to a study from the Social Science & Medicine journal, reading regularly often gives people a “survival advantage” over those who don’t, specifically because of benefits to both personal cognitive health and social skills. People who read are not only more intelligent, but they’re also more empathetic and well-rounded individuals.
Of course, if your mom also read around and to you as a kid, chances are your health, literacy, and social skills also thrived.
3. She makes movement part of her routine
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Most people have a basic human instinct to regularly move their bodies to regulate their nervous systems and protect a balance of well-being in their daily lives, according to a study from the Frontiers in Psychology journal. So, when people are leaning into screen time and mindless entertainment instead of moving their bodies as a consistent hobby or ritual, they likely struggle in other health-related aspects of their lives.
So, if your mother had these hobbies around moving her body – even if it was just stretching before bed or going for a nightly walk – you were raised by a very good woman. Especially if she brought you with her or made movement fun for you as a kid, you’re better off because of it.
4. She spends time outdoors
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According to a study from the Scientific Reports journal, spending 120 minutes a week in nature, even if it’s just going for a walk outside or sitting on your porch, is associated with better health and well-being. Outdoor hobbies don’t just reduce stress and promote better mental health – they can also add value to personal relationships and boost mood on any given day.
That’s why having a mother who regularly went outside and taught her kids to appreciate nature was likely a very good woman. She cared about equipping her kids with an appreciation for the simple joys in life, while still making time for her own self-care, interests, and well-being.
5. She enjoys cooking and saving recipes
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Keeping cooking as a hobby and teaching kids to cook for themselves early in life is not only linked to better health and dietary outcomes, but it also offers kids a sense of independence and self-love that other rituals do not. So, if your mom has or had these hobbies, you were likely raised by a very good woman.
Even if they’re gone now, if your mother saved recipes and passed them on, you still get to reap the benefits of having a piece of her hobbies around. It’s a sentimental tradition to carry on her recipes, even if you’re not a stellar cook, which prompts positive feelings of nostalgia around your childhood.
6. She loves hosting and making people feel welcome
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If your mom always cared about hosting meaningful gatherings and making people feel welcome in her space, chances are she also put a lot of effort into cultivating safe spaces for her kids. She led with empathy in these hosting hobbies, but she also found compassion in taking care of the people who were already around at home.
There’s a lot of power in feeling emotionally and physically secure at home growing up, and for adult children who can reflect on these moments of safety and togetherness, it’s clear that their satisfaction with life and relationships now has benefited because of them.
7. She repurposes, thrifts, or gets creative with what she has
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Of course, repurposing and recycling clothing can often extend the life of clothing and save people money from a frugal lens, but this mindset around conserving can also make these habits incredibly beneficial emotional hobbies. You’re giving something new life, exercising a creative bone, and leaning into conservation in a way that floods into other areas of your life.
So, if you had a mother who regularly repurposed clothing to make it more exciting or thrifted to teach you the importance of sustainability or intentional spending, chances are you were raised by an incredibly good woman.
8. She's always learning new things
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A study from the Journal of Individual Differences argues that curiosity is often associated with intelligence. Whether it’s the desire to learn new things, ask questions in conversations, or adopt hobbies like reading that influence knowledge accumulation, if someone prides themselves on being a lifelong student, they’re likely more intelligent and worldly.
So, if your mom has any of these hobbies, you were likely raised by a very good woman. She not only had the chance to teach you about things, but she was also more empathetic because of her perspectives and knowledge.
9. She practices mindfulness, meditation, or yoga
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Especially if your mom had a stressful work life, leaning on hobbies like mindfulness, meditation, or yoga likely reduces her stress greatly, giving her more emotional space to offer in her personal life and at home.
If your mom has any of these hobbies, you were likely raised by a very good woman. She knew how to regulate and cope with strong emotions by leveraging these hobbies, but she also taught you to appreciate and adopt them in your own time and life.
10. She cares deeply for animals
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Whether it was volunteering her time at an animal shelter or caring for pets at home, if your mom nurtured positive relationships with animals as a hobby, she was likely a very good person. It takes a lot of internal self-assuredness, love, and empathy to care for living beings, whether it’s a pet, plant, or human child, and only the best people manage it with intentionality.
Of course, experts also suggest that life is better with a pet, so chances are you had a better childhood because of your mother’s love for animals at home.
11. She protects her alone time
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Alone time is incredibly misunderstood. Of course, too much of it can spark isolation and loneliness, but if you’re not making space for it at all, you can miss out on all the benefits it has to offer for social and personal well-being.
So, if your mom has any of these hobbies that require some element of intentional solitude, you were likely raised by a very good, regulated woman.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
