Hi all, been back in the hobby for about a year after stopping when I went to college. Mostly interested in modern aircraft but currently trying to finish up a HobbyBoss F-80 kit for some early Cold War stuff. Other kits since since I came back were an old Monogram F-15C and Italeri AC130.
Trying to find time to model between work and spending time with my boys (3 and 5 yo). Sometimes succeeding! Hopefully I can get more than 1.5 builds done in 2026, fingers crossed!
Hi, Welcome to the FSM forums. Looking forward to seeing some of your aircraft models posted on here.
For me I get up at 4am on the weekdays for work, weekends I naturally don’t stray very far from that, that gives me a solid 5 hours of “ free” time as long as I’m quiet 
Welcome back bowmanc2! It’s hard to balance out all life’s responsibilities and our hobby time, but I assure you, you will find a way! Can’t wait to see your builds.
Hello and welcome to FSM
That’s some dedication! My kids, especially my youngest, are still coming to our room at like 5:30/6… 
I probably just need to focus on after bedtime.
Welcome back to the hobby, and welcome to the forum!
Yeah, that’s a common challenge-finding time. First thing to remember is that it’s a hobby, so don’t stress about any aspect. It’s where we go to get away from stress 
Second thing is about finding the time, and that is, if you can, set aside a set time. That might make it easier than snatching time here or there. It depends on your personality, of course.
I look forward to seeing your builds!
Best regards,
Brad
Finding time for ourselves can be very difficult as any parent knows. We tend to put our needs / wants near the bottom of a very long list of priorities.
In the lead up to and following the birth of my kids any free time was spent just catching up on sleep and trying to keep everyone healthy. When I did start seeing a bit of time available, I made a goal to prioritize modelling during that period.
I get together one night each month with a group of fellow modellers, varies from 5-12 of us any given month. The build session starts around the time the kids go to bed and ends 3-5 hours later. I find that I usually just completely zone out and immerse myself in modelling for those few hours. The stress relief is amazing. One those months where I miss the meeting due to work or other schedule issues, I still try to carve out that one evening at home to do the same. My wife is quite supportive of this and tries to accommodate those few hours uninterrupted each month.
Life with a family changes your priorities, but don’t forget yourself in this. Everyone needs some time for themselves, it’s not selfishness and it will provide needed balance to your life. Good luck with your builds and know that many of us have or are dealing with the same time constraints you are, you are not alone.
Thanks for the perspective! I think it does help to know others are in similar situations. I’ve been trying to get to the monthly local IPMS chapter meeting, at least meet some folks in the hobby face to face.
Welcome to the forum, and back to the hobby. Now jump on in and start posting your!!