how do you justify this hobby with your spouse?

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
My wife enjoys going to launches with me. She likes relaxing, lying back in the lawn chair and visiting with a couple of other guys wives. She has built one rocket, The Nantucket Sound. She flew it once and now it sits on a shelf with some of her other treasures. She is worried about crashing it LOL.
 
I don't justify rocketry to my wife. I got her involved. It took a awhile, but she now is a better builder than I am. She is a level 2 who is planning her level 3.
 
Also, make sure you tell her just how you feel about her and that one has nothing to do with the other, Dont make it seem as if rockets are a substition for time spent with her, as that would be impossible.

It a personal thing that makes you who you are.

Good advice. Worked for me, as my son gradually lost interest in rocketry and I gradually moved on to bigger and better rockets. I did not have many hobbies in my life. This one has been my main hobby for 14 years now and I still learn things doing it.

For me it's not about rubbing her feet, it's about cooking for her. I am a pretty good cook and a nice home made dinner with an equally nice bottle of wine does wonders (and I enjoy it too).

I also like to remind my wife most of the time I spend on my hobby is at home. Planning, building, prepping and cleaning represent much more time than the actual flying time....

Good luck.
 
In 1991 my GF and I spotted some rocket kits in Walmart. I told her I used to fly them when I was a kid. She said "Cool, let's get some".

That was a defining moment in our relationship - more than just love, more than just respect, you have to share some common interests.

We have been together for 21 years. Last year when Tim had a sale on the LDRS Wildchild kit - she bought one... for herself. Our two daughters come to the launches too.

It's a fun activity for the whole family.

If my wife or kids would complain about rocketry (or anything) I would listen carefully, try to understand their feelings and point of view, and direct my full energy and attention to making them happy... no matter what. At my house, my family comes first before hobbies or anything else.
 
Wife, Why do you have so many rockets?
Husband, Why do you have so many pairs of shoes?

Never came up again:D
 
It's cheaper than therapy!

I always offered a choice:

1) I could be a golfer and waste money on green fees & the country club...
2) I could be an alcoholic, deadbeat...
3) I could have a $100,000 vehicle on blocks in the garage...
4) I could have a mistress...
5) Rocketry (always seems to win!)

I've dragged my wife to a few launches over the years. But she just doesn't 'get it'. I make up for it using a lot of the already mentioned methods.
 
Man my wife just complains constantly about all the rocket stuff, and time spent playing with these toys. Even though my 10 year old is doing it with me, she knows i am having far too much fun. We had a great launch friday after noon doing about 8 flights around 1,200 ft at peek. I offered for her to come, but unless we were coloring hair, or doing nails she isn't intrested. Any tips? i know some of you "grown" men have spouses here! :y:

Like Verna said, try to get her involved even if it's only taking photos. I know some women just aren't interested at all and there's nothing you can do. Or just sit around the house and don't do anything or get in her way until she tells you to find something to do. Grab the rockets and go. :wink:

Personally, I have no issues with building in the house as I do it all the time. :D

And, yep, I'm single and would have no problemo with a rocket flying boyfriend/spouse. :)
 
Okay, Ordered a Lotion Warmer from Amazon. Definitely cheaper than a divorce!

Still remember Foxworthy's Axiom (although I may be misquoting it):

If your wife ain't happy, you ain't happy.

If your wife ain't happy long enough, you ain't happy and half your stuff's gone.
 
I am just getting into the HPR scene, and am starting to see that my bank balance is apparently leaking.
Add to the problems, I am the stay at home dad, and spouse is wage-earning mom.

Simple equation that I have found works here.

"Keep the center of balance (hobby vs house) at least one diameter ahead of center of pressure (from spouse to limit the leaking bank account)"
 
Things are Hot and Cold with the rockets.
My wife never attends a launch
Complains if I try to go to too many launches (which in her opinion is more than 2 a year)
Complains about the space I take up with them
Complains about the mess I make building them (do it in the basement in the family room - I have to put everything away each night)

Money is not an issue - when we got married besides our joint account we each got a personal account with x amount per week into it. We can each spend our personal money as we want

For a while she refused to buy me anything rocketry related as "I had too much stuff" (impossible :wink:), but the last few years she has bought me some kits and building supplies. Maybe she finally realized this was a way to keep me out of trouble - no golf, $100K cars, booze, or other women.
 
It's a matter of trust...she trusts me to pay the mortgage and I trust she'll never find out how much I spend on rockets! :D
 
The only time my wife is bothered by this hobby is when the rockets invade the living room for an extended time. Other than that, she's fine with it. (We've had some up close and personal views of other things a spouse can be involved with. Rocketry isn't too bad at all in contrast.)
 
First, you have to understand the WHY:
"why" is she harping on you about your hobby?

Women are inately jealous and possessive creatures (I'm laughing cuz my wife is in the room, hee-hee) It wouldn't matter if you were building rockets, cleaning your guns, stringing your fishing poles, etc. THE BOTTOM LINE IS, at least in HER crazy mind, that you're doing something WITHOUT HER, and she suddenly has nothing to do while you're occupied- women can't stand for a man to be content and happy; it screws up the whole female-space-time-continuum.

What worked for me was her finding a hobby of her own, which was like pulling teeth, but it happened. She took up beading and cake decorating, and they cost wayyyyyyy more than my rockets. But she loves it, and it's rewarding. Don't let your woman use that ever-famous and universal CHICK-EXCUSE: "{sigh} I'm just not talented at anything.":( OH, WHATEVER!!!

My wife used to nag, but she knows how I get when I haven't worked on my rockets for a while, so she doesn't complain out loud; she harbors it just like every other woman until you leat expect it and, ....WHAMO!!! Face it, we'll never win; all we can do is ignore the nag, and keep building baby!

pin.jpg
 
First, you have to understand the WHY:
"why" is she harping on you about your hobby?

Women are inately jealous and possessive creatures (I'm laughing cuz my wife is in the room, hee-hee) It wouldn't matter if you were building rockets, cleaning your guns, stringing your fishing poles, etc. THE BOTTOM LINE IS, at least in HER crazy mind, that you're doing something WITHOUT HER, and she suddenly has nothing to do while you're occupied- women can't stand for a man to be content and happy; it screws up the whole female-space-time-continuum.

What worked for me was her finding a hobby of her own, which was like pulling teeth, but it happened. She took up beading and cake decorating, and they cost wayyyyyyy more than my rockets. But she loves it, and it's rewarding. Don't let your woman use that ever-famous and universal CHICK-EXCUSE: "{sigh} I'm just not talented at anything.":( OH, WHATEVER!!!

My wife used to nag, but she knows how I get when I haven't worked on my rockets for a while, so she doesn't complain out loud; she harbors it just like every other woman until you leat expect it and, ....WHAMO!!! Face it, we'll never win; all we can do is ignore the nag, and keep building baby!

lol i hear ya. i always say. You can be right, or you can be happy. I love the woman, we were high school sweethearts. I am sure she will warm up to it. eventually ;)
 
I don't have an issue with my wife and my (or her) hobbies.

She is not interested in rockets, R/C and FF airplanes, nor card modeling, all of which I do. I used to do plastic modeling also but that's been on the back burner for a few years.

I on the other hand, am not interested in horses, which is her hobby.

She encourages me to spend as much time on my hobbies as I wish so that she can spend as much time as she wishes riding and neither of us feels that we are being neglected by the other.
 
I don't! Just do your thing!!
I don't complain about her accessories with every dang outfit!
She don't complain about my rockets!
 
I don't! Just do your thing!!
I don't complain about her accessories with every dang outfit!
She don't complain about my rockets!

Yer joking right? I WANT to shop with her trying on dresses, skirts, shoes, and boots... where the heck else can I go and get a personal fashion show? It's why I always figured Vera's husband had it made!
 
I think it's largely a matter of balance. Anything that becomes an obsession is going to cause problems.

I keep my rocket activities off the kitchen table and completly out of the house. There isn't a single rocket in my home. My garage workshop however is another story. Mrs. OD has a spare bedroom which I laughingly refer to as her office.

Balance.
 
Well....

I'm not married anymore -- single a decade now -- but my then-wife was OK with my interest in rocketry (the breakup was over other stuff).

First time she came over to my apartment, she saw my Saturn V up on a bookshelf and she said, "wow that's awesome, did you buy it?" and I said, "no, I built it."

We were together about five years total -- I was not involved much in rocketry during that time period because my job tied me up 60-70 hours a week -- but she was fine with it. I suppose if I had started building rockets four nights a week or spending $500 a month on it, she might have changed her tune.

:y::no::y:

Anybody I got serious with at this point, as soon as they came over to visit my house and saw the rocket workshop in the basement, they would have to know that came with the package.
 
Yer joking right? I WANT to shop with her trying on dresses, skirts, shoes, and boots... where the heck else can I go and get a personal fashion show? It's why I always figured Vera's husband had it made!

Ya know, I like the "fashion show" thing. All my girls do it when they come home with the loot. That said I can not, no way, shop with them. Dude pick something out at store#1, Go through stores #2 -3.1415968...Then decide it was store #1 to begin with.:kill:
I shop caveman style. Mee see it, Me like it, Me buy it. :lol:
 
lol i hear ya. i always say. You can be right, or you can be happy. I love the woman, we were high school sweethearts. I am sure she will warm up to it. eventually ;)[/QUOTE ]

Your clearly very loyal to the woman and want to make sure you make her happy. Your words remind me of what I went through with my x wife and I was continually trying to comprimize and keep the peace. I was at the time very much into rc helis and was a member on a heli forum which really bugged her to death :y: but WHY jezzz ....after splitting up it became very clear to me she wasnt happy with me because she wasnt happy herself at all and there was a lot of the green eyed monster going on because I was entertaining myself and content but she wasn't. Dont get me wrong we did all sorts and spent lots of time together every single night basically but at the end it just wasnt enough. I'm sure you guys aren't like my relashionship ended up but my hobby really did show the cracks. I hope it works out ok for you guys and you can find a mutual ground of interest.

Good luck friend

Js
 
heck, I just started a rocket company then HIRED her...

Now I'm her boss...

...and she gave me permission to say that!

LOL
 
heck, I just started a rocket company then HIRED her...

Now I'm her boss...

...and she gave me permission to say that!

LOL


I let my wife pretend she's the boss... when she doesn't like what I do I threaten to quit and tell he to do it all herself..when she realizes she can't she hires me back... :D

Nah... seriously she loves rockets too. and she has her own hobbies when she doesn't want to play rockets.
 
I agree with what others have stated on here. Having balance between family, wife, friends and your hobby. As we work 40 hrs a week it doesn't leave much time left over.

My girlfriend of six months thinks it's good I have a hobby, but I make sure I spend time with her and go on road trips, nights out, or get away for a day or two. After all lets not forget what this is. It's a hobby and shouldn't turn into an obsession. I know it can get out of hand, because the kits and parts are pretty affordable unless you are flying Level 2 and 3 rockets. I took my girlfriend on a launch and she really enjoyed it.

Let's face it we are not going to have everything in common with our significant other. Find that middle ground. Put time limits on the work you spend on each projects. Say 2 hrs a night every other night after work and every other weekend spend time with the wife. I found out by doing that it keeps you more interested in the project you are working on and allows some down time and you don't rush to finish a project. Haste makes waste they say...
 
Last edited:
Back
Top