Unfortunately, children’s career choices and their parents have rarely gone along. And this is a consistent phenomenon all over the world throughout generations. Parents naturally feel the urge to drive their children in the right direction. As parents, you have naturally seen more life than your children at any given point in time. This tends to create a biased opinion that you know better than your children. And often, we parents want them to achieve the dream that we couldn’t in our lives. But as you understand and maybe acknowledge at some level, things do not work in that manner. If you force your children to take up a career they do not want to pursue, they will end up hating you for it all their life. Now, which parent wants that?
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So, what you really need to do is to play a supporting role. Help your kids to find a career that they are passionate about without imposing it on them. The best answers to how can I help my child choose a career are listed here for you.
Fuel their curiosity instead of trumping them
One day, your child might come and tell you that he/she wants to be an astronaut. A few weeks later, it can very well become a musician. Irrespective of the fact of whether you approve of the profession or not, you cannot put parental pressure on career choices and diminish your kid’s curiosity. Instead, fuel it. Help your child to explore the fields of astronomy and musician and let him/her be his/her own judge.
Avoid allowing your expectations clouding them
All parents have expectations from their children. All parents see the world around want their kids to become a lawyer, banker or doctor that will give them a settled professional life. But you need to remember that these are your expectations. The answer to should parents decide the career for the child is never a biased hard yes. Avoid putting your expectations on them.
Expose them to reality
Say your child just expressed the desire to become an astronaut. Instead of being one of those parents forcing career choices and saying a strict no, expose your kid to the realities of being an astronaut. Teach him/her about space, make your child have a stringent physical activity routine like astronauts, tell him/her that he/she will have to stay away from home for many years, and then allow your child to come to a conclusion.
Direct them towards a similar profession
It is probable that your child has picked up interest in astronomy due to something he/she saw on TV or someone in school told him/her that it is cool. Along with giving your kid the necessary exposure, talk with him/her about other space-related professions that are out there. Show your child that he/she can become an engineer, a mathematician, or a programmer and still work in the same industry.
Never judge your child’s choices
Because the answer to why do parents influence career choices lies in the fact that children want to impress their parents by making ambitious choices. Once you judge, your child’s life will fall apart and he/she will never have the confidence to come up with an idea for a profession. Appreciate your kid’s curiosity, inspire him/her but never judge.
