In my lollipop loving days, when children were asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Gosh, the floating answers … I want to be a doctor, I want to be an accountant, I want to be a lawyer, I want to be an engineer… Kids would spurt out these answers and run back outside to make okra with hibiscus flowers. I just love present day kids. Try asking them what they want to be when they grow up. Without looking up from their iPads, they will comfortably blurt out “I don’t know”. I am almost sure that if I had answered my parents, or any uncle or aunty with the confident negative, “I don’t know”, a sweet eye-rolling session or even a hot slap would have been my portion, followed by all sorts of unrelated acidic comments.
As a parent, I have come to realize that neither the 80s nor the millennium answers work for me. I’m not particular about career paths for my sons but I am working on making them the best in whatever they choose to do. I am teaching them excellence. I’m moving away from the Arts-inclined or Science-inclined rhetorics and moving them towards knowing their passion and purpose and teaching them to set goals and stay focused. Truth be told, it bothers me when I see a doctor baking cupcakes, or a lawyer that’s a seamstress. There are exceptions to the rule, but sometimes children find themselves fulfilling their parents dreams and don’t start living their lives till they are fast enough to dodge their mothers slippers or develop the courage to defend their choices. I run leadership programs for children and I am amazed at the creativity and leadership skills that are yet to be nurtured by parents.
Of my four sons, one wants to be a doctor, the second a footballer, the third a superhero and the fourth a ninja. Okay, I admit I am saying my rosary daily for a change of mind. However, rather than force a profession on them, I try to increase their exposure and work on their behaviour and character rather than career choices. So I encourage a lot of reading, researching of role models in their career choices and most importantly having a plan on how to be an excellent **whatever you decide**
The doctor knows that to be a doctor is not easy, plus he knows the academic requirements required. The soccer player happens to have a very strong business sense and so is contemplating how long he can make money playing soccer and considering a plan B. As for the Super hero and Ninja (God will do it for me concerning them), we are working on being strong and healthy. Super heroes and Ninjas have to be fast, must know how to swim, have a great sense of geography-you have to know which way to fly, and learn a language- real Ninjas don’t speak English.
Let’s not box up our kids with five (5) possible professions but let’s instill in them organizational and research skills, dedication, commitment, and excellence then unleash them to find their feet and live their lives. A sense of purpose and excellence is best.
-SK
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This article was first published on 20th May 2015
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In my lollipop loving days, when children were asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Gosh, the floating answers … I want to be a doctor, I want to be an accountant, I want to be a lawyer, I want to be an engineer… Kids would spurt out these answers and run back outside to make okra with hibiscus flowers. I just love present day kids. Try asking them what they want to be when they grow up. Without looking up from their iPads, they will comfortably blurt out “I don’t know”. I am almost sure that if I had answered my parents, or any uncle or aunty with the confident negative, “I don’t know”, a sweet eye-rolling session or even a hot slap would have been my portion, followed by all sorts of unrelated acidic comments.
As a parent, I have come to realize that neither the 80s nor the millennium answers work for me. I’m not particular about career paths for my sons but I am working on making them the best in whatever they choose to do. I am teaching them excellence. I’m moving away from the Arts-inclined or Science-inclined rhetorics and moving them towards knowing their passion and purpose and teaching them to set goals and stay focused. Truth be told, it bothers me when I see a doctor baking cupcakes, or a lawyer that’s a seamstress. There are exceptions to the rule, but sometimes children find themselves fulfilling their parents dreams and don’t start living their lives till they are fast enough to dodge their mothers slippers or develop the courage to defend their choices. I run leadership programs for children and I am amazed at the creativity and leadership skills that are yet to be nurtured by parents.
Of my four sons, one wants to be a doctor, the second a footballer, the third a superhero and the fourth a ninja. Okay, I admit I am saying my rosary daily for a change of mind. However, rather than force a profession on them, I try to increase their exposure and work on their behaviour and character rather than career choices. So I encourage a lot of reading, researching of role models in their career choices and most importantly having a plan on how to be an excellent **whatever you decide**
The doctor knows that to be a doctor is not easy, plus he knows the academic requirements required. The soccer player happens to have a very strong business sense and so is contemplating how long he can make money playing soccer and considering a plan B. As for the Super hero and Ninja (God will do it for me concerning them), we are working on being strong and healthy. Super heroes and Ninjas have to be fast, must know how to swim, have a great sense of geography-you have to know which way to fly, and learn a language- real Ninjas don’t speak English.
Let’s not box up our kids with five (5) possible professions but let’s instill in them organizational and research skills, dedication, commitment, and excellence then unleash them to find their feet and live their lives. A sense of purpose and excellence is best.
-SK
