Having a pre-schooler, I don’t write about teens as often as perhaps I should. Here’s one item, however, that caught my eye:
A long-term study of high school seniors’ educational and occupational plans found a widening gap between goals and actual achievements. Ambition can be good for some, the researchers say, but can also lead to “disappointment and discouragement rather than optimism and success.”
It’s a fine line for parents. My instinct is to encourage and support my son in whatever he wants to become. At the same time, if I had wanted to be, say, an opera singer, I hope my parents would have had the sense to steer me gently towards careers more suited to my tuneless abilities. I suspect it’s a matter of a child’s age, too. When they’re young, I believe, they should feel like they can do anything. At some point, however, especially as they near adult age, a little honest, objective feedback can be useful. Shadowing programs like Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day may also help clarify what real-world options entail.
Right now, my son is deciding whether to be a firefighter, park ranger, paramedic, train engineer, or pirate. (“A good pirate,” he says.) I’m happy with it that way.
Comments are closed.