I started a formspring.me page, because, you know, I don't have enough to do online, and today I was asked what jobs I thought my kids would have, based on who they are right now.
I was discussing this at the dinner table, which led to discussion of what the kids think they want to do when they grow up. Ben has told me recently that he wants to have two jobs, he wants to be a scientist and an inventor. He's explained that he wants to learn about the problems and invent things to solve them. I can endorse that, and I suspect academia might work well for Ben.
I asked Charlie what he wanted to be when he grows up, and he told me he wants to be a tall mummy. When I explained that he can be a daddy, not a mummy, he was quite happy with that, and said he would be a tall daddy. I asked him if he would be looking after the kids, and after going slightly cross-eyed, he asked if only mummies could do belly dancing. I explained that daddies can also do belly dancing, and he said "Ok, I'll be a tall daddy who goes belly dancing and leaves the kids at home." Some time later he came back and told me he also wants to be a train driver.
I'm loving this image of a tall, train driving, belly dancing father.
Elissa hasn't got much past echoing her brothers, so she told be she was going to be a mummy and go belly dancing. Then she asked if she could go belly dancing next week. I explained she needed to be a bit bigger, but that she could come belly dancing when she's big enough. She beamed.
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I used to hate that 'what do you want to be when you grow up? type of questions as I always felt as though I was being put on the spot. I don't know why kids need to decide what they want to be at such a young age-many adults have that problem, why pass it on to kids? Don't worry, that's not directed at you, but rather those type of parents who push and push without stopping to think about what their kids interests, needs and wants are. I have met parents who have enrolled their kids in coaching colleges at very young ages because they want them to get a place in a selective school, then go to uni (of course, it has to be a 'prestigious' one!) and then become a doctor or lawyer. Their lives, or should I say career are mapped out from a very young age. Personally I find it very sad and limiting.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, quite a lot. I always ask the question as "Do you know what you might want to be when you grow up?" or something similar. "No" is a completely acceptable answer.
ReplyDeleteIt's also kind of weird that adults think that kids should want to do something laudable. For years Ben wanted to be an ice cream man. We all thought that was pretty cool.