Fast Company
Originally Posted: June 19, 2015
HOW YOU MAY BE UNCONSCIOUSLY SHAPING YOUR CHILD’S CAREER CHOICES
YOU MAY THINK YOU’RE ENCOURAGING YOUR CHILD’S DREAMS, BUT RESEARCH SHOWS THE TINY WAYS WE MAY BE NUDGING THEM IN ANOTHER DIRECTION.
BY GWEN MORAN
Ever since your son or daughter was little, you’ve been showering him or her with positive affirmations about the future. “Follow your dreams.” “The world is your oyster.” “You can do whatever you set your mind to doing.” And, one day, when you’re having the “what do you want to be when you grow up” conversation, you get the payoff for all of that empowerment: A crew member on one of the Deadliest Catch boats. An undercover homicide detective. Nik Wallenda’s next protégé.
Kids say the darnedest things—and sometimes their future career fantasies can be downright terrifying. The choices may range from dangerous to financially insecure, and somewhat far afield of what you had in mind, even if you’re loathe to admit it. But be careful in your response. A 2010 report by George Holden of Southern Methodist University found that the way we react to these types of situations can have a great deal of influence on the trajectories our children follow throughout life. The research found that the things to which we introduce them, how we help them navigate obstacles, and how we react to their actions and ideas has an impact on the decisions they make. READ MORE