"But I thought you liked fashion!"

[Bogeyface]

This was my mothers response to my (annoyingly precocious!) 10 year old announcing she has decided to go to Cambridge so she can study medicine but also join Footlights as she would like to be an actress aswell. She has been inspired by Harry Hill mainly, but was even more excited when I mentioned that Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie aka Stuart Little's adopted dad and "Nanny McPhee" all went the studying/acting route.

I think its fantastic that she has thought it through this much, and it was me that suggested she could follow both dreams and see which one worked out.

But my mother thinks I am pushing her. Believe me, this girl needs no pushing! I have 6 children, yet I have only been accused of pushing her. The others are very able, but the older ones are not exceptional and the younger ones may or may not be. Why do people want to hold back able and focussed little girls?!

Btw, after this comment, I figured out why I didnt achieve my full potential

[ecclesvet]

Did the fashion comment come just because your DD is a girl, or because she has previously expressed interest in working in the fashion industry?

Also, I don't think it's 'holding back' someone to suggest that pursuing both a medical and an acting career might not be workable. Great to support her whilst she's young, but as people get older, the 'follow your dreams' stuff can do more harm than good, imo.

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Tell your mum DD will add to her list of achievements editing the fashion section in TCS or Varsity (the university papers), and you're sorted

eccles - she's 10 ... isn't learning you can't do both the medical degree and the drama society something most people learn in the first year of undergraduate studies?

Btw, what about Olivia Colman? Mel Giedroyc? Sue Perkins? Sandi Toksvig?

FWIW, Wikipedia claims that Germaine Greer was a member of footlights in her day ...

[SolidGoldStockingFilla]

Most successful people have a hobby as well as a career FFS. Most people should, simply because it's better for your mental and physical health to have more than one area of interest. Or does your mother think that any part of a woman;'s life not taken up with earning money should be devoted to servicing men?

[blackcurrants]

Aww, your DD sounds like me. I was definitely going to be an astronaut and an actress for quite some time. Hurrah for your DD!

Take her to lots of theatre. best thing my mum ever did for me. She never said "you'll never be an actor" - (even though I'll NEVER be an actress, and that must have been obvious!) she just indulged my love for lots and lots of theatre. We used to go to everything at my crappy local theatre, at least twice a month in the five quid, stuck-behind-the-column seats. Not only was it something ace that was just mum-and-me, it also did wonders for my schoolwork, as I'd seen masses of Shakespeare live before I even read Macbeth in year 9. Plus, it stopped things being all 'movies, telly, oscars, glamour' and I saw what real actors did to earn a living. In the end, it put me off being an actor, but it really made me love live theatre!

Of course, it made me an English Literature nerd, so that could be bad too.. but we're mildly more employable than actor! [fgin]
Hurrah for your DD!

[blackcurrants]

sorry, I meant to add some feminist thinking in there, and sisterly support. Mainly, though, I was busy being impressed with your DD's ambition and a bit nostalgic. Sorry!