Encouraging children into nursing, care work, dentistry, teaching.

[ToHellBackAndBeyond]

With the lack of medical staff, dentists, carers, teachers and the like how many parents are actively encouraging their children into these careers?
Just curious.

As a teacher I am actively discouraging my kids from going into teaching. I’ve told them anything other than government led or officiated bodies.

Having managed to escape teaching myself, I will be ensuring my children never go into it unless something drastically changes. I doubt it will though.

The pension. I can claim most of my pension without penalty at 55.
Can't wait.

I can understand the reasoning but what does everyone think is going to happen when they need medical care or kids need educating in the future if everyone is being encouraged to stay away from these careers?

Just hoping you don't need to access it or that some other mug didn't get the memo??!!

Neither my nor DH's career choices were influenced by our parents, so I'm not putting a huge effort into encouraging our DCs into any career. But I'll probably point out the negative aspects of very stressful or low paid jobs, and discuss jobs which fit in with their interests. So I'd be pointing out the demands of teaching and low pay for carers. I'd just hope they find work that they find interesting and fulfilling, not picking a role out of duty to fill vacancies in the public sector.

Discouraged my 2 from working for the NHS. They are adults now both with good careers that earn them more than they could ever earn in the NHS in the same time frame.
honestly, if they were young again I would encourage them either into the trades or into IT like cyber security or AI

I'm in a child caring role and wouldn't advise it to my worst enemy, let alone my dc.

Crap hours
Crap pay
Get treated like you're not a human being at times
No sick pay
Awful holiday entitlement
A very stressful, responsibility-laden job for not even 20k per annum.

Don't do it.

As the parent of a y13 DS off to uni this year, it is quite eye opening to realise the number of students deciding not to go down this route.

He was originally interested in medicine, but the more research he did, the more he realised what a poisoned chalice it seemed to be. He's certainly bright enough to have done it, with top predicted grades, but he's chosen pharmacology. And he's not alone, within his year there are 4 who decided to switch their interest to dentistry - but only one has secured a place (all A* students. The competition is huge, there simply aren't enough places to train.

I'm a teacher.

My son was keen on going into teaching for all the right reasons.

We talked.

He's no longer pursuing teaching as a career.

Thank fuck.

I’ve told my dc I’ll disinherit them if they go into teaching. No one in their right mind shoukd do it.

l liked teaching, but ugh the rest of it

This is exactly it.

I would neither encourage or discourage my child from working for the NHS - I would encourage to do job with most career progression and best work like balance. I have colleagues who are doctors etc who discouraged their children from following their path - I think it has backfired as their children seemed have gone down the arts and creative route. They generally earn less money.

I think most high paying jobs such as law, medicine, engineering and finance tend to have long hours - I would let my child know the realities from the outset. I would also let the the jobs in art and creative fields may be very fulfilling but you may not earn much money and this in it self has potential to cause stress.

As much as I find my job stressful, I have no regret working for NHS. I will get a good pension and I actually earn more money than most people I know even though my salary is not particularly high.

I guess maybe that the government will see these career choices are no longer appealing and will do something to improve the conditions, pay etc?

Dentistry maybe, the other three no way

Theres the potential to earn loads of extra money in the NHS as the overtime is abundant and pays well. Like I said earlier, specialise within it and you will be much better treated. I remember when I was younger, holidays where a doddle we used to go everywhere knowing it would only cost us threee or four “bank” shifts. Even now everything is worked out in bank shifts. Luxury glamping at Glastonbury? Four bank shifts at £250 a shift. Nursing has served me very well tbh. And I can take my pension now if I want to as Im 55. I have no intention of coming out yet though.

There isn’t a lack of dentists. They are all choosing to work privately and not NHS which is the problem.

I won't be encouraging mine to work in any of those areas. One wants to do something in ICT, and the other in Construction/Carpentry/Engineering...

Nurse of over 25 years and have actively encouraged dc to think of other careers.

Eldest is looking at finance and accounting, it's likely that she will earn what I am on 2-3 years after qualifying. No shift work, no short staffing, no limit on opportunities why would she consider the public sector!

I actively encouraged dd to go into physio. Not terribly paid and lots of opportunity to go private/work abroad/retrain to treat animals. She enjoys her job. She did do a nursing placement a while ago and said it was awful.

Also fairly easy to go back to after having kids.

I would encourage dc into the public sector, there's a lot to be said for job security, pension & better work/life balance in certain roles. I wouldn't want them to go into law.

or banking

I agree with you tbh

It's funny, because the teachers I know irl are actually quite happy, intelligent people who seem to enjoy at least part of their jobs. If all you knew about teaching was learnt from the teachers on Mumsnet you'd assume teaching was akin to penal servitude.