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.

I don't think I'd discourage anything that my dcs wanted to do as a job. It's fairly straightforward to get some work experience in all the things you mention apart from dentistry so that would be the best idea.

Absolutely no contact from higher ups whatsoever , even when it went to court. I took it upon myself to contact neighbouring practices , off the record, as I could have been disciplined for breaking patient confidentiality. As it was the person attacked someone else a while afterwards.

We were advised we had to send a letter to say we would not see them again but had to provide emergency treatment for 30 days afterwards!

In theory a violent patient is supposed to be seen in community with security in place in case they kick off again but there is no facility to do this.

I saw the next patient (who complained of being kept waiting) and continued on with my day treating patients, then went to a course in the afternoon which is when the adrenaline kicked in and I started shaking. Colleagues were very supportive and someone had to drive me home as I couldn't stop shaking.

We paid for security consultant to come in to assess what measures we could take to protect ourselves . We , of course, all did the annual dealing with difficult/violent patients course provided by NHS . No one phoned, asked if I was ok , there was no follow up or attempt to protect other colleagues from this person.

I did get court ordered compensation from the patient though ,every month , for a year afterwards for the attack. A mix up with what they were charged with meant the magistrate couldn't send them to prison , which is what the magistrates wanted to do.

Here's an idea, why not just let your children do whatever they want to do without trying to control their choices?

👆 this

Sending solidarity @Lollygaggle had similar with pt stating in a mdt he would 'break my fucking legs and face' because we weren't doing the adaptations he wanted quickly enough, pt was known for being violent, but of course higher ups did the usual, 'remember how stressful these meetings are for patients'...

It's amazing how similar it feels when you are being attacked by someone who is just violent or by someone who is just "frustrated, frightened or feels they are unempowered" . Strangely the bruises look exactly the same .

Solidarity right back at you and everyone who is expected to deal with violent patients/"clients" on their own with little or no support and who is discouraged from prosecuting .

I'm not so sure that's true. And even if it were, there are "people focused" roles that don't entail as much likelihood or risk of abuse (think - sports instructors, personal trainers etc).

Here's an idea, why not just let your children do whatever they want to do without trying to control their choices?

Here's an idea, maybe offering children information and advice without trying to control them is a way to help them navigate these choices securely?

I had fuck all guidance because my teachers and my parents knew I was academically capable of anything really. My niece is getting wonderful, considered support and advise from her parents, to help her get the best out of her chosen work. I'm very jealous!

Here's an idea, why not just let your children do whatever they want to do without trying to control their choices?

Forbidding and controlling is very different from discouraging.

Discouragement in my case often meant more research into skills, daily life, pay, employment rates and job satisfaction because at the end of the day I want my kids to be happy and hopefully be able to afford to life a lifestyle they can accept.

I also felt other influences like the school were pushing them down unsuitable careers for their own reasons and making the kids feel they had to do those things rather than looking at what they enjoyed and were good at.

I had fuck all guidance because my teachers and my parents knew I was academically capable of anything really
Yes, that was me too. My careers advice was along the lines of "Girl, excels at science and not strong enough to be a vet...medicine then". My parents were delighted with the idea as my siblings and I were the first generation of our family to stay at school past 16 never mind to have professional careers and it was something the school could brag about. I was completely clueless but knew I was easily capable of the grades and it sounded like a good idea. Would I have still done it if I had had more advice? I don't know. Maybe. I turned out to be pretty good at it and did enjoy it for quite a lot of my career but it certainly wasn't an informed choice and nobody encouraged me to consider alternatives. I'm trying to do better by my kids.

I'm trying to do better for MYSELF, let alone my kids! It's only in the past two years I've taken any sort of control over my career - and my career has been very successful.

People have been so busy using my skills that I haven't paid much attention to what I want or enjoy, because I've been ticking off career and income markers. I had some fantastic business dispositions training, and now I'm very excited to be dropping areas of work that I was good at but that didn't make me tick.

I think just letting kids crack on without guidance is... Interesting advice at the very least.

Not quite the vibe of the thread, but do other parents really have influence over their DCs career paths?

My DS didn't listen to a word I said. He's now 24, saddled with £££ of debt, and a meaningless degree. He now works in retail. All easily predicted six years ago.

Maybe your relentless negativity has hampered him more than his 'useless' degree?

I doubt it. And I don't know about "relentless negativity". Where are you getting that from? He and I had a few conversations six years ago about it, and I tried to steer him down a different route - but he was sure, so I did what any parent would do and left it at that.
For your information, the descriptor "meaningless" (not 'useless' as you misquoted) came from him originally, not me.

Never mind, no long term harm done. He enjoys his job, and is fully financially independent since graduating. He's doing pretty well, and is a general all-round positive person (much like his mother).

Thanks though.

Ds was interested in nursing but me discouraging him & the way the government are treating the nurses changed his mind.

I don’t consider discouraging my children from following me into a career that left me broken and contemplating suicide to be controlling them. I would say it was very poor parenting to not give them the realities of the job if I know them first hand. My eldest is 9 and has already said she wants to be a teacher. We’ve told her we wouldn’t want her to be one because it was a job that meant I couldn’t spend time with her and her sister but she is too young to be told just how bad it was.

Maybe she'll cope with it better than you did or teach a different subject in a better school?

Based on the sheer number of teachers who have felt the same as me even if they’ve been in a supportive school, I’m not willing to take that risk.

You mean you aren't willing to let your dd take the risk

£27+k in debt before starting work for low pay, public abuse on a daily basis. abuse from the government aided by the media. Forcing care staff to have vaccines against their will. No I won't be encouraging my children to take a role in any of the above

My DD is going into nursing over my dead body. Fortunately she hates any thought of dealing with bodily fluids, so couldn't do the job. I class that as a win

We have spoken about medicine, it's one degree that can get you out of the UK

It's the "out of the UK" but we are concentrating on, the next 30 years are going to be so much worse than other places. We keep saying, go young, build up your lives, pensions etc elsewhere.

So yes happy for them to do medical degrees just not stay here. Luckily they seem on board.

Actually they could nurse or teach abroad as well.

Doesn't help the staffing problems here of course, but we are very keen that they don't become our kid's problems either.

Saying this they seem more drawn to the pure sciences at the moment......we shall see and advise support whatever they decide.

No actually. I meant I’m not willing to take the risk that she realises just how tough it is.

Luckily, I have no reason to answer to you. My DH is in agreement that he would also do whatever we think right to preserve our DCs self-worth and mental health. My parents wish they’d discouraged me after seeing it nearly destroy me.

But keep twisting my words if that entertains you.

Have you changed jobs?