What would be your dream careers for your DC?

[heartofglass23]

Before they were born/when they were small I'd imagine the kinds of careers I'd have liked them to pursue.

(Kind of things I'm interested in but didn't do myself for various reasons)

They won't do these things now as they have other interests & that's good/well supported by us.

But what kind of careers did others imagine for future/potential DCs (ie before you knew what their individual talents are)?

Mine were:
Architect
Lawyer
Something in the film industry
International aid worker
University professor/researcher
Politician
Singer/Musician
Seismologist
Small business owner

I can't say I've ever given it much thought in regards to specific careers. My eldest is academic and achieving well in school so I hope he will end up in a career that he enjoys and that will provide a good lifestyle. And I'll support that but whatever career he chooses is up to him. He is interested in ICT based jobs currently. One of my other kids has a mild learning disability so I'm not expecting her to be a brain surgeon, all I hope is that she finds her way in life and is happy and I'll support her in all that she does.

Whatever makes them happy (that preferably gives them a good income too).

I haven't given it any thought either. In the ideal world, I'd want it to be something she enjoyed doing.

Having said that, if I could live my life again I'd do something geography related and funnily enough DD's job relates to that.

Why would you have dream jobs for other people? Weird.

I would love them all to be tradies (builder/plumber etc) so they could sort out my house for free.

I would like them not to have financial difficulties, my advice is always based on happiness being the most important (but you won’t be happy all the time, learn to get through the other times) - if you have plenty of money it’s much easier to be happy. Don’t step on anyone to get where you are going though.

So more of a philosophy than a career!

I can honestly say that when DS was too little for his own individual interests to be evident, I didn’t have any ‘dream job’ in mind for him. Why not retrain in one of your interests yourself? I can’t imagine looking at a toddler and thinking ‘I’d love you to be a lawyer or seismologist’ unless I’d been watching Dante’s Peak and some John Grisham courtroom dramas back to back and was very bored.

Something they enjoy that pays well enough to give a good lifestyle.

We had this conversation with them when they were in primary school. We told them there are jobs you can love and jobs you can tolerate and pay comes into that. Some jobs you do and leave at the office, others come home with you.

Dh has a job he loves, makes an actual difference to people and fortunately pays incredibly well. But he has worked hard for it and the DCs see that. His job doesn't end at 6pm either, he often has a laptop on his knee but he is with us as a family not locked away in the home office. Family comes first and the company he works for promotes that.

I was and still am a sahm (disability) so I was always here. So that doesn't pay but it is a job I love. Saying that before I stopped working I absolutely loved my job, it didn't have many opportunities to advance my career and it paid an okay wage. I would never have left that job voluntarily.

I just want my children to be happy and to be able to afford things. Ds1 is graduating uni this year and has a graduate job lined up in a field he absolutely loves. He did an internship with them and thrived. Ds2 is going to uni this year also in a field he loves.

Professional footballer! Long way to go! 😁

Banking - high pressure, high rewards, skills you can bring elsewhere
Dentistry - high income, good work life balance

I worked in the former because I didn't get into the course for the latter. DH thinks they should become professional musicians (teachers or performers) as he was never good enough. We just want them to be happy with no financial worries though!

Growing up in a family where the majority of adults have severe autism and psychosis, making it almost impossible for them to keep themselves fed and clean without having a breakdown, I would be grateful if my children can hold down the most low-skilled job and look after their own most basic needs.

The rise of AI has given me pause because most of the middle class professions are coming under threat.

Having lived through recessions and a pandemic, I think being a plumber is a rock solid career choice.

I genuinely didn't have any specific ideas about what I wanted dd to do. I just want her to be happy.

She has chosen to pursue a career in medicine. I am not sure if that's compatible with my aspiration for her to be happy, but it's her life and she must live it as she sees fit.

Never thought about it when they were little. Oldest turns 16 this year so it's more on the cards as they are thinking about uni etc. Currently they would love to be an opera singer, which was a path I considered - have a good enough voice, technically good but ultimately I decided I just didn't have the stage presence/'it' to succeed. Oldest isn't a natural with performance necessarily but is learning to hold a stage much better than I ever could. It's a hard path, I couldn't face it, but if they take it we will support them 100% and I'd obviously love it if they succeed - not for me at all, but for themselves.

Youngest has ADHD and still quite hard to see what might suit him, I don't know about career but I'm wondering if a degree apprenticeship into a profession might be a good path for him.

I have no idea how either child will be able to stay in London because neither is likely to be into massive salary jobs and I wouldn't push them towards those unless they want to. DH does say, and I sadly have to agree, that we should advise them to leave the UK when they finish their education as this country is such a mess!

I would have loved to be been able to sing beautiful baroque music or opera for a living. That is looking increasingly likely for one of my children and now I am worried about them living in penury as a result 😂.

Whatever they want, that is all.
they have all got really interesting jobs/studies that are industry relevant which is great but if they had wanted to be a beach bum or work in Aldi then all good.
vicariously achieving through one’s children can be quite damaging for them ime.

Rock star

It's not "people" it's your own children for goodness sake. Some parents want the best for their children - call me crazy I know!!

Something they absolutely love but also very very well paid. Would love them not having to worry or stress about financial pressures.

Pilot or Lawyer or Barrister would be up there.

But also free lance very popular artist would be amazing.

That only makes sense if you think you know ‘best’ what career would suit a child so young they have no demonstrable talents or RL interests yet.

Anything that makes her happy.
But I guess if I got to pick something practical; carpenter, electrician that kind of thing. Unlike me will have no insane university loans, not ‘waste’ years building up debt, set her own hours - easy to work around kids if she wants them, and likely earn well.

@Couchant I think it's just a hypothetical thread of interesting thoughts/dreams/hopes not that any parent here is going to push these things on their child. Well that's the way I see it.

Something that uses their skills and makes them happy. They are currently 3 and 1 so it’s not entirely clear what those are at the moment! But DD loves art and building things - so I’d go for architect for her (which incidentally was my dad’s job prior to retirement!)

DS loves music so at the tender age of 19m I’ve got him pegged as a rock star of the future 😁