To wonder if there are any careers you discourage your kids from doing?

[malificent7]

Dd told my dad and i that she wanted to work in Harrods when she grows up... she is 8!
My dad told her she shouldnt work in a shop. She also wants to be a model, pop star, vet... the usual.
My parents basically wanted us to be doctors and duscouraged anytjing else.
I rebelled and did teaching am now a TA.

Aibu to ask how much you want to influence your kids career decisions.

Also aibu to think there is nowt wrong with working in Harrods!

[AndNoneForGretchenWieners]

DH is ex army and DS is a very keen army cadet. I hope he doesn't join up, he has been talking about being an army chef for a while. Recently he's expressed an interest in being a photographer so I'm hoping he's moving away from the military.

[EnormousTiger]

I prefer high paid professions but they can do what they like. My parents on both sides worked incredibly hard to get professional jobs - teaching and NHS consultant (Dr.) and we have followed much the same - lawyer me, brother doctor etc. My daughters are lawyers in London and earn a fair bit. Not sure what the younger ones will do and my son who has a degree is currently a postman which he knows I think is something he could improve on, not because he's unhappy doing it but because he doesn't want to do it forever and it is quite tiring at times particularly at this time of year and low paid. You have more choices when you earn more.

If you can aim for professions where there is a good chance you can earn over £100k that tends to be a good start,. Much easier to go down than rise up later.

I hsvae worked with a lot of clients in retail who own shops, very big shops. I am not against any of my children selling stuff but I'd rather they owned Harrods than just worked behind the tills.

[RitchyBestingFace]

When I was at university everyone wanted to be a journalist - I can't imagine that now.

[SirSidneyRuffDiamond]

Yes sure, but my point is that instead of discouraging an 8 year old saying they want to work at Harrods, it might work better to gently open her mind to similar alternatives. It's like the PP who mentioned the armed forces are poorly paid. Commissioned officers are actually paid a good salary, so if your child shows an interest in that career, guide them towards gaining a commission.

[JenLindleyShitMom]

DD (7) told me today that she wanted to be a 'YouTuber'

Yep, that's ds(7) current plan.

[marvelousdcomics]

Nothing, though dd (15) wants to be in the army which is scary for me. She is also considering doctor, or something to do with the environment or sport. But the army is her number one choice.

[littlejeopardy]

Teaching. I work in education and see so many teachers overworked and dealing with stress, panic attacks and depression.

I wouldn't want that for my DD, but who knows conditions might improve for teachers by the time she is old enough to work.

[AndNoneForGretchenWieners]

enormous when DH left the army he was a postie, he says it's his favourite ever job he has had and did it for years. Only left because of his arthritis.

[horseygeorgie1]

Armed forces. Also my DB is an airline pilot. As a career it is good, but he has spent the best years of his life under horrific stress. It has nearly destroyed him and I would not like my children to go into it. I work with horses and may be poorer but am much happier!

[LuluLovesFruitcakes]

I was never discouraged from any (legal) career when I was growing up...and I'd like to think I'd never discourage my son from pursuing...there are probably things I'd rather he didn't do (defense barrister, prison guard, army/marines) but if that was what he decided he wanted to do, I'd support him.

Unless he decided he wanted to be famous for being famous. At which point I'd tell him to give his head a wobble and get a fucking job

[MissKG]

Similar to your dad, but too tired to explain further.

[JenLindleyShitMom]

I am not against any of my children selling stuff but I'd rather they owned Harrods than just worked behind the tills.

As a retail worker (min wage) I totally agree. I really resent the 'shit work' I do to literally fill the bank account of a nasty bastard (he is) who wouldn't and couldn't do the same work himself.

[TheProblemOfSusan]

Medicine. I know a lot of doctors and have since they were at medical school. They got put through hell and at the end of it now the jobs just aren't that well paid and the stress never ends for most of them.

If you can make it to consultant, fine, you can pick up private work, but the whole thing looked like misery to me. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad people do it, but I wouldn't wish going through that on my children.

Also the shift work sucks, I couldn't do that.

[AmberEars]

I know the right answer to this is 'I don't mind what they do as long as they're happy'.

But I feel strongly that our society encourages girls towards (relatively) lower paid jobs. So I'll definitely encourage my DD to aim high and have confidence that she can do anything. Without giving her the impression that I'll be disappointed if she's not a high flier.

It's a tricky balance!

[user1471461752]

The army is the only thing I would actively discourage. They can do whatever they want apart from that! Shop worker, bin man, lawyer or doctor - just whatever makes them happy.

[HormonalChicken]

My 8 year old currently wishes to be a reptile rescuer specialising in cobras and mambas plus other venomous snakes found in residential areas in south africa, they're often killed. Or at least a reptile keeper. I'm quite thrilled with this actually. I'd only really be nervous if she did something with the forces/police.

[SillySongsWithLarry]

There are jobs that DD will be medically excluded from applying for as she is autistic. She is 6 so I haven't told her or squashed her dreams. Right now she wants to be a police woman because they get to play with dogs and horses.

[user1470997562]

Dd wants to be a vet. I think she imagines stroking furry animals largely. I am gently trying to discourage her as she appears to be allergic to cats and rabbits so far.

[LadyWhoLikesLunch]

This reminds me of my younger sister declaring at the age of 3 she wanted to be Kylie Minogue when she grew up whilst swing round a pole in a restaurant. Safe to say my mum was mortified.

[A1Sharon]

My friend and I were chatting about this the other day. So many parents we know pushing their kids to do medicine/law etc. So boring and predictable. The world has changed surely, do we still place so much desire on being a doctor or lawyer?! The really successful people I know (multimillionaires) are savvy business men,financiers etc.
My number 1 wish for my kids is that they find what they would like to do, have a real leaning towards something. And then start working towards that. We spend so much time in our jobs, its really important to me that they are happy.

[ocelot41]

Armed forces. I think being taught to kill fucks with your head.

[awayinamazda]

I think personally, that at 7, children should be allowed to try out ideas for what they'd like to be without adults telling them that some ideas are bad. Very few people will fix on one thing at that age and stick to it (I doubt .Any 7 year olds want to be accountants, or telesales operatives); it's like dressing up - exploring identity.
I'm surprised that most people seem to say they would actively discourage a child from this.

[corythatwas]

As my dd (who just got into drama school) is fond of telling us, her dad and I are hardly in a strong position to give careers advice. Her dad is an archaeologist and I trained and work in a very minor branch of the humanities. We have not had very secure careers and we have not made a lot of money. And to compound our complete unsuitability as careers advisors, we can't even say "don't do what we did" with any real credibility, as dd knows perfectly well that we would go and do the same thing again.

[yorkshapudding]

I used to be a Nurse and hate the thought of DD becoming one. The stress, the antisocial hours (not to mention all the unpaid overtime that is 'expected'), the rubbish pay, the blame culture and lack of protection for whistleblowers, the institutional bullying..I could go on.

[Choccobiccy]

As a PP said up thread, I'm going to encourage my DD in to a high paying profession. I didn't have parents that nagged me through school to do well in my exams or have any professional friends so that I knew certain careers existed. I'm going to make sure that I network for my DD so she's not doing menial slave-like jobs such as retail and catering.