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!

Sashh that's a bit of a stereotype. Plenty people with asd are clueless at technical things like computing, it isn't some inherent characterist of the disability to be natural with them.

Other than sex work she can do what she likes when she grows up as long as it's legal. As long as she is kind and happy I'll be happy.

Indrid

I'm not saying everyone on the spectrum is good with computers, just that for many it is logical when the rest of the world is not.

Not much other than sex work.

I sort of fell into law while not knowing what I really wanted to do and probably should have done something more creative. Though I certainly have a good, well paid job I'd like to think the DDs will be able to use their artistic/sporty skills in their future careers.

I look more at what might suit them. I'm currently thinking coroner.
She displays an unusual interest in anything medically gross. I'm not sure I would trust her with live people. Therefore I believe coroner.

I could also see her going into law enforcement. She's incredibly bossy and authoritative. I wouldn't discourage her from this as I think she's well matched for the job.
The only job I will discourage her from is teaching.

I've discouraged my eldest from teaching and encouraged her to do stem subjects because that's a far more lucrative career pathway than the arts.(I speak as an Arts graduate!)

Speaking as a science graduate, the pay is shit. My arts grad uni friends all far out earn me.

Mine can do what they love. End of. I was discouraged from my passion, because "there's no money in it". By the time I was 25 that industry was huge and people are earning shedloads. I was also discouraged from many other jobs I was interested in because I was "too clever".

So I did academic science because ot kept my mother happy. As i said, shit pay, no job security, and i am earning far, far less than had i done what i wanted.

Agree with reallyoneanother. The people I know with degrees in STEM subjects haven't actually found it all that easy to get jobs, and they are not better paid than the rest of us. "This country ought to encourage the STEM subjects" is not the same as "this country does encourage the STEM subjects".

sorry, agree with- but can't get her name right

apologies

DD wants to be a scientist and I'm happy to encourage that.

But still no to
Big pharma

How is that going to work? Science jobs are basically pharma or academia. If she wants job security and reasonable pay pharma is her only real option.

Sorry quote fail there; first two paras are pp.

That's not at all true, ReallyAO. There are tonnes of science jobs that aren't big pharma.

Plus... how do you think we get Ebola vaccines or potential new cures for cancer or better treatments for PCOS if not for big pharma? Not entirely pure evil, you know.

Why no to big pharmaceutical companies ? Where do you expect the funds for the next break through to come from because it won't be the government I can tell you that.

The military. The phrase "over my dead body" has been used. Fortunately, despite the fact we're in a military community, neither of my kids have shown the slightest interest.

Ah, the science and arts debate! I have know so many brilliant engineers/scientists who retrain as IP solicitors or patent attorneys because their pay in science is so much worse than equity partner in leading law firm etc...... However I have also worked with people who are scientists and good at business who found their own companies and make a lot so I am not saying everyone who goes into science ends up badly paid by any means and you can do law with a science degree. One firm I worked for liked people with a biotech PhD who then requalified as lawyers as they could understand the client's products.

I am not against one of my children founding the next GSK. I don't really take medicines, not even head ache or contraceptive pills so am by no means a massive pill fan but I salute the UK pharma industry for all it does to help many many mumsnetters stay alive. Nor would I deter a child from going into the armed forces - we need someone to - although I can understand parents' reluctance.

Arts is a killer for me, all three girls are super artistic, very very good too and you do not want to piss on their dreams whilst also wondering how they will eat. Not a problem if we were millionaires but we aren't

We've told them they can be anything but teachers (we are both teachers).

I have a sibling who is very good at art (and I am pretty good at music, 4 grade 8s, paid to sing etc good) but I am so glad we both kept that as hobbies. In fact loads of lawyers I know are involved in the arts, some sponsor orchestras, others sing in choirs. It's a lovely hobby but rarely puts food on the table. Although the best off class mate of mine works in art (mind you that's investing her very rich husband's money from a different field in art so she did not exactly start from square one).

See I could imagine selling the paintings but then I've got yo pay for the materials to get her started - not that actually that's what she wants to do, oh no the "equipment" is way beyond a packet of water colours .,, you know when you just wonder what will become of them, it would be heart breaking to not try and use the God given talent but any direction is look at architecture or design is met with a huff

My DSis used to camp on Greenham Common and more recently participated in anti-Iraq war demonstrations. She strongly discouraged her children from joining the forces - her son is 29, went to Sandhurst and is now in the Parachute regiment, spending a lot of time in the Middle East. I've learned from this and wouldn't voice any real discouragement - I would try to discuss rationally. I'd hate my DD to be a zookeeper just because I loathe the idea of animals in captivity, or I suppose to be someone who experiments on animals for cosmetic reasons. I can't see that happening though.

Anything other than the sex industry is pretty much fine.

The military I'd discourage, I can never remove the memories of my grandmother telling me my grandpa who returned from ww2 wasn't the man she married and the destruction that combat brought on what had been a loving and timid man

I'd encourage arts, I wish even now is followed my dreams to study art, there are more careers than being an artist, I'd have loved to have gone into art therapy or teach

People seem NIMBY about the military. :(
I wonder how many posters would say "Oh no that's fine, you can go away. I'll deal with it on my own" if military types were ever called into their lives to deal with a problem.

See I think most women would manage to avoid war if we were in charge therefore there would be no need to lose our sons or any other mothers sons. Poor kids killing other poor kids basically isn't it, look where the recruiting offices are. Makes me cross dole v's army. What s choice

My son is 13 and he's had a few little jobs - working in a cafe, working at doggie daycare and selling wine coolers at a charity fair. It helps him see what each makes money wise and what the work might be like. He earned £50 for 4 hours work yesterday selling coolers as he did well at so I wd encourage him to do what makes him happy and dependant on how important money is to him to follow that. There are several dads at school who went into the city and retired at 35 then pursued what they really wanted to do - I would actively discourage him from celebrity