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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What jobs would you not want your kids to do?

255 replies

Pointlessfact · 25/02/2018 11:16

I saw someone say on the other thread jobs they wouldn't want their kids to do there are jobs they wouldn't want their kids to do so thought I would start a thread on it

For me - I wouldnt want my kids to become reality TV stars - especially big brother stars

OP posts:
GabriellaMontez · 25/02/2018 16:45

Anything where very unsociable hours are expected for the duration of your career.

geisha · 25/02/2018 16:49

Nursing - a job I love, but won't be able to sustain in the current climate for very much longer Sad

DexyMidnight · 25/02/2018 16:54

Oh julie ouch. That’s harsh. That implies people doing trades are only doing it because they aren’t academic enough for anything else. I am quite sure many men (or women but it’s mostly men, isn’t it) doing trades enjoy being self employed, building their business and frankly, earning shedloads more than ‘academic’ office roles

Graphista · 25/02/2018 16:59

Not necessarily just horses for courses - academic people suited to academic jobs, creative people to creative jobs and so forth.

My uncle works in construction and most of the time he's enjoyed it but now he's getting older it's a real problem. He's the younger end of the baby boomers so his pensionable age has been increased but it's a young persons gig manual work really.

corythatwas · 25/02/2018 16:59

Why not manual work, Julie? Some of it is quite well paid and very useful for society. Nothing against manual work in general but not for my children as they are highly educated and I wouldn't want them to waste that.

Good heavens, I didn't realise my highly intelligent nephew was wasting his education working as a carpenter. I thought he was using his talents to best advantage and doing something I would be incapable of because I haven't got his brains.

themandtheres · 25/02/2018 17:01

Armed forces.

Julie8008 · 25/02/2018 17:01

That implies people doing trades are only doing it because they aren’t academic enough for anything else
No it doesn't. This thread isn't about what jobs would you put up with depending on need or circumstances. My children are well educated and I would like them to use that education in a profession, not ignore their gifts and spend their lives stacking shelves.

corythatwas · 25/02/2018 17:01

I do agree with Graphista, though, about manual work being hard on an ageing man's body, which is why I am glad dh has been able to move into a managing position now he is approaching 60. But I never thought of his job as being a waste of his education.

DexyMidnight · 25/02/2018 17:07

Oh well if they’re ‘gifted’. Grin

Ski40 · 25/02/2018 17:10

Apart from the fairly obvious, like dangerous jobs, I would hate them to take on any job that would require them to relocate far or travel for long periods as I would miss them so much 😢..
But so far DD wants to run a hair and beauty salon and DS1 wants to work for a dog rescue centre or "be a famous Youtuber" 😮. I don't know if anyone else has noticed or agrees this seems to be a more and more common aspiration for kids these days?

corythatwas · 25/02/2018 17:10

Julie, why do you think manual work equates stacking shelves? And why would being a carpenter or an electrician be a waste of gifts: surely they are pretty skilled jobs and require great attention to detail? I'd be very proud if my dc could do that. But suspect they are not talented enough.

AndNoneForGretchenWieners · 25/02/2018 17:13

I don't particularly want DS to follow DH into a military role, but if he chooses to, I won't stand in his way, as my concern is purely selfish - I don't want him to lose his life or suffer catastrophic injury. But I'm aware that could happen in any walk of life, and would be proud to see him serve his country.

I would also prefer he chooses a career path that fulfils his aspirations and doesn't lead to dissatisfaction and frustration, I don't really have an ideal for him because I suspect what I would choose isn't what he would choose. Luckily he's considering an apprenticeship in the civil service as an option, so I hope he goes down that route as it's safe and good money, but if he opts for something different it's his life. I didn't find my path until my late 20s.

Graphista · 25/02/2018 17:13

I've had reverse experiences - creatives and manual workers ASSUMING because I'm a more academic person that I look down on their work/abilities.

Quite the contrary! I WISH I had their abilities I can't hang a bloody picture! Let alone draw/paint one or build a flat pack let alone make a beautiful piece of furniture from scratch or plan and plant a garden etc

Graphista · 25/02/2018 17:16

Just as an amusing coincidence - another friends dd has trained as a hairdresser... Hardly keeping her close to home though she starts a job on a cruise ship round Easter i think

ForFuckSakeSusan · 25/02/2018 17:17

Anything to do with the armed forces. Anything childcare related (from my own experiences!)

I’d obviously not want him to do anything remotely dangerous but that would possibly be quite restricting.

Julie8008 · 25/02/2018 17:27

why do you think manual work equates stacking shelves? And why would being a carpenter or an electrician be a waste of gifts: surely they are pretty skilled jobs and require great attention to detail?

If my children had shown any ability or desire to be a carpenter (insert any manual job title) then I would have helped them become the best carpenter they could be and have been very proud of them. But they didn't. They showed ability and desire to get very good doctorates in academia. What is wrong with wanting them to not have wasted all that time and energy to do a job in fields that they have never shown any talent or skill for?

BlindLemonAlley · 25/02/2018 17:31

Teacher, social worker, nurse, police officer, retail, hairdresser - anything "low status"

Low status? Hmm

DatingLife · 25/02/2018 17:35

a boring office job

toffee1000 · 25/02/2018 17:38

Probably only armed forces that I can think of. Wouldn’t be in a relationship with a soldier either, it must be so difficult worrying every day that they could get killed, or receive horrific injuries and be left with severe PTSD.

fia101 · 25/02/2018 17:42

Lawyer

Scoogle · 25/02/2018 17:44

Im a lawyer. .. I'm a nice one and not a right wing arseholes.

ivehadtonamechangeforthis · 25/02/2018 17:52

Julie I'm really shocked at some of your statements. You're making the mistake of grouping all 'manual work' in to one category and assuming it is low paid and the jobs are held by people with low academic achievement.

My DP is a carpenter. One of his friends is an electrician and has recently bought a four bed house (in Surrey), his wife doesn't have to work and they have four children. Another one of his 'manual work' associates, this one is a builder, has a beautiful five bed detached house also in Surrey, again has a wife who doesn't have to work, two children both private school educated.

Amongst his 'manual' work' colleagues is an ex bank manager, an ex financial advisor, an ex IT consultant... all of them have chosen to become 'manual workers' aka 'tradesman' because having a skill a trade in a country with a housing crisis where there are homes being built everywhere means their earning potential is far greater than a white collar job!

corythatwas · 25/02/2018 17:52

What is wrong with wanting them to not have wasted all that time and energy to do a job in fields that they have never shown any talent or skill for?

ah but you didn't mention their lack of talent in your first post: it was all about how they shouldn't waste the talents and education they had

now I feel exactly the same about ds going to university: I don't think he has any talent for that sort of thing so would be better off not going

but I would never think to phrase that in terms of wasting the talents he does have and I rather suspect I would be laughed at if I did

my nephew otoh is both academically talented and gifted with his hands: there is no doubt he could have done well at uni and made a good career that way;

but he is making a good career in a different way: absolutely not a waste!

grammargirl · 25/02/2018 17:55

@TableShack you think they're all low status jobs?

DeleteOrDecay · 25/02/2018 17:56

Anything in or related to the sex industry.

Apart from that not much else. Working in a supermarket/retail wouldn't be my first choice for them based on my own experiences, but if that's what they wanted/needed to do to make ends meet and they were happy then that's good enough for me.