If your child Was average ability in school, what job are they in now?

[worriedmammaofone]

Hi all ! Just wanting to know if you now have an adult child who struggled/ was a bit lazy in school, what job/career do they have now? My son is 11 next mth and while he's not completely thick (excuse the language) he is definitely lazy and doesn't enjoy the homework aspect of school. I'm just worried about the future for him as I would like him to show a bit more enthusiasm and really 'go for it' he is for year 8 next year and I'm just wondering if some boys take a bit longer to mature than girls. Thanks in advance xx

I was 'lazy' at school - I had no real guidance or push at home especially with homework. I got 4 Bs (in the more creative subjects) 4 Cs and 2 Ds in Maths and french.

I went to uni - twice! And dropped out - twice! No degree.

I have worked as an Executive Assistant in the music industry for 15 years now supporting CEOs and Senior Management. I just needed to find something I was naturally good at.

My husband also struggled with motivation in school and is now a data analyst!

I was unmotivated in school and never did homework. Tried a few jobs but never had the focus or concentration to do a full day just intolerable boredom like school was.
So I became a housewife.

My brother was a bit like this. Found a passion for the developing world through extra curricular activities, got a degree in a related area and is extremely successful in his field.

(more successful than me, actually, I was very academic, hardworking, much higher grades than him etc)

My brother was the lazy one who didn't do his homework and aim for passes only. He is in product management and more successful career wise than me. I am the nerdy one who always did well at school.

Thank you all so much for replying to me. Makes me feel a little better to hear your stories. I suppose boys can be a little more easy going than girls and take a little longer to mature and find their feet.

My son was like this but he got a job in Sixth Form and was very motivated. He took up
all training and extra qualifications offered by the company and took up an apprenticeship which resulted in him earning more than the average wage at 19. He is older and still ambitious/motivated when it comes to work.

A big mistake I made was not to steer him towards apprenticeships after GCSEs but it all worked out in the end.

As the mother of an average achiever (on a good day) this is all good to hear.

I also remind myself that many of the average kids at school have done MUCH better than me in terms of work and earnings.

I was very average in school. Very middle ability! Got good A-levels and dropped out of uni twice. Moved back in with my parents with my tail between my legs and did a qualification at my local technical college. This opened employment doors which then led to me being accepted into the second year of a degree course in this field. I got a First Class Honours, did a post grad in which I got a distinction. I've lived abroad as part of my work (still do) and love, love, love my life!

@Itsonlyabiscuit massive well done to you! I absolutely love hearing stories like this!!!!

My DP was like this, was very lazy/uninterested in English, history, and social sciences, but a natural at math and physics. Not a lot of parental guidance or school support, and in my view, way too much freedom at a young age. Spent a few years running with the wrong crowd and got unspectacular grades overall (although did well in his math and physics exams).

Got his act together in his second year of university and now works in the city, loves his job, and makes good money.

My dad's another one, although they live in North America. He was an immigrant tradesman and my mom worked in a shop, they taught themselves investing (stocks and real estate) and fully retired in their mid-40s. They have a very nice life.

What does your son like in and outside of school? He can develop the tenacity and grit needed to see things through in anything he is interested in. There are lots of options outside of university and academics, but the people who succeed usually have a dogged work ethic, the ability to see things through, and can take some risks.

Mine is a bank manager at 25.

At 20 she was a lost hippy travelling the world and fruit picking in Australia, after achieving mediocre GCSEs and A levels, and working nights in a bar for 18 mths after finishing school.

My son was probably below average at school, due in part to undiagnosed dyspraxia. He managed to get to Sixth Form but got poor results and had to take up his reserve option at Leeds Metropolitan Uni. This was the best thing he did! They immediately offered him support of a mentor to help with organisational skills together with laptop, printer and digital camera. His course was assessed through units and project work rather than exams so be managed to get a 2.2 degree and a job in digital marketing.

Since then he has been head hunted a couple of times and at 30 was managing a team. I don’t know what he earns but I know he pays higher rate tax!

My son is quite clever but lacked motivation and didn't enjoy school at all. We found out he was dyslexic in his teens and tbh the support offered wasn't great. Scraped into college, dropped out, scraped in again and dropped out again, now works in a bank and while he is still not ambitious, he works hard and is well regarded in his job. He has been shortlisted for a couple of promotions and it's only a matter of time before he moves up the ladder a bit, he is saving really hard and hopes to buy his own place within a couple of years. I used to wonder where on earth he would end up, but i am happy and proud that he has his life together now.

Not my child but me.
I was ok at school until about year 9 when I totally lost interest in it. I didnt do well from then on. I was badly behaved, barely attended and was getting absolutely terrible grades/ reports. My poor mum was tearing her hair out trying to get me to go/ do homework.

I left school, at 16 with a handful of rubbish GCSES. I'm now a Finance Director .

When I was in a different environment, learning what I wanted to, I flourished.

Name changed for this as potentially outing and anyone who knows us would probably recognise us from this post.

I’ve known DH since primary school so I’ll answer for him as I loved school and always tried hard so not relevant to me.

He was intelligent but lazy, more interested in break times to play football than learning. He decided to knuckle down in Y11 and got brilliant grades. Had chosen to go to college to do construction and was heavily encouraged not to; told he was throwing his life away / would never teach his potential / was wasting his grades.

He was never bookish; always preferring manual and practical learning. He’s a multi millionaire at 32 with his own construction company with over 50 employees and even more subcontractors. Last year we bought another company which is already established and has a 6 figure turnover. I wish our teachers could see him now.

My son struggled at school and had to have a year off when he point blank refused to go. He spent time in a special unit for school refusers. I despaired as to what would become of him. When he eventually went back to school he was lucky enough to have teachers who really believed in him and encouraged him. He found his niche in life and is now very successful in his chosen field, a lovely person, is happily married and owns a lovely home. I’m very proud of him.

DS is now in med school after a not very promising series of reports over many years. His initial career aim was the non-academic aviation, which he would have been very good at. DS's friends have done engineering, architecture, and pharmacy. I wouldn't have pegged any of them as future high earners but they are.

Don't despair. Boys sometimes find something they're good at in their teen years, and it's acceptable for boys to be really into coding and other STEM areas that are offputting for girls. They also tend to rate their chances in STEM to a far greater degree than girls would and to plunge ahead without second guessing themselves. The joys of testosterone...

Make sure his friends are a positive influence or if he seems to not have any vision if the future.

That should read - don't worry if he seems not to have any vision if the future.

you could google inattentive ADHD