Mumsnet users share with Little Tikes how they get their child thinking about what they want to be when they grow up

[EllieMumsnet]

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Some children are adamant they’re going to be a ballet dancer or an astronaut when they grow up, whereas others are more interested in activities such as building and putting things together. This might one day turn into a career like engineering. With more and more emphasis on the importance of STEM education (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and getting children involved in them at an early age, Little Tikes would love to know how you get your children thinking about what they want to be when they grow up and in particular get them involved in STEM subjects.

Here’s what Little Tikes have to say: “STEM learning from an early age opens children up to a world full of exciting hands-on play. Preschool-age children are perfect for this type of learning. These mini scientists are impossibly curious and love to experiment and discover! Future engineer, mathematician or chemistry teacher… for now, the fun is the learning.”

Perhaps you purchase toys that involve learning from an early age to help stimulate them? Do you have conversations with your DC about the vast array of things they can do when they grow up? When it comes to STEM subjects, do you take them on days out that have an element of STEM education involved? Maybe you encourage them to keep pursuing whatever it is they’ve shown interest in?

However you get your children thinking about what they want to be when they’re older and STEM education, let us know on thread below and you’ll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 voucher of their choice (from a list).

Thanks and good luck
MNHQ

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I just tell my children, that by doing well thought-out school, they will have the opportunity to be whatever they want to be. Plus my children change their minds every week about what they want to be when they grow up

There's plenty of time to think about what they want to be when they grow up - loads of people change careers anyway, it's not a once-in-a-lifetime choice. However, a love of learning and trying hard at school will give you more choices than otherwise.

If a child shows a sustained interest in a field, it's fine to encourage that without feeling you're pressurising them, as long as you continue to expose them to a broad range of other interests.

The evidence is that those with an early focus are more likely to achieve their goals - think of the famous naturalists - and be happier (meaning 'fulfilled' rather than 'successful').

I have three grown-up DSs. One is still studying. One wanted to be a footballer and still has not found regular employment or what he wants to do in life. One, when he was four years old, asked me if a doctor was a good thing to be. I can still remember the conversation and replying "I think that's the best thing to be - it's very interesting and you help people." Not neutral, I know!

He was also good in most other areas and interested in many things. He still is interested in politics, the arts, sports, reads widely, writes comedy . . . he is also a doctor, has a PhD in science and is combining the two as a research fellow at Harvard doing world-leading brain research.

Parental input is one factor, but only one. Just as important is the child and their natural proclivities, application and determination.

i dont really They play and get involved in role play i encourge their dreams aspirations and never put them down. I remember my own mother telling me I lived in bird cuckooland when i said i wanted to be a teacher. I then decided on nursing and my father said stick with cleaning in a hosptial even you could do that . I am a teacher now but I went to university later in life and had no confidence . My daughter wants to be a doc and has ever since my husband died of cancer. I do all I can to support her in her dreams but if she changed that i wouldnt act disapointed. I work I have taken my daughters to take take your daughters to work day they are surounded by good role models . I want my kids to enjoy childhood not feeling they have to live up to to everyone expectations, in my case it was living down to them.

The only thing I really mention to my DD is that any job is possible for her regardless of her gender.

Mine is far too young to be thinking about what they will do when they grow up but talking about and pointing out what other people do as jobs is a good place to start

We get inspiration from books.

Encouraging lots of role play games. DD enjoys dressing up as a fireman, ballerina, builder etc. At the moment she wants to be an astronaught! 🚀

We discuss lots of creative jobs and what it would be like to take part in the jobs roles on a day to day basis and also what qualifications you would require/ My daughter had Dyslexia and is very creative so we focus on her strengths. At the moment she says she wants to be a copywriter in the TV/Digital market and I say if you want it go and get it.

Why would you want to put pressure on children like that? most kids just want to play & that's how they learn, not many children are aware of or even can imagine being an adult. I am 50 and still thinking about what I am going to do 'when I grow up'. These aspirations change over time, play is good, stimulating the brain and motor skills is also useful, but this doesn't have to equate to a career! that would be silly!

It's about playing to their strengths and interests. My eldest has been interested in science and medicine since he was tiny, so we've bought books on the topic and he had a doctor dressing up kit when he was about three. The other one wants to be a zoo keeper, so he's had animal themed books and toys and we've taken him to zoos and events like open days at the vets.

Dh and myself have promoted posts in the university sector. We encouraged dd to play with lego, construction kits, dolls, fairies, etc etc from an early age.

Teacher asked class to hold a card saying what they wanted to be when they grew up. Dd's said 'Cheerleader'.

We gave up at that point. She'll be what she'll be. And this might be many things given that people seem to have a number of different careers these days

I'm a big fan of the quote (attributed to Google HQ but possibly not theirs technically) "Don't ask your children what they want to be when they grow up. Ask them what problem they want to solve."

DH and I both have STEM careers and so obviously there is a lot of talk about science at home and we go to science based attractions (Life Centre in Newcastle a particular favourite) and we have lots of science based toys and books. I particularly seek out books with female role models so we have picturebooks about Ada Lovelace, Mary Anning, Jane Goodall etc etc. We also get the wonderful Whizz Pop Bang magazine. Most scientist decide that's what they want to be at Primary school apparently and our eldest who is 10 is very interested in science and spends a lot of time talking to me about science and obviously I have the knowledge to talk to the limits of her interest which helps as well.

Primary children are natural scientists and it's not that hard to keep that sense of curiosity and desire to play/experiment alive. I'm more concerned with the teenage years and the social pressure on girls to think they are no good at maths and science although since the DDs are surrounded by female scientists maybe that won't be a problem for us.

Lots of stories and role play. Also dressing up! I have also taken my son (2yo) to a range of different activity’s- gym, science, library, football as he gets older he can pick what he is interested in.

Ds wants to be an engineer, dd1 a vet, and dd2 keeps changing her mind but wants to be a kids storybook illustrator. I tell them they can do whatever they like but must make sure they have a good understanding of the basics (Maths science languages and perhaps humanities?) They all want to go to uni so who knows what they'll end up doing. I just don't want them to struggle the way I've had to over the years. This was because my right to an education was taken from me.

My daughters prefer it when I make up my own stories instead of reading actual books.
6 months ago I told my unicorn obsessed 5 year old that far away there's a place called unicorn mountain, and the only way to get there is to be a pilot because it's surrounded by this water which is so thick with salt the boats can't move through it. But you have to be an amazing pilot because they'll need to land on a mountain and it's super steep, so far no ones managed to do it.
So now my little girl is obsessed with being a pilot, at first it was all about unicorn mountain but now she just thinks it's the coolest job in the whole world.
When we got on the plane to go on holiday she heard the captain speak and shouted 'One day that's going to be me!'.
I'm definately not complaining about her career choice. Even though, mummy will miss her quite a bit.

We love to read and discuss what jobs people do in the books and talk about what things that person does in that job and how that would make feel. We love "Ada Twist Scientist" and "Rosie Revere Engineer".

books, days out, talking.

I let my kids figure it in the right time. My daughter always keep on saying she wants to be a doctor but I'm pretty sure it will change someday.

I think the time to have this conversation is in the months leading up to make subject choices at secondary school (if they haven't shown a particular interest by then!)

We just talk about all kinds if jobs in the world as we go around. We chat about being a chef if we're cooking, a bin man if the lorry goes by, how you have to know all about bones and muscles if you want to be a back doctor, how you can't be a hairdresser until you're 18 and really good with scissors, how you have to know all about reading maps if you want to be a bus driver, how you have to learn lots of things if you want to be an explainer at the museum. Its a bit endless really, but just chatting about all the things that make the world work as it does, and if something grabs her interest we can chat about it for weeks until she has it processed. The Do you know program on cbeebies has been a godsend too.

My son loves Postman Pat, and says he wants to drive a red van and have a cat called Jess.

We have science books with hands on experiments to do from them.