How to talk with your child about the profession
A Life / / December 19, 2019
Lana Bogomaz
Editor in Chief direction "Alpina. Children ", a certified specialist in working with teens, the author of the idea of the book series for early career guidance"Lessons of life».
If we look future occupations atlas, You'll find there are few familiar professions: architect virtuality, urbanist, environmentalist, Ironing recycling specialist. The current trend leads to the fact that the people themselves will invent a profession. In the rapidly changing world it is especially important that the child chose the deal on the basis of precisely their preferences and abilities.
A parent can only ask the right questions without imposing their opinions.
1. What do you want to be when you grow up?
This question will help you understand whether the baby was conceived already about what he wants to do, or you only have to engender in his mind the thought of the future.
Start talking about professions 10-12 years old, do not leave the matter to the senior classes. Frighten the child with the words "This is the most important choices in life" not worth it, just stimulate it to think about their desires, to allocate them from the stream of others' ideas and recommendations.
It is important not so much what the profession referred to children as the reason why they chose it. It is possible that you will get the answer, "I want to be a dentist, my father," or "programmer, because they pay a lot." This is a typical sign that a child makes a choice based on clear models such as the example of the parents or the public opinion.
The decision can be justified by the fact that the chosen profession easier to go to college. This approach only seems practical. As a rule, this decision, which was adopted at the last moment, when the alternative - not to do nowhere and lose a year. So the choice was deliberate, you need to dig deeper.
2. What do you like to do?
Just think of a hobby, or to think about what the child likes to do in his spare time. He finds it difficult to answer? Do not worry, it will come to the aid of envy: ask which of his friends he envies and why. Classmate, football player or maybe a friend who taught my mother to sew stylish clothes. You can learn a lot. It is worth to remember, on what lessons at school the child listens to the teacher with interest.
Another good way - to play "10 lives". Encourage your child to come up with 10 scenarios, one of which he can be a sailor, the other - movie actor or a representative of a more down to earth professionals - a lawyer. Any possible variants. When typed the right amount of scenarios are changing the rules: now out of 10 lives to choose only three.
As a result, you will have a few favorite or desired occupations. Write them on a piece of paper.
3. What do you do well?
This question is difficult to answer even an adult when filling out a resume. It requires the participation of parents, friends, and possibly a school teacher. With a request to you to turn to your child: help with a computer to come up with a cool signature for the post in Instagram? Mathematics or literature given your daze easier? Please note that we are talking not about a favorite subject, namely those where the child shows better results quickly do their homework. Everything you could think together, make a note next to the column of favorite activities.
The more you remind your child about what he does well, the more it will have motivation continue to do it. And even so you form had a realistic idea of their ability.
4. What are you could be useful to the world?
Ask your child to recall the episode in the life where it was useful because of its innate qualities. For example, back to the library delayed for two weeks instead of the book shy friend, because it is easy to find common language with people of any age. This quality can be used consciously, and there are a lot of professions, where it is useful.
At first glance it may seem a feature called neutral or even negative. As in the case of the boy Jim, who had a very active and facial expressions that could pose the most incredible faces. This ability could annoy teachers. But Jim noticed that his antics amuse people, and started doing it on purpose to make them cheer up and get positive emotions. Today we know it as a popular comedian and actor Jim CarreyAnd lively facial expression has become his trademark.
Remember some of these salient qualities of your child, and come up to them to good use. Brainstorm. Let it be the craziest ideas for start-ups or even new professions. The main rule - to justify why it can be helpful to people and why he can do it. All that you will write down in the third column.
5. Where overlap "love", "can" and "will be useful"?
Phil Knight, founder of Nike, loved running ( "love"), so he began to engage in the sale running shoes, and even came up with his trainer Billy Bauermann new comfortable soles - wafer. Using his gift of persuasion ( "I"), Phil enlisted the support of the famous runner Steve Prefontaine, and asked him to speak at the Olympics in Nike sneakers. It was a resounding success. So I love Phil to run inspired millions of people do sport ( "I will benefit").
On the example of the story to find the intersection of the child between his "love", "can" and "will be useful," and then name a few professions, which will combine all three factors.
6. What can you do now?
Dreaming of becoming a writer, or a businessman, we often imagine only the positive aspects of these professions. This error of perception peculiar even for adults, not to mention the children. For example, the writer sees a man who is sitting by the fireplace with a laptop and writes novels. He earns creativity and should not go to work every day. In the life of the famous writers rarely immediately, and sometimes do not get at all - and combine creativity with the work of a journalist, copywriter or translator.
To learn about what really is the case that the child has chosen, you need to try. Teens have a lot of possibilities in volunteering, courses project activity and so on. You can work somewhere unofficially.
For younger children, the best option - it's books and movies that tell about the life of these astronauts, writers and businessmen. Read the biographies of prominent people from the area that is interesting to the child. Offer to play in his chosen profession, let's take a simple task (for example, write an article about how you went to the theater). If possible, introduce the child to the businessman, a lawyer or a journalist. Let him tell you what is in his working day.
7. Do I have to choose a profession once and for all?
When I ask this question at the master class, ten-year children answer "No". They have seen their parents completely changed his life, left with a permanent job and started to do his own job or received a second degree. But not everyone has such an example before my eyes, so it is important to tell your child that change your mind, too, can. Cool for once favorite work and start to do something completely new - this is normal. Knowing this, choose a profession will be easier.
It proved that 90% of the skills possessed by an adult (the ability to play an instrument, knowledge of languages, etc.), was obtained in adolescence, generally between 11 and 16 years, when our cognitive abilities are focused on the outside world. The more you allow your child to try in this period, the greater will be his horizons.
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