Opinion: Parent vs Child, who gets to decide the career?

By Peter Kabuye

Choosing a career is an extremely important decision that impacts an individual‘s entire future, little wonder then that it leaves parents as stressed as the children.

Parents play a major role in the choice of career their children select naturally. Their guiding hand helps young minds that are confronted with a multiplicity of choices that must be made in a limited period of time.

Psychologists say human beings often make decisions based on what they have been through, heard and the kind of atmosphere they have been exposed to while growing up.

Right from the childhood, interest and talent of a child should be priotized and it must be kept in mind that every child is different.

Parents know the interests and disinterests of their children.

This makes the parent one of the best informed guides to help a child take this important decision.

But not all parents put into consideration the inclinations or desires of their children. The worst part is that most parents who want their children to become doctors, lawyers and engineers never ask them about their choice. On top of that, they want them to perform extremely well. That is why depression and suicide rates are high.

If children choose a career according to the wishes of their parents, they are likely not to enjoy their academic life yet college life is the best phase of a student's life. To enjoy this phase and make it more interesting, a child should choose his or her own career path.

A child knows his interests and abilities better than anyone else. He knows his subjects and areas of interest and thus, can decide his career path easily. When a child is well informed of the feasible options, they should be left to choose their own path. This helps the child to work on their field of interest and excel in the life. Also, the child would hardly blame the parents for any down-surge in their career. This would give them confidence to fight their own way to success and they would eventually learn to survive in this highly competitive world.

Parents should be cautioned against imposing their own goals on to their children or seeing their child’s accomplishments as a reflection on themselves. So while parents should show genuine interest and support for their adolescents‘ career plans, they must allow adolescents to discover who they are on their own.

Parents should guard against shooting down ideas their children may have about their future careers. If they react negatively, it may shut down the whole exploration process. They need to keep the lines of communication open, and encourage their child to gather as much information as possible on their career interest areas. A parent must recognize that their role is simply to act as a facilitator in their child’s career journey and allowing independent career choices marks a young persons first real step into adulthood.

In conclusion, despite some arguments, I strongly believe that parents should avoid pressuring their children to follow specific career paths. Young people need the freedom and parental support in choosing  their future careers.

Parent or child, its not a single person who is entitled to choose about the career options for the child, rather it should be mutual effort guided by complete evaluation of the strengths, weaknesses, ability and willingness of the child and scope of option proposed in future . We are all seeking happiness in life, Its ideal to choose a profession that builds a drive and makes you feel you are fulfilling a purpose.

Money is important, but following what makes you happy will definitely attract the money.

Writer is a student of Dental Surgery

Uganda Christian University.

peterkabuye1@gmail.com