Ten years ago, it was a common assumption that there are only three career fields to give a child success in the future- Engineering, Management, and Medical science. A decade later, it is the generation of millennials and Gen-Z, and these individuals are ready to work hard to follow their passion. However, the role of parents in choosing a career for their child doesn’t end with the decision-making of a 12-year old kid. They have to plan and think about greater things, like what are the different paths their child can opt for if they choose to follow their passion. Is the child aware of the trends in education that are popular these days? How have these trends affected them? The questions are endless.
The career of a child doesn’t start in school or college. It starts from home itself. Parents play a very important role in nurturing the ideas of their children, and those ideas become a part of their journey towards success in the future. Putting an effort towards giving your child the liberty to try out new and different activities is the best thing parents can do.
6 Steps to Encourage Your Child Towards Their Passion
To help your child find their passion and support them throughout this process, the following are a few things that you can try.
1. Let Them Try Everything They Want
If your child says they want to take guitar lessons and then comes back the next month saying they want to learn martial arts, let them do it. This is how your child figures out where their interests lie. These endeavours can become great learning experiences for them. You don’t have to pressurize them to take responsibility for those activities. All you need to do is let their imaginations wander. The price you pay for it is the investment towards their bright passionate future.
2. Normalize the Failures
Jack of all trades but master of none is still better than master of just one. Your child doesn’t have to be absolutely the best at what they do. However, they need to try as many activities as they can. The skills they gain might not seem useful now, but they will make up an excellent profile for them in the future. While learning, they might come across every kind of failure, but not giving up is the most important lesson they could ever learn. This way, they will learn to work hard for their passion and will not be scared of minor obstacles.
3. Make Them Socially Aware
Children these days represent the future; therefore, they need to be aware of their surroundings. This is a great way to make their passion useful to society. A motivation led by a cause never fades away. Your child should not be so self-involved that they become independent of society. A great way to fuel your child’s interest is to make them aware of what their interest means to the world.
4. Make Them Share Their Interest With Others
Encourage your child to make friends wherever they go. These friends who share similar interests will create a sense of unity and respect in your child. If they see them working hard, they will be encouraged to do the same. If they see them doing better, it will encourage them to maintain healthy competition. Doing sports is a great way for your children to learn the value of teamwork. A little bit of physical activity with their peers will not only teach them ethics, but also dedication.
5. Support Them Unconditionally
Sometimes, life just becomes too much. Yes, even for kids. If your child is confused or disputed about his plans for the future, the least you can do is support them through this period of uncertainty. In the end, even if they decide to drop a hobby or an activity, parents should try to understand their decision. Forcing them to do something just because they might become good at it will put more pressure on them and lead to failure in other activities.
6. Observe What They Do Not Like
Children go through many activities in their life that seem like the most important thing ever to them for a moment. Naturally, they will move towards the next best thing they find; however, there aren’t many things that they detest. Keep an eye on the ones they do because there is an underlying cause for it. When you find out about this cause, it will be easier for you to help your child determine their passion in life.
Conclusion
The role of parents in choosing a career for their child is not an easy one; however, these little efforts will eventually guide your child to the right path. Even if your child has already determined what he/she wants to do in their life, practicing these exercises in your everyday life will only keep your passionate child more down to earth.
The present time provides many options and opportunities to help your child figure out their goals in life, and have a look at the trends in education that are going on these days. Career counselling works better at this. You can make it even easier for yourself and your child by opting for career counselling online since it is very convenient and can be done from the comfort of your couch.
Mindler’s personalized expert services and support can help you find many such ways to encourage your child to follow their passion. To get started with working towards your child’s passion and help them build a great career for themselves.