Good Reads - For Parents

Choosing Career

HELPING OUR ADOLESCENTS CHOOSE A CAREER Dear Parent, Your adolescent is preparing to reach yet another milestone in the journey of her/his life. At this juncture s/he is likely to experience certain amount of confusion. This may arise from the limited sources of information available to her/him. As parents, you too may experience a similar confusion and feel the responsibility of making the right decision for your child. It is natural to feel anxious and the need protect her/him from any unfortunate experiences. However adolescents often withdraw from this very gesture as they want the freedom to explore their environment and apply the skills. At such a stage it may help, if as parents, we could appreciate their need for independence and yet provide them with support they will require. Some things you can do to enable her/him to make a well informed choice are –

Help them know themselves better. The more aware your child is about her/his interest and aptitudes, the more satisfied s/he will be with the choices.

Both of you could meet others students who have chosen the particular course your son or daughter is interested in. It will also help if you meet people already settled in careers to check out the actual scene by attending Career Awareness Programmes. Your ward will also need help in making decisions for herself/himself. This can be made less stressful if you can hold her/his hand by –

Encouraging her/him to believe in herself/himself. Luck or chance is an element in making changes in life. However preparation and determination can balance the chance factor, so that it is more in her/his favour.

Enabling her/him to identify the hurdles s/he is likely to face. Awareness of the obstructions will help her/him to gear up to face them and tackle them.

Helping them make their own decisions. Guiding them to gather information, weigh pros and cons, think of alternatives and make a choice.

Being open to different options. For e.g. - even if your child does not qualify for MBBS, s/he can check other paramedical courses like dentistry, pharmacology, physiotherapy etc.

Avoiding measuring her/him by academic excellence alone. Encouraging and helping her/him discover her/his other interests and hobbies which are also an important source of peace and happiness.

Let us remember that our adolescents are like the eaglets taking their first flight into the sky. They need to know that when the sky turns dark with clouds, or the day ends, they can return to their nests – to their parents.

*****