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One of my worst fears is one of my kids will say they want to major in something that is totally impractical. Because I did that, and then reality hit when I graduated from college and employers didn't want people with my degree. So I tried to support myself living paycheck to paycheck, and it wasn't easy for quite a few years.
Yes, that can hapen. There was a woman in our Budget Department with a degree in bronze-age archaeology.
A bit of a no-brainer question. First of all, interests do not indicate careers. We can support any interest, within financial limitations, while still expecting our kids to make intelligent academic choices.
While there is no reason to dissuade a young child from dreaming of a major league contract, or the presidency, when it comes time to planning their future( I'm referring to college majors here), parents are not obligated to fund those dreams.
My kids were artistic, we provided art lessons. They loved sports, we paid for travel leagues. But they all chose college majors that interested them, while promising good career prospects. If any one of them had wanted to major in something offbeat, we might have held off promising tuition dollars until they investigated how they would make a living with such a degree.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pkbab5
Yup this.
There is "my favorite thing to do in the world", and there is "my favorite thing to do that I can also make enough money at to support my family". The second becomes your career, and the first becomes your hobby that you do in your free time from your career.
Every once in a while, someone is lucky enough that the two things are the same. Those are the folks telling everyone else to just "follow their dreams", because it worked out fine for them. The rest of us have to be a little more picky.
In thinking this all over, I think it depends on what you call "support". I find nothing wrong with "reality checks", e.g. letting your kids know it's hard to get into med school, or having a Broadway stage career; I probably wouldn't discourage it to the point of saying I wouldn't pay for a "pre-med" degree, or a theater degree or whatever. I wouldn't support something that seems totally unrealistic for the kid, e.g. theater for a kid who never makes it into the school plays, etc.
My grandson is going the acting route. His mother supported him all the way and he is in a private university which they cannot afford. He is also very picky about an acting career…tv and commercials are beneath him. He only wants Broadway. He never did have a lead in any of his High School performances and started late. I hope he makes it big but that's all I can say.
My grandson is going the acting route. His mother supported him all the way and he is in a private university which they cannot afford. He is also very picky about an acting career…tv and commercials are beneath him. He only wants Broadway. He never did have a lead in any of his High School performances and started late. I hope he makes it big but that's all I can say.
Wow.
IMHO, all of the negatives (starting late, being picking, never having leads even in HS), probably put his chances of success at 1 in a million instead of just 1 in 500,000.
I hope that your daughter is a multi-millionaire and can support him the rest of her life.
One of my daughter's friends wanted an acting career. She started out in lead roles in community theater productions as a child. Did modeling and commercials. Won singing contests & major dance competitions. Etc. Etc. Was a triple threat (singer, dancer, actress).
She went to an inexpensive college that had a fabulous theater department and was the lead in numerous performances starting her freshman year.
My grandson is going the acting route. His mother supported him all the way and he is in a private university which they cannot afford. He is also very picky about an acting career…tv and commercials are beneath him. He only wants Broadway. He never did have a lead in any of his High School performances and started late. I hope he makes it big but that's all I can say.
I know two young women who dreamed of a Broadway career. They do have lovely singing voices, and from what I've seen, they really come alive on the stage. But, despite their college theater majors, despite moving to NYC and taking every job they could that allowed them to attend auditions, one returned to school to get her masters, and is practicing musical therapy. The other is working in HR.
It's a difficult way to make a living for the majority who want to do so.
IMHO, all of the negatives (starting late, being picking, never having leads even in HS), probably put his chances of success at 1 in a million instead of just 1 in 500,000.
I hope that your daughter is a multi-millionaire and can support him the rest of her life.
One of my daughter's friends wanted an acting career. She started out in lead roles in community theater productions as a child. Did modeling and commercials. Won singing contests & major dance competitions. Etc. Etc. Was a triple threat (singer, dancer, actress).
She went to an inexpensive college that had a fabulous theater department and was the lead in numerous performances starting her freshman year.
She now works in jewelry store.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattie
I know two young women who dreamed of a Broadway career. They do have lovely singing voices, and from what I've seen, they really come alive on the stage. But, despite their college theater majors, despite moving to NYC and taking every job they could that allowed them to attend auditions, one returned to school to get her masters, and is practicing musical therapy. The other is working in HR.
It's a difficult way to make a living for the majority who want to do so.
It's an extremely tough career choice. He can sing and can act but he sadly is not "great". I imagine he has a tough road ahead of him as he has been told by so many family members how great he is…and no one can pay for his schooling at over $40,000 a year. It's one thing to support your kids and stand behind them it's quite another to set them up for disappointment.
A bit of a no-brainer question. First of all, interests do not indicate careers. We can support any interest, within financial limitations, while still expecting our kids to make intelligent academic choices.
While there is no reason to dissuade a young child from dreaming of a major league contract, or the presidency, when it comes time to planning their future( I'm referring to college majors here), parents are not obligated to fund those dreams.
My kids were artistic, we provided art lessons. They loved sports, we paid for travel leagues. But they all chose college majors that interested them, while promising good career prospects. If any one of them had wanted to major in something offbeat, we might have held off promising tuition dollars until they investigated how they would make a living with such a degree.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pkbab5
There is "my favorite thing to do in the world", and there is "my favorite thing to do that I can also make enough money at to support my family". The second becomes your career, and the first becomes your hobby that you do in your free time from your career.
Every once in a while, someone is lucky enough that the two things are the same. Those are the folks telling everyone else to just "follow their dreams", because it worked out fine for them. The rest of us have to be a little more picky.
I agree with all of the above.
I, too, believe in supporting children's interests and introducing them to lots of things so that they can have a broad knowledge of their options.
However, it is important to also be realistic with children and have them understand the importance of choosing a career that will give them a good income and financial stability. Children need to have it drilled into them that nothing in life is free, and that they need to have a skill that will enable them to earn a good living. Mommy and daddy won't be around to support them forever.
I know two young women who dreamed of a Broadway career. They do have lovely singing voices, and from what I've seen, they really come alive on the stage. But, despite their college theater majors, despite moving to NYC and taking every job they could that allowed them to attend auditions, one returned to school to get her masters, and is practicing musical therapy. The other is working in HR.
It's a difficult way to make a living for the majority who want to do so.
I know a young woman who went into theater as well. She was in many school plays while she went to school with my kids. She majored in theater at a college in Chicago; I can't remember which one. Last I heard, she was acting in some theater groups there. It does happen, sometimes. And, if you have a theater degree, you could always get some teaching credentials and teach it.
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