Aspirations
Every now and then one or other of our children will announce what they want to do when they grow up. At one point a year or two ago Adam had it all planned out: Builder on Monday, Plumber on Tuesday, Fireman on Wednesday, Policeman on Thursday, out and about on Friday, Doctor on Saturday and… Sunday? Not sure – watch this space. When we asked Ruth, she declared that she wanted to go on an aeroplane. “Do you want to fly the plane yourself?” “No, I want to sit on it.” (Sorry my love, this sounds too much like my game plan – marry a millionaire – I totally messed that one up… ) This particular ambition still stands – it is a matter of great indignation to her that Adam has been on a plane and she hasn’t. (Um, yes, well, technically Adam has been on a plane, but I wasn’t aware that I had conceived at that point, so I’m not sure that he really has any significant memories of it.)
But she now she is a big girl of 4, and has started her formal education. She has also developed a career plan. She wants to be a “doctor of animals – it’s called a ‘vet’ Mummy”.
Oh!
I teach a fair number of students who dream of studying veterinary medicine. Sometimes it seems that they only choose it because it is the most difficult course to get onto. And many of them are being very unrealistic. It is a matter of some delicacy to guide them through to more achievable ambitions without destroying their confidence.
Still, it’s parents’ evening at their school today – I can ask if they’ll predict her ‘A*’s at A-level...
one comment:
It’s so scary – Noah starts school in Jan so I imagine I’ll be having these conversations with him soon. Don’t think he’s too impressed with the idea of being a librarian, but my brother-in-law-in-law is a mechanic with farm machinery stuff which he thinks is VERY impressive! Yours aren’t interested in being a Maths teacher then?!
Daisy () (link) - 06 November '08 - 14:14
