It can be difficult to
know when to start talking to your kids about their future. In fact, its even
more of a scary task for you as a parent, than it is for them, as they have
their entire future ahead of them. However, there’s no need to get too anxious
or stressed about what is an enjoyable task for the both of you. While you
might have clear ideas about your kids’ future career choices, prepare to be
surprised and shocked as your little ones may have other ideas. So snuggle up
on the couch and get ready to have an interesting, grown-up conversation.
Accept their points of view
Remember that even
though your kids grow up under your roof, they might not share the same points
of view or opinions as you do. It’s important that you accept your kids as
individuals rightfrom the very beginning of any conversations that you have in relation to their future. Try to keep your
own opinions to one side, and be prepared to listen to your children as they
explain their thoughts and dreams. Just because you are a doctor or a nurse, it
doesn’t mean that your children will want to, there’s no one size fits all when
it comes to talking to your kids about their future career interests.
Encourage them to explore
It’s important that you
let your kids explore their future career interests. While you might worry
about keeping them safe and protected from the wider world, it’s essential that
you let your kids explore both creative and practical outlets to find the best fit. Encourage
your children to attend open days or invite them to spend a day with you at
your workplace if they want to follow in your footsteps. Be sure to support and
nourish their talents.
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| Take your children to work day - May 7, 2017 |
It’s not all about the money
Ok, so you need money to
pay the bills and keep your household afloat, but make sure that you explain
the value of money to your kids while talking to them about their future career
paths. It's important that you explain
that money isn’t everything when it comes to leading a happy and fulfilled
life. Money can’t buy good health or ensure that they live longer either and
younger kids need to understand this.
If you are talking to
teens, then you can begin to have more adult conversations about salaries and
saving, especially if they already have a weekend job. Online resources
including healthcaresalariesguide.com
provide up to date information about
salaries, ideal if your kids are deliberating between two career paths. Be
honest about your own salary too. Your
kids will respect you for it.
It can be daunting
deciding when to start talking to your kids about the future but worry not. Make sure that you accept their points of
view and don’t be afraid if they want to explore. Be sure to explain the value
of money too.
18 travelers' comments:
Teaching kids about money is so important as they grow up. I wish schools had more classes on personal finances.
My kids are 10 & 13 and have no clue what they want to do when they get older. Sadly, a big part of life is getting a job so they can pay the bills, not necessarily doing what they love.
Yup, I've been talking to my son about the future. He's nearly 16. I always tell him he can do what he wants, but he has to be responsible with money.
We definitely talk about the future because I need them to know that they may not always succeed but when they do it will be absolutely awesome! I wanted to understand that life is not always going to be easy but it will be worth it.
I agree! We talk about the future a lot. We just had a family member pass and the future is coming up all the time. I agree that money is not everything! There are lots of people who have tons of money who are miserable and people who are considered poor who are extremely happy. Happiness comes from within.
They are young so will change their minds. Heck most people in college change their major at least once if not several time.
Honesty is important in this discussion, as it is with any other. Money isn't everything. It is important to listen and hear, as it's very possible a child won't truly know what they want to do.
Encouraging them to explore is so important. It's great to foster an adventurous spirit early on.
These are some awesome tips, the future can be so scary no matter what your age is but it is definitely something we all need to talk about.
I love the encouragement part to this article - yes, kids need so much encouragement and totally deserve it too! It's important for them to know how to plan for the future and be confident in their choices.
It's so important to realize that your kids may have a different point of view than you on some subjects. Being able to accept that is important?
Kids these days are smarter than we think! Talking to them even about the family's finance status is something their small minds will understand. And I agree that encouragement from us adults is vital to help them succeed in life.
Couldn't agree more on your post. Indeed its important to encourage the kids and of course know and accept their point of views. It is the best way to know their dreams and plan on how to deal with it together.
Those are very good pointers. I think it's important that we accept their point of view and to encourage them to explore. We should also allow them to experience things.
I randomly ask the kids about their future. Sometimes they mention things in the moment and my ears perk up. I remind them both that they can be anything.
My daughter is 6 so our chatter isn’t heavy. When talking to my teen its different. He is headed to HS and real life isn’t far away anymore.
These are smart tips about talking to the kids about the future. I always say that it's important to keep the lines of communication open.
This is a really helpful post. Kids don't quite get it the way we do.
These are all fantastic tips for talking to kids about the future. We talk to our son about money and goals for his future. Will have to incorporate these tips.
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