Choosing a Career

Should parents decide for children?

By Marinella Glasgow

A Career is the progress and actions taken by a person throughout a lifetime, especially those related to that person’s occupations. A career is often composed of the jobs held, titles earned and work accomplished over a long period of time.

Each day we hear the lamentations of youth who are forced to engage in particular occupations which are contradictory to their desires. They state that parents try to overrule and to take control. Should parents decide what their child should become?

A career is very important and many youth desire to obtain the best of careers. However, parents play a great role in their children’s career choice. But many young people conclude that parents should never decide what career a child should embark upon.

Virlyn Gibson, a young athlete of Queen’s College stated, parents should never decide on a career for a child. “A child’s career may be based on experiences he/she may have had. In my case, since I was a child and playing with my animals, I knew I wanted to be an animal doctor. At that time, I didn’t know it was called a Veterinarian but I still have and will pursue that passion,” she said.

“When parents decide what children should do then they are making their children unhappy and at the end of the day the child will do as he or she pleases.” She alluded to the fact that many persons render half-hearted service because they embark on careers that they really do not like. Thus, she encourages that persons should “do what they like.”

Another young Queen’s College student, Yosarra Jordon, related, parents should never ever decide what they’re children should become. “Many parents try to impose their missed opportunities upon their children but that might not be the child’s passion.

Parents may also steer their children in a particular direction so that they can achieve a lot of money.” However, Jordon stated that money cannot take the place of happiness. She firmly believes that once someone is happy with their career money would never be an issue. She contested, that many children become rebellious because they are not allowed to follow their desired career.

One young man, Ijaz Mursalin contested that every child is not academically inclined and as such, parents should not dominate but guide their children into a job. Everyone will never have a career, some persons are good with their hands while others are good with the books. Parents need to recognise or know their children and embrace which ever path their child/children is/are heading.

Conversely, one adult, Ms. Jack, contested that sometimes young people need to be told what to do. “Some of these young people, don’t know what they want. Yuh ask them today wuh they want and they don’t know. Yuh ask them tomorrow and dem still don’t know. So da is why parents does gat to decide fuh them because if you ‘low dem they would never know,”she said.

Young Keawana Mosely rebutted that “If parents guide their children they would know what they want. You see many parents fail to take the time to ask their children questions about their future. They take it for granted and just hope for the best. But it is important that parents find out from their children about their interests and support them in that particular field.”

Steve Jobs stated, “Young people are supposed to have a chance to make their own decisions and to live its consequences even if it means failure because life is not about passing or failing, it’s about learning from our mistakes and try not to repeat them. After all we are humans and all humans make mistakes.”

Whether a child decides to be a pilot, a teacher, a doctor or even an environmental engineer, parents should be willing to accept their choice. Each career is important and aids in the development of our country Guyana.

Most times parents evade the choices of their children and conclude that they are too inexperienced to decide their destiny but parents should never forget that every job is important. Once a child knows that their parents are supporting that child aspires to be the best that they can be.

Parents need to be understanding instead of ordering, they need to have patience instead of overconfidence, they should not play a decisive role but an active and supportive role. They should not compare their child with others as their child is theirs and others have their own.

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