What Is Your Dream????

During this weekend, mom and I had a chat about parents' influence on their children's choice of life.
This is due to the release of Advanced Level examination (Similar to +2 of India) result, and the positive and negative results of our known kids.
One of my uncles were very keen on making their son an Engineer, since he could not become one. The son had tried 3 times, including this attempt, yet failed to score upto the cut off marks to get the university admission.
They were very much fed up and upset about this. Now that, the boy has almost lost his self confidence and self worth to try anything new. On the other hand he and his dad are aging; thus he is pressurized to finish a professional course to look for a job before it is too late.

Now that, I told mom "we should not force our ambitions on our kids. We should let them chase their dreams. Perhaps, we could try to be a ladder for them to climb to the tops.
Mom said, "Kids do not know what they really want. They require parents' guidance and support to design their dreams.

While chatting, my son came to the spot; hence I asked him " what is his dream about the future?"
He replied " I want to become a watch mechanic" - Thanks to Surya's 24 movie.
He said, repairing watches by wearing a torch light in your forehead, and a magnifying glass in your hand would be very interesting.
Before he finished explaining his dream, his little sister joined us, and said she would like to become a garbage collector. She went on to say "climbing on top of the garbage truck and shouting as 'garbage" "garbage" while passing each household would be the most happiest job in the world. She really likes it.

I was appalled knowing their dreams. Before I could figure out my feelings, my mom interfered and sarcastically wished me to be the ladder to make my kids dreams come true.

OMG... I thought my kid would have been impressed about the kind of job/service that I and my Husband do as our passion; thus they would dream something along this line. But, to my surprise they have other ideas.

Although we preach that every job is precious, and respectable our minds really do not accept this as it is.
I know that my kids are very young (6 and 3 yrs); thus their dreams could change in no time. But what if they were big and really liked the kind of jobs they described above?
As an educated, open minded mom would I be really accepting their dreams or supporting them by being a ladder?
Wouldn't i force them to chose a different career as per what I think is right? Isn't it a negative influence?
I don't know.. But this incident made me think....

 

Thanks... I know that my kids are very young to have an ambition about their future. But my question is, what if their ambition remains the same after a few years?
I used to preach that each job is respectable, and that should be admired. If I am to stand by what I preach, I should be able to respect my kids for choosing their preferred field.
Yet, I am not sure about allowing them to chose something like this ones as their career. I would rather interfere and try my best to show them the negatives of it.
It is a social thing though. But can't help.

I know a garbage collector is very much a necessity of our city, but no one would want to become one.

 

@SunPa

Great post. very clear!

In fact, I am not worried. I am sure they would change their dream quite often, as they did it before. Son was very much impressed about our plumber sometimes back, and wanted to be one. Then he decided to be an Engineer to build a huge water tank for the whole city to enjoy the luxury of drinking water. He explores and shapes up his dreams from what he learns. Now that his dream is all about watch repairing.
DD was the same too. Although she is too young to understand what she tells, she keeps on copying her bro. Once she said that she would want to become a servant just like our servant. She really liked to mop the floor and wash the cloths, as much as she likes to play with water. She would always say, that would be her dream job.
Now that, the garbage collector impressed her. Funny kids.
I know that their dreams are not gonna be the same when they turn adults. So, I am not worried about it.

However, my worry is all about me. How I am gonna take when my kids would develop liking or passion on something which I think is not so great.
Not necessarily garbage collection, but something like arts and music or poetry or something, which are not always successful.

Anyhow, that's not my biggest problem. Hope I would learn to cope with it

 

Thanks @justanothergirl and @armummy

Honestly I am confusing... am not sure whether I would give my kids a chance to follow their dreams if their dreams do not qualify my standards.
I many not expect them to be my version 2.0, but there is no guarantee that I am open to accept their choices without any regrets.
Since I am expected to facilitate my kids to follow their dream, I wonder how much of me would be flexible enough to support my children's dream, be it anything.

My parents were very much influencing towards our dreams back then. But I really really liked the work of some XYZ staff, thus learnt all about them. My uncle was very much passionate about such works, but could not reach there. He was very knowledgeable hence he would talk a lot with me about the work and how to get it there.
My parents followed the routine, so supported me to get a career of their dream. They indeed paid a lot to educate me and get a post.
But I could not enjoy. My happiness stayed with my dreams, so ended up chasing my dream against all the odds back then.
When I got in to XYZ finally, everyone were amazed. I grew so much in life both mentally and financially after joining here.
Many of my young cousins and nephews are interested to follow my path, and their parents are really encouraging them to follow me.
Even then, my own mom refuses to see this growth. She really misses my older job, and still compares the simplest things that I miss here.
My other siblings followed parents' dreams, and stay in their good books as ever.

So, as a parent, I know what is all about. I thought that I would be allowing my kids to follow their dreams whatever it may be.
But then, when I am experiencing it, I reflect my mom and feel confused about it