When They Grow Up

If you follow the Tuesday Ten Linkup I host with my blog friend Rabia every week, you know that we like to look at what unusual holidays are on the calendar and plan our topics accordingly.  When I saw that today is Take Your Kids (Sons and Daughters) to Work Day, I knew it was the perfect time to write this post that I have been thinking about for quite a while.

As moms, and parents, we often lament the passages as our children grow up.  We marvel at how fast time flies and we remember stages and phases from the past.  I am no different.  I often think about days when my children were smaller and there are some things about those days that I miss.  

However, I also like looking ahead.  I don't want time to go by too quickly, but I look forward to seeing what the future holds for my girls.  I wonder what boyfriends and, eventually, spouses they will have.  I wonder if they will have children of their own.  How many?  Boys or girls??  I wonder what careers they will choose. 

Based on their current interests and personalities, I have some predictions about their eventual occupations.  So, instead of taking my daughters to work with me, I'm going to share what I think their work might be in the future.

Rachel is 11 and in sixth grade.  She LOVES animals.  She became a vegetarian at the age of seven when she learned that eating meat means killing animals.  It may surprise you, though, to know that she does not want to be a veterinarian.  She doesn't like doctors or medical procedures and doesn't want to perform surgeries or euthanasia on the animals she loves so much.  Instead, if you ask what she wants to be when she grows up, her answer will be a zoologist.  She wants to be with the animals and care for them - feed them, play with them, oversee their environments, and teach others about them.  We have talked about it a lot and tried to explain that there may still be some days when animals she has become attached to are sick or hurt.  We have tried to explain that a zoologist may still have to make some tough decisions.  This, however has been her top choice for the past few years.  Her second choice, at the moment, is to be an architect.  I can completely see this as well.  Even when she was little, she preferred blocks and building over dolls or dress up.  She loves Minecraft and has even tried her hand at drawing some house plans before.  I think Rachel would be wonderful at either of these professions.  She is by far the most self-assured kid I have ever known.  She is quite determined and, once she has made up her mind, she will accomplish and excel at whatever she chooses.

Megan is 9 and in third grade.  What does she want to be when she grows up?  A teacher.  She loves school.  She comes home from real school and plays school- sometimes with her younger sister and sometimes all by herself, except, of course, for her imaginary class.  She takes in everything while she is in the classroom and, even at nine, sounds very teacher-like when I overhear her playing.  If, in the next ten years, she decides against becoming a teacher, she might choose to become a chef.  She went through a phase a few years ago when this was her answer to the question.  She loves to watch cooking/baking shows and likes to help in the kitchen from time to time.  I wouldn't say she is an adventurous eater, but she is certainly the least picky of all my children.  Another possibility is that she might become an engineer.  She loves math and is a whiz with puzzles.  At Christmas, she put together a 3-D Eiffel Tower puzzle (with just a little help from her dad) and was very proud of her accomplishment.  She asks a bazillion questions and likes to know every detail about how things work.

Emily is 6 and in first grade.  If you ask her what she wants to be when she grows up, her answer will either be "a princess" or "a mommy."  At one point, she planned to have 20 kids! Perhaps  it is because she is a little younger, but a career prediction for her is a bit harder to make.  I once wrote about her amazing faith.  She has begun to ask more questions, sometimes questions that are fueled by seeds of doubt, but I think that is completely natural for a child her age and she always seems to come back to her beliefs.  Her faith coupled with her sense of compassion gives me confidence that she could be in ministry one day.  She could also be a doctor or a dentist.  She actually likes going to both and is a trooper when it comes to shots or minor procedures (unlike one of my other children who shall remain nameless).  She is definitely NOT an outdoor kind of gal and would not have a profession that involves dirt, sweat, or one in which she could not wear a dress. 

It's fun to make these predictions and I look forward to seeing where their paths take each of them.  In the end, the choice is theirs and the most important thing to me is that they choose something that will make them happy.

Do you have predictions for which careers your children will choose??  Did you choose a career that was "predictable?"

Note: 4/24/15

Recycling this one for FTSF!! This week's hosts are:

Kristi of Finding Ninee (http://www.findingninee.com/)

Kerri of Undiagnosed But Okay (http://undiagnosedbutokay.com/) 

and Jill of Ripped Jeans and Bifocals (http://rippedjeansandbifocals.com/)