parents should support unconventional career essay

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Should Parents be Involved in a Child’s Career Choice?

Parents often wonder if they should be involved in their child’s career choice. There are pros and cons to both sides of the argument. On one hand, parents can offer valuable insight and guidance based on their experience in the workforce. On the other hand, too much involvement could limit a child’s ability to make their own decisions.

Parents exert a strong influence on how their children choose careers. They may influence them directly and indirectly, intentionally and inadvertently, consciously and unconsciously. Since parents generally live with the child during the formative years, they tend to have a strong influence on how their children make career decisions.

While most parents report having little to no influence on their children’s careers, research indicates that children have a different perception, stating that their parents played a significant role in their career choices.

Research shows that parental norms and values most often affect children’s career aspirations via parental interactions (Lavine, 1982), involvement in schoolwork (Simpson, 2003), and gender expectations (Jacobs, Chhin & Bleeker, 2006; Hesse-Biber & Carter, 2000). While parents may assume other variables, such as occupation or education, to be most influential, their influence is most often exerted through normative channels, including their interest in schoolwork and aspirations for educational achievement (Simpson, 2003).

What are the Pros of Children Choosing a Career Based on Their Parents’ Expectations?

According to Michael Rutter (2000), “Young people tend both to share their parents’ values on major issues of life and also to turn to them for guidance on most major concerns.” Therefore, parents’ financial and socio-emotional support for a particular career path may boost the child’s self-esteem and career self-efficacy.

In addition to financial and socio-emotional support, parents provide valuable learning experiences through their own role models and supporting activities in exploring career interests.

What are the Cons of parent’s Involvement in the Child’s Career Choice?

The danger is that children may aspire to a career that follows their parents’ norms and values without developing their own sense of self. Jacobsen (1999) pointed out the following wager: “If your family’s values mesh with your own, you can find strength and guidance in them throughout your career. However, if these values don’t mesh, you’ll build a career that your parents take pride in, but that leaves you frustrated and empty” (Jacobsen, 1999, p. 101). For that reason, parents need to understand the many ways they can influence their children’s career choices.

What is a healthy level of involvement for parents?

Planned and proactive parents’ involvement is the best approach. Before discussing career choices with their child, parents should reflect on their own expectations, unfulfilled childhood desires, and what had influenced their career choices.

Parents should strive for their child to do their best, regardless of their career choices. Research shows that children who are expected to do their best become more focused on career-relevant goals and report high motivational levels. This positively affects their ability to reach certain career goals, leading to a sense of accomplishment.

What are healthy ways for parents to help kids navigate career choices?

Parents can help their children navigate career choices by fostering a healthy balance of challenge and support within the relationship.

Challenge refers to the stimulation, discipline, or training that parents and other family members direct toward the child. It also includes the family’s expectations and how much that child wishes to fulfil those expectations. Family support refers to how parents respond to a child, including their levels of comfort and love within the home.

Parents help create a challenging and supportive environment when they allow their children to explore their own interests.

• Allow your child to explore all careers of interest. Let them shadow you at work for a day as well as other people (if possible).
• Attend career choices exhibitions.
• Encourage your child to talk to people from different careers and ask questions about their work and responsibilities.
• Discuss the career your child is interested in from a neutral perspective. Point out the pros and cons, but don’t try to influence a decision.

Acting this way, parents can serve as inspiring role models and empower their children to make their own career choices.

You can use the Superpower Kids My Career Exploration printable.

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Don’t Let Your Parents’ Disapproval Derail Your Dreams

• Ron Carucci

Here’s how to negotiate that difficult conversation.

In every parent-child relationship, there are clashes when our choices depart from those our parents would have chosen for us.

• A part of becoming an independent adult is forming your own convictions and decision-making capabilities.
• So, how do you navigate the messy moment of claiming your independence when your parents don’t approve?
• The ideal approach is to anticipate and address the challenge before it happens. Set aside time to have a conversation around how you want to approach these kind of disagreements when they come up. Explain sometimes you need their support, even if you don’t have their approval.
• When these conversations do come up, resist the urge to defend your viewpoint. Instead, use questions to figure out the rationale behind their objections. They may be driven by deeper anxieties that you can talk through.

Where your work meets your life. See more from Ascend here .

When I was 20, I made the decision to take a break from college and travel the world with a nonprofit organization — earning a very low salary. Privately, I struggled with ambivalence about my performing arts major but feared admitting that to my parents, whose dreams of my going to medical school had long faded. I hoped time abroad would help me sort things out. My father shook my hand, looked me in the eye, and said, “I just want you to know that I don’t approve of what you’re doing.”

• Ron Carucci is co-founder and managing partner at  Navalent , working with CEOs and executives pursuing transformational change. He is the bestselling author of eight books, including To Be Honest and Rising to Power . Connect with him on Linked In at  RonCarucci , and download his free “How Honest is My Team?” assessment.

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How Can Parents...

How Can Parents Help Children Become Successful in Unconventional Careers?

Are there times when you imagine your child being captivated by an artistic or unorthodox professional path? Or, does it bother you when they are interested in pursuing a profession in the arts, such as acting, directing, playwriting, dancing, singing, or music?

What appears to be a love for your child may look like a challenging employment option. You may have imagined your child working in a sector with excellent job stability, safety, and a well-defined career path. Or perhaps something conventional such as engineering, medical science, and management? In such a situation, you are concerned that opting for such a career would be challenging compared to a job in a more traditional sector. There may be more initiatives involved, more hurdles to get established, and more uncertainty daily.

So, how do you react? How do you come to terms with their offbeat career choice or get them to see eye-to-eye with you on their career decision? Here are a few tips to navigate such a situation and make the right call to secure your child’s future:

5 Tips on Helping Children Become Successful in Unconventional Careers

As parents, it’s your responsibility to guide and groom your child for a successful career and fulfilling life. But the age gap or the changing times sometimes become a hassle between the two groups. Let us see the ways in which you can have a smooth discussion with your child about their aspirations, and arrive at the best solution: 

1. Avoid Becoming Overly Protective

It might be difficult for you to let your children be in a risky scenario, so you might strive to shield and aid them with every stumbling block. However, when it comes to their employment, give them some leeway. If you continue to spoon-feed them, they will never experience life independently and will always see you as a backup option. They will rely on you for future issues, reducing their independence and trust in their own decision-making abilities.

2. Remain Calm

So your child wants to be an artist, but you're concerned about his job decision and want him to choose a more logical path? Take little measures and keep your cool. Don't be apprehensive and dismiss their ideas without first listening to them, and whatever you do, don't try to impose your views on others.

Listen to them patiently, support their ideas, and make them feel appreciated. The decision-making process for a job is complicated, and an impulsive reaction from you might shatter their confidence and belief in themselves. Assist them in navigating their options, but do it thoughtfully.

Suggested: How to Start Career Planning Early Tips for Parents of Class 8 & 9 Students?

3. Protect Their Future

You must inspire your child to focus on career research. Make them realise how crucial it is to have a solid educational background, even if they want to pursue a talent-based job. Allow them to participate in extra co-curricular activities to expose them to the reality of the profession and observe how they handle it. This will make them more eager to pursue their passion, but it will also motivate them to conduct an extensive study and establish where they stand in the competitive world.

Suggested: Common Career Planning Mistakes by Parents 

4. Obtain a Commitment from Their End

Children are often drawn to a specific vocation because of its glitter. As parents, you must determine if they are genuinely interested in pursuing it and are entirely aware of all aspects of the profession – good and negative.

Encourage them to conduct their research to learn everything they can about the area they want to follow - the career path, the hurdles, a typical day in the career, etc. It is pretty simple for a youngster to state that they are interested in pursuing a specific career. Still, when they demonstrate the reserve and devotion to spend efforts in learning about a career, that is when you know the child is serious about it. It’s not just a passing interest. 

Suggested: How to Understand Your Child’s Career Aspirations?

5 . Look For a Mentor

Children may not want to communicate their most private sentiments with you because they don't want to bother you, no matter how much you know about them or how effectively you can lead them. That's why assisting them in finding a mentor may help you guarantee they get the counselling they need, even if it doesn't come directly from you.

The Yocket Premium Counseling Services are a great choice to provide objectivity to your child’s career planning. Our experienced team of counselors at Yocket will be confidantes in whom your children may entirely confide and mediators between you and your child. More significantly, they will develop customised tactics for your child's achievement.

Suggested: Addressing All Study Abroad Concerns For Your Child

India is a hub for conventional professions, but due to its still developing socio-economic conditions, the off-beat careers haven’t got the space they should. Our counselors at Yocket can help you and your child look for the most suitable country and university for their career choice. We at Yocket will also help you with the admission process and the other essentials that might look very complicated without proper assistance and research. 

If you are still hesitant or have any queries, do check out our Comprehensive List of FAQs regarding our role in leading thousands of students to the path of success. 

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Navigating the Space Between Students’ Career Choice and Parents’ Expectations

The bond between a parent and a child is special, isn’t it? We connect with our parents through screams and cries and smiles and laughter when we are young. And yet as we grow old this unique channel of communication that once understood literal gibberish that came out of our mouth, slowly loses its thread. At least it seems that way for a time. More often than not, this happens when children are in their teenage years. And the primary area of conflict – their career choice.   

In our years of experience in career counselling , we have often seen that there’s a gap between students’ interests and their parents’ expectations regarding the right career choice. This is the source of much conflict, tension, and stress. Call it generation gap, age gap, or any other name; neither party feels like they are on the wrong side of the line. Then who is?

I guess it doesn’t really matter who’s wrong and who’s right. What matters is that this gap in thoughts and expectations is not only disheartening but also complicates the process of making the right career choice. Because students need the support of their parents as they pursue higher education, not just financially but also emotionally. And parents at the end of the day want to see their child have a successful life and career. 

The bottom line is – we need to bridge this gap between students and parents. How?

Well, both parents and children have to do their part. 

For Parents – How Can You Help Your Child Make the Right Career Choice

According to the Global Survey of Parents report by Varkey Foundation, 62% of Indian parents with kids between the ages of 4-18 years spend on average 7 hours or more every week helping their children with schoolwork and studies. 

Well, that just confirms what most of us already knew – Indian parents are very involved when it comes to their child’s education. And while it’s a commendable thing during the primary years of a child; it can be a little too much as they grow old. 

Don’t take us wrong! We understand that what you think and do for your child is out of love and a wish to see them be successful. But what you have to understand is that at some point they have to make their own decisions. And career choice is one such thing!

You can be supportive, you can encourage them, guide them, help them gather the right information – but ultimately students have to make their career choice on their own. After all, they are the ones who are going to live with that choice for the rest of their lives. 

Observe Your Child’s Interests and Talents

Nobody knows your child better than you do. You have seen them as they take their first step, say their first word. So observe your child, see what activities or areas of study interest them, how they react to certain situations, what subjects or topics do they incline towards, what their preferred method of learning is. These observations will give you a good idea about the interests, strengths, and talents of your child. 

Help them cultivate these interests to see if they can make a career out of it. 

You can also use psychometric tests to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your child to get a better perspective of what their ideal career could be. 

Keep Yourself Updated About New-age Careers

If we asked you what are the possible careers, off the top of your head, you would like your child to pursue – how many can you think of? 3? 5? 7? 

On average, most Indian parents consider at most 7 possible career prospects – most of them pretty conventional like engineering, medicine, law, computer science, business management, finance, etc. And we understand that the appeal of such conventional career choices – they are popular, reliable, and secure.

But there are so many new-age careers today that provide all the same too! Moreover, these careers are tailored to fit the requirements of today’s world. There’s a study by Dell Technology and Institute For The Future on the Future of Economy that shows that the careers that are going to be popular and most relevant by 2030 haven’t been invented yet!

You can’t look at the past to decide on the future of your child. So do your research and keep yourself up-to-date about the new-age careers. 

Avoid Comparisons and Being Dismissive of Your Child’s Interest

Okay… now that we have covered a few things that you can do to bridge the gap between yourself and your child’s thoughts on their career choice, here are two things you really MUST NOT do. 

Comparing Your Child with Someone 

Sadly, a lot of parents are guilty of that. And whatever the motivation of doing that might be, no actual good ever comes with such comparisons. All it will do is make your kid more resentful and give them the idea that they aren’t good enough. 

Your child may not get as much marks as some other kid but might have other qualities and talents that are unique to him. So encourage them and help them cultivate that talent. 

Being Dismissive of Your Child’s Interest

Okay, I get it that student’s often come up with whimsical career choices, often something that you would not have heard of. Sometimes they are themselves confused and fancy a career they think is popular. But being dismissive about it outright is not the way to go. 

It takes a lot of courage on your kid’s part when they come and talk about a possible career choice. Being dismissive about it without a thought will discourage them from speaking to you openly about their career and shut the channel of communication in an instant. It will also make them more defensive and less open to discussion. 

And perhaps your child really has really thought about the career choice and done the research and has a plan. You need to discuss with them their interests and career prospects for a healthy way of finalizing a career choice. 

For Students – What Can You Do To Convince Your Parents About Your Career Choice

Hey…enough of the blame game. Parents are not always the villains you make them out to be. Besides, take note of what J K Rowling said in her Harvard Commencement address. 

“There is an expiry date on blaming your parents for steering you in the wrong direction; the moment you are old enough to take the wheel, the responsibility lies with you.”  

Besides, sure you can blame all the conflict on your parents and scream that they don’t understand you or your career choice. But where does it get you? Nowhere. 

If you think your choice of career is your ideal career choice then help your parents understand why you think so. Convince them, show them you really believe you can achieve all they expect you to achieve while following your dreams. 

And here’s how you do it.

Know the Difference Between a Hobby and a Career

First things first. If you have an interest that you are passionate about – that’s great. But there is a next, very important step – Think about how this interest can translate into a career. Knowing the difference between a hobby and a career is crucial. 

Want an example? Reading is a hobby. You can be a voracious reader and be in love with books more than any other creature on earth – but it is still a hobby. It won’t earn you any living. Now if you want this hobby to become a career – you have to look for jobs that require reading. So, if books are what you are passionate about then do your research about careers like book editor, copyeditor, literary agent, even librarian!

Have a Plan! A Long Term Plan. 

This might be the only time we say this, but Don’t Be Like Phoebe!

Have a plan for your career. Especially when you want to discuss your career choice with your parents. Because if you are going to suggest any unconventional career, chances are that your parents won’t know much about it. 

So you will need to help them understand what the career is all about, what your future look will like if you pursue it, and most importantly why you think you are it is the right career choice for you. 

Moreover, planning doesn’t just mean finalizing a career path. That is just the first step. You will need to plan for every eventuality – what subjects to select, what college admission to aim for, how to build a profile to get you into that college, and more.

Know Where  You Stand for Dream College Admission – Check your Profile Score

Want to convince your parents – plan your career choice like a business report – have your goals, outcomes, and timelines ready!

It’s Not What You Say But How You Say It

This is a very important thing that you need to keep in mind while talking to your parents about anything, let alone discussing your possible future career plan – Don’t Be Rude. 

If your parents agree on your career choice – that’s fantastic! But if they don’t you don’t need to be channel your inner rebel to make your point. You also don’t need to despair. Come up with another plan. Understand why your parents are resisting the idea of such a career, why they think it won’t work, what their fears are. Address their issues and help them understand your point. 

There is no guarantee this discussion will end in one conversation. If your parents aren’t convinced today, then get more information about this career prospect and discuss it again. You can take help from your seniors, friends, or school alumni to show your parents how successful pursuing this career path can be. 

If you are really passionate about a career and know that this is your ideal path, sooner or later your parents will see it too and support you for it. You just need to believe in your own self enough. 

Career Counselling: A Way to Bridge the Gap Between Students and Their Parents

We understand that whether you are a student planning for the future or a parent looking out for your child’s future, making a career choice is a very important decision. And it’s easy to get caught up in your own thoughts and ideas when you are passionately trying to show that your way works best. But sometimes it’s better to understand the perspective of the person in front of you. After all deciding one’s future can’t be done without taking into account all pros and cons and hearing every side of the argument. 

One of the best ways for students and parents to understand each other’s perspectives and concerns and arrive on the same page is by seeking career counselling. An expert career counsellor will act as an unbiased mediator between both parties and help you arrive at the right career decision. They take into account the point of view and opinions of both students and parents and help them understand one another better. 

At Univariety, our career counsellors do not move forward unless a consensus can be reached between the student and parent. They take special care that whatever career choice the student makes has the support and backing of their parents.

So book an appointment with a career counsellor near you today!

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Whose career choice is it – students’ or parents’?

Parents can have very definite ideas about which are suitable degrees and which are just ‘games’. But no child should be coerced into a career that doesn’t match their skillset, says Fareha Yusuf

Fareha Yusuf

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Even the most courageous parents can waver when it comes to their children following an unconventional career path. In Pakistan, where I work, parents tend to believe that you either become a doctor or an engineer or you are “lost”.    

As counsellors, we quickly realise that most parents hold the reins when it comes to steering their child’s future. Parents beam happily when they hear that their children want to become doctors or engineers, and the process is a smooth one. But tell a parent that their child wants to become an artist or a singer, and watch them turn pale.  

Parents are desperate to see a future engineer or doctor graduating before their eyes. All counsellors have seen freaked-out students toil hard to become doctors they never wanted to be in the first place, simply to please their parents. In one such case, the child left medicine after graduating and opted for teaching instead. This was her way of showing her parents that their dream was not her passion. In another, less happy case, the child had a breakdown and ended up seeing a doctor, rather than becoming one.  

Is it a game – or a serious profession?

Arts, music, theatre, dancing and sports are still considered games by many parents – they are not viewed as serious professions. One of my students was offered a place at Yale University to study literature, but his mother insisted that he study medicine at a local college instead. Fortunately, one of his uncles came to his rescue and he ended up graduating from Yale. 

The battle between passion and hope on the one side, and convention and stereotype on the other, rarely ends happily for anyone – but particularly not for the students involved. For them, it can often end in burnout and demotivation, or with stress, anxiety and depression.  

It is interesting to note that whenever demanding parents are asked if they are doing today what their parents wanted of them, the majority will change the subject. A counsellor’s life is full of such stories: one generation acting in exactly the same way their own parents did, in an attempt to make the child happy and successful.  

Engineering success

The role of the counsellor is tricky but pivotal in assisting both the parent and the child during this decision-making time. In most cases, the parents are victims of societal pressure and tend to view certain professions as being more financially secure than others. They believe that security is the path to happiness; they do not understand that that their children would be happiest if allowed to choose their own paths.  

During my meetings with such parents, I often ask them if they know any successful artists, and they immediately name Picasso or Leonardo da Vinci. I then ask them if they can name a successful engineer. Most often they can’t. 

I will also turn on the National Geographic channel on YouTube. There we see a photographer, hanging from a helicopter in order to document a certain landscape. Once I see the parents’ attention locked for a few moments on that scenario, I mumble “ah, what days those were”.

Then I gently lead the discussion on to drones and new technology. More often than not, the parents agree that the pace of change in the modern world is unprecedented. I let them take this home for our next meeting.  

Understanding parents’ fears

The next meeting is often an improved version as parents open up to the prospects of new careers in emerging fields.  

While we as counsellors do understand parents’ fears, we need to gently show them the hopelessness experienced by children who know that what their heart finds magical is dust to their parents.  

No child should be coerced into a career that is not aligned to their skillset. They are going through a period of self-discovery, and they will never be able to reach their full potential unless they are allowed to forge their own paths. Forced career choices often result in lack of progression, dissatisfaction and poor performance at work. 

As counsellors, we need to educate parents about the breadth and diversity of the current job market. A child who is good at art and at physics or maths can become an architect. A child who loves sports can become a physiotherapist.  

We must be active listeners. We have to help the parents open up and discuss their fears and concerns. Empathy is the key to successful communication. 

Parents’ Influence on a Child Essay: How Parents Affect Behavior and Development

Do you wonder how parents influence their child? Read our parents’ influence on a child essay example and learn about the parental impact on behavior and development.

Introduction

• Financial Resources
• Education Level

Unemployed Parents

• Involvement of Parents
• Support from Parents
• Understanding of the Child’s Future
• Motivation from Parents
• Parental Goal-Setting
• The Importance of Discipline

Parents are means of structuring their child’s future. They have a very crucial role to play in their child’s growth and his/her conduct. During the days when schooling was considered to be accessible only to the children of the opulent, those who were not privileged enough to go to school, remained at home and helped their parents in daily chores.

Such children used to emulate their parents in their deeds and conduct. “In large part, we as children are shaped by what we see our parents do and how we see them act. I know that I have tried to model after my parents in many ways because I think they have done many things right” (Enotes, 2010).

But during the years, owing to the numerous opportunities available, parents have started devoting more time towards their work. Moreover, education has been simplified and has easy access. Children have started going to schools and as such, both parents and their children don’t have enough time to spend with each other. But still there are parents who devote time towards their children and try and teach them.

It has been observed that children, who have their parents’ guidance and participation in their school activities, achieve more in life as compared to those who totally depend on their schools. “…is that when parents get involved in their children’s education, they offer not only information specific to the classroom, but likely help in giving children a broader level of academic information” (Jeynes, 2011).

There are a few factors related to parents that have a major role to play in the child’s upbringing and education. These are:

Financial resources of parents

Financial resources mean the income of the parents. If the income of parents is good, they can afford to provide extra study material to their child at home. There is a lot of referencing material required by children and as such parents earning better can provide their child with books, periodicals, magazines, etc. Technological devices like the computer play an important role in a child’s standard of education. Parents earning handsomely can provide their child with a computer at home so that he/she can complete online projects. “Poverty takes a toll on students’ school performance. Poor children are twice as likely as their more affluent counterparts to repeat a grade; to be suspended, expelled, or drop out of high school; and to be placed in special education classes” (Education).

Education level of the parents

If the parents are well educated, they ought to understand the importance of education and will encourage their child to study better and up to high levels. Uneducated or less educated parents will not be able to understand the importance of moulding their child’s career from the early school days. On the contrary, well educated parents will understand that for achieving success and objectives, the foundation of their child should be strong.

Unemployed parents are disgruntled and as such the atmosphere at home is not conducive for a child to study. Children find it suffocating at home and as such can’t concentrate on their studies even at their schools. Nicole Biedinger remarked that “…it is hypothesized that the home environment and family background are very important for the cognitive abilities and for their improvement” (Biedinger 2011). He further continues that “Previous research has shown that there exist developmental differences of children from different social classes” (Biedinger, 2011).

Involvement of parents

It will not be contradictory to state that parents and schools have an equal effect on the development of children. Both have an important role to play and are links to a child’s future. Even if one of the links is missing, it will have a negative impact on the child. Parents can get involved in their child’s upbringing by keeping a constant vigil on his/her school work. They can also visit his/her school on occasions such as parent-teacher meetings, annual days, sport events, social get-togethers, etc. All this will help in developing confidence in the child and also a sense of safety and protection.

Once a child is grown up, the parents can still contribute towards building their child’s confidence and identifying his/her qualities by talking to him/her on various career related issues.

Support from parents

Even if parents are not able to contribute financially by providing the essential tools for education, they can at least act as moral boosters for their child. They can inculcate, in their child, the habit of studying hard in order to attain success in life. Such children can defy all odds and prove to fulfil their parents’ aspirations. Alison Rich emphasized that “A cognitively stimulating home need not be one that is rich in material resources. Parents can simply discuss issues of importance with their children, talk to them about what they are doing in school, or spend time doing activities that will develop their skills and abilities” (Rich, 2000).

Parents’ understanding of their child’s future

Simply by getting involved in their child’s school activities, parents cannot guarantee their child’s success. Parents should be well acquainted with the ongoing educational process and various courses available. Information on when to go for any particular course is very crucial. As for example, parents must be aware of any courses that their child might require before going to the college. There are various pre-college courses that improve the grasping power of students. Further, a child will not be able to tell as to what he/she wants to achieve in life. But parents, by knowing his/her interests, can assess their child’s inclination and can further encourage him/her to pursue those interests.

Motivation from parents

Usually, parents tell bed-time stories to their children. These stories have a great impact on the way a child thinks and are instrumental to quite some extent in moulding his/her behaviour and conduct. So parents should tell such stories that have some moral values. The child will get inspired from them and behave accordingly. Stories of heroes and successful people will encourage the child to be like one of them. Parents can also motivate their children by doing good acts themselves.

Parents to set goals for their child

Achieving one’s goals in life is a very important factor of success. Success comes to those who achieve their aims and objectives. Even though there are no fixed parameters for achieving success, it solely depends on the hard work, enthusiasm and motivation of a person. These qualities don’t come instantly but have to be nurtured since childhood. So parents, who want their child to succeed, should start giving him/her small targets to be completed in a given time-frame. Gradually, the child will be habituated to achieve targets and this will be helpful to a great extent in his/her future life, may it be his/her education or career.

Inculcating the importance of discipline

Being disciplined is one of the most critical requirements of being successful. Similar to the habit of achieving targets, discipline also doesn’t come instantly. It has to be inculcated since childhood.

Parents can teach discipline to their child by following certain rules. They can have strict time frames for different activities of their child at home such as study hours, watching the television programmes, having supper and other meals, and going to bed. A sense of responsibility can also be imposed on the child by allocating to him/her certain house-hold tasks.

Having mentioned all the above factors, it can be concluded that parents have an ever-lasting impact on their child’s education. It has been observed that in cases where parents have involvement in their children’s education, the children portray the following virtues: better grades at school, better rates of graduation, fewer absentees from school, better inspiration and confidence, abstaining from drugs, smoking, alcohol and other sedatives, transparency, and being responsible.

Both parents and the school have to work in mutual co-operation to enhance the educational experience of a child and to mould his/her career. In fact, schools encourage parents to be more involved in their children’s activities because the school authorities know that parents’ involvement can bring about great positive changes in the students. That’s the reason schools invite parents to attend various school activities and functions.

Biedinger, N. (2011). The influence of education and home environment on the cognitive outcomes of preschool children in Germany . Web.

Education. (n.d.). Out-of-school influences and academic success-background, parental influence, family economic status, preparing for school, physical and mental health . Web.

Enotes. (2010). How do parents influence children in life? Web.

Jeynes, W. (2011). Parental involvement and academic success . New York: Routledge.

Rich, A. (2000). Beyond the classroom: How parents influence their children’s education . Web.

• Chicago (A-D)
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IvyPanda. (2023, February 13). Parents’ Influence on a Child Essay: How Parents Affect Behavior and Development. https://ivypanda.com/essays/parents-influence-on-a-child/

"Parents’ Influence on a Child Essay: How Parents Affect Behavior and Development." IvyPanda , 13 Feb. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/parents-influence-on-a-child/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Parents’ Influence on a Child Essay: How Parents Affect Behavior and Development'. 13 February.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Parents’ Influence on a Child Essay: How Parents Affect Behavior and Development." February 13, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/parents-influence-on-a-child/.

1. IvyPanda . "Parents’ Influence on a Child Essay: How Parents Affect Behavior and Development." February 13, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/parents-influence-on-a-child/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Parents’ Influence on a Child Essay: How Parents Affect Behavior and Development." February 13, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/parents-influence-on-a-child/.

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Ask a Career Coach: How Should I Convince My Parents to Let Me Pursue My Dream Career?

I was sitting with a child who had come in for counselling, and looking at his career discovery report, particularly his aptitude and personality. A career discovery report is a report that a student gets after the Mindler Assessment, it suggests the students’ best fit career matches based on an evaluation of over 56 dimensions, including  orientation style, interest, personality, aptitude, and emotional quotient.  He had the right set of skills to become a lawyer, if we could just show him the right direction. It would only take a few months’ preparation and I was sure he would score well enough to go to a National Law School.

So, it began. I started explaining to him the strategies he needed to crack the CLAT, what it consisted of, and what his future would look like if he just remained persistent for a few months. He was quite keen, I could see that in his eyes, but he didn’t say a word for the entire session. I took that as a sign of his interest in what I was saying. When I finished, he finally spoke, “Mam, how can I convince my parents about this? They will not agree to this.” I was taken aback, just like every time. And just like all the other times, I had the same answer, “Don’t worry, I will talk to them.”

Out of every 5 students, at least 2 have the same kind of question.

The burden of their parents’ expectation weighs them down each time they think of a career their parents don’t have clarity on. I know that children need to be shown the right path, but sometimes it is the parents who have to be explained that the right path is the one the child wants to walk on him/herself, and is best suited for.

Here, I have collated a few points from my experience, which can be used to convince parents to let you pursue your desired career:

1 . Be Clear About Your Goal: If you want to convince your parents, you have to be very clear about what you want to accomplish. You might want to be a wildlife conservationist or fashion photographer, and that is great. But if you are not sure about your goals and the strategy to accomplish them, you are not ready to ask your parents to listen to you. So, it’s time you set your mind on something – that’s the first step!

2. Do Some Research: If you want to tread on a career path your parents may not be convinced of, you need to switch-on the research mode. Find everything you can about that career, whether it is college or course, curriculum, entrance exam, job opportunities, or even the course fee. This will give you the confidence to talk to your parents, and convince them you are, in fact, serious about pursuing a particular career – the most important decision of your life. They are likely to be more open once they see your seriousness about pursuing that career. This will also help you educate them about a career they were relatively uninformed about.

3. Talk to People in “Your” Career: When you are interested in a particular field, it is always a good idea to connect to someone from that domain. Now-a-days, it is relatively easier to connect with people through LinkedIn and professional groups on Facebook. These people have probably been in your shoes at some point in their life, which is why their insights about a career can prove helpful to you. You get an idea about the kind of life this career would give you, the career progression, working hours, the money you can make, etc., and make an informed decision. You can even ask your parents to get connected to such professionals if it gives them the assurance they need.

4. Apply for a Scholarship:  Scholarships are financial aids to empower students to pursue higher education without depending on anyone for sponsorship. If you feel passionately about a career, try and secure a scholarship for it. It will not only give you the confidence and resources to pursue the career of your choice, but also make your parents realise your seriousness about it. Once your parents see that you can sponsor your own education, they will definitely support you in your endeavours!

There are some genuine and great scholarships available to pursue higher education in India. Read here:  Top 7 Prestigious (and Popular) Scholarships for Indian Students

5. Make a Logical Career Plan: If you are clear and confident on the career path you are considering for yourself, convincing your parents would be easy as long as the career path is logical and in sync with your abilities. There are many factors that you would consider before choosing a career path, such as your interest, whether your personality is right for that career, and so on. For example, you may have got the best marks in computers in class, but you may not be interested in making a career out of it. These things need to be explained to your parents.

Confused about the right career? Learn about the Mindler assessment . 

6. Tell Them About Aptitudes: Our aptitude is our natural ability to excel in a particular field. There are different aptitudes that are required for different careers. For example, spatial aptitudes are related to your skill of visualizing three dimensional figures, and people high on this aptitude do well in fields such as Urban Planning or Architecture. For careers such as management, aptitudes such as Logical Reasoning and Numerical Reasoning should be high. Aptitudes are thus, in resonance with the kind of skills required for a job. You should talk to your parents about aptitudes and tell them that it is necessary to have the right kind of aptitude for a particular career, and that you might have an aptitude for something other than what they had in mind. When they find out, it will definitely change the way they think.

Mindler Trivia: The Mindler Assessment evaluates you on not one or two, but ten aptitudes, including Abstract, Verbal, Logical Reasoning, Creative, Spatial, Language Usage, Numerical, InfoTech, Mechanical and Perceptual!

7. Seek a Teacher’s or Career Counsellor’s Help: If you feel like you are not equipped to deal with your parents’ questions about why you are choosing a career they do not approve of, it is better to involve a teacher or counsellor. They know how to deal with such situations better than you, and have real life knowledge of dealing with such differences in opinions. Chances are, you and your parents will feel much more sorted in terms of career choice if you seek help from experts.

Schedule a 15-min call with Mindler Experts.

Effective communication is the key element of conveying your thoughts to your parents. Learn how to effectively communicate with them

We hope these points give you the confidence to convince your parents that you need to be happy with whatever career you choose, and if you have chosen a path, you will do your best on it.

Have any other thoughts or something that worked for you in convincing your parents? Share with us in the comments below.

Shivani Khatri

Shivani is a go-getter by nature who firmly believes in “Fight for your dreams”. Extremely passionate about helping people, and very dedicated to her work, she bases all her decisions on diligent research, hard facts and a positive outlook. Traveler by instinct, and empathetic by core, Shivani literally strives to make the ends meet, when it comes to making the right career call for her counselees.

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