How to nurture your child’s career development at an early age?
Photo by Katerina Holmes
Kids often start aspiring or choosing their future careers as soon as they are four or five. It’s not strange to hear a five-year-old saying, “I will be a pilot when I grow up,” or “I want to be an engineer when I join university.” According to The Washington Post, as a parent or guardian, you must find ways to nurture your child’s career development from an early age. Perhaps you view your child’s career dreams as trivial childhood fancies, or you condemn your kid for mentioning a profession you don’t approve of. But did you know that you have a responsibility and duty to nurture, motivate, guide, and challenge your child to achieve their dreams?
Here are ways to nurture your child’s career development at an early age:
Expose your kid to different activities to see what arouses their interest
The first and most important way to nurture your child’s career development early is to give your kid opportunities to try out new activities. For instance, you can expose your child to science, travel, nature, animals, and museums, among other interesting activities. And always remember to pay close attention to identify the activities that attract their attention and interest.
If you identify a subject they’re interested in, or they demonstrate enthusiasm toward, inspire and facilitate them to learn more. If your child shows interest in science subjects, particularly the anatomy of the human body, get a science book about anatomy for kids to learn more. Ultimately, exposing your child to different activities will help you identify what piques their interest and nurture them in that direction.
Assist your kid in discovering their strengths and passions
The other way to nurture your child’s career development is by encouraging your kid to visit a career coach to take aptitude tests. Popular aptitude tests your child can take include Holland Code, The Myers-Briggs test, and the Strong Inventory.
Ensure your child takes several aptitude tests from which you can identify patterns. If your kid shows interest in a career that doesn’t align with their strengths as indicated by the tests, don’t rule out that alternative as a career. Rather, find ways to nurture your child to bring their natural strengths into that profession. Eventually, by helping your child discover their natural strengths and passions, you can easily nurture them to develop toward the career of their choice.
Be an excellent example to your child
Naturally, your kid sees everything you do and how you do it, so strive to set a good example by engaging in work you enjoy. If your kid watches you develop a career you like, they’ll learn that it’s probable for them to choose a career they’ll enjoy.
They’ll also learn that nobody is too old or too young to engage in activities they love doing. Ultimately, setting such an example to your child can be one of the best ways to nurture them for their future careers.
Desist from treating your kid as an extension of you
Each child is born unique and possesses unique personality attributes and interests. For this reason, you need to refrain from dictating to your child the career choices you prefer them to take. Your child is not you, nor are they an extension of you!
If you discover your child likes spending time on Art and Craft projects instead of doing their class assignments, avoid forcing them toward the latter. Be respectful of their decision to follow or not follow a certain career choice. Show your child how studies can support their desirable career choice and encourage them to pursue both for the benefit of what they like.
Take your child to the right school
School is integral to nurturing your child’s career development from an early age. Concerning school, it’s not a must you take your child to the most expensive school. Instead, consider the school’s subjects and summer holiday activities students can engage in.
That way, you can choose a school where your child will have an opportunity to engage in activities they like. Ultimately, your child can study in an environment that contributes to their future career development.
Concluding remarks
Helping your child discover their career interests and nurturing them to realize their dreams is your responsibility as a parent or guardian. You can use the above five tips to nurture your child’s career development early.