The role of parents is very important in a student’s life because it’s only the parents who can instill in their children the confidence to chase their dreams armed with the right perspective and perseverance. A student who had had the support of his/her parent’s is much more likely to meet up with success later in life! A career propelled by the parent’s encouragement and student’s hard work is sure to catapult to the highest pedestal of success! You have seen successful entrepreneurs, confident managers, and athletic sportspersons, razor sharp scientists; whichever field a student has chosen they have always reiterated that without their parents the unconditional support they would never have reached the pinnacle of success!
The Right Start
It is very important that the student gets the right start in their career! If they don’t then they are sure to bungle and mismanage! As we have firmly established the fact that a parent’s proper support helps a student to march towards their respective goals, the opposite also holds true, the slight erring of judgment can throw their wards career into complete jeopardy! Parents are known to be influenced by the shackles put by society; they are much likely to capitulate to societal norms! So if a daughter aims to be a fighter pilot there are only a few who would stand staunchly beside the daughter’s unshaken belief! They could hardly have the courage to nix the naysayers! Also, the sky-high expectations some parents burden their child with often puts too much pressure on the poor ward! Worried that their parents might be disappointed if they do not follow the path shown by them, they concede to their wishes squashing their own dreams in the process. If they are not happy with their careers from the very onset! Would they ever be happy in life? Even success would prove to be elusive!
How Will the Parents Help in Career Development?
The parents are also clueless sometimes as to how to help their children maneuver their careers! So how should they help their wards? The parents can follow the following guidelines to help their children-
- Encourage your child to complete their education.
- Encourage your child to unravel their skills and interests.
- Empower them with knowledge about their career and work.
- Help them to make their own decisions.
- Instill in them the power and faith to embrace diversity with equanimity.
- Introduce to career guidance to help them sort out their career.
- Make them aware of the importance of work experience.
Unconditional Support
The parents need to give their children their whole-hearted support otherwise, they might flounder struggling with their nascent career. They must give them their support but not push them so hard that they feel pressurized. They must give them advise but not make decisions on their behalf! Otherwise, they won’t be able to develop their decision- making power. If Parents could remember not so long ago when they also embarked upon their career how they to hated the fact that their parents dominated upon them and did not let them decide on their own! If their experience about their career was bitter how do you think that their children too might like it? Teach them to fly but that’s where they should stop instead of mollycoddling them allow them to maneuver their own career course.
Rectify your child’s Approach
While you should not interfere too much in your child’s career concerns, enabling them to chalk out their own path! You must also ensure where to help them when they need it the most!
- Do not encourage indecisiveness as career decision must be taken early and not wait until the last minute as then it might prove to be too late to rectify things.
- Too many expectations might prove to be the child’s undoing. If you keep comparing your child with others, how he/she could have done better and how their parents are pushing the envelope in every which way possible! Such expectations do more harm than good to children. So get a check on your expectations and let your child prosper!
- Forcing them to take on subjects that they are least interested in! A student can only flourish if they are allowed to take up their preferred stream suiting their interests and aptitude.
- Pushing their children towards a career which is well- paying. A well-paid job is a dream for most of us but what if we don’t get any satisfaction out of it! We only earn but our creative instincts are never contented! We will soon get pretty tired of the job! From then onwards it is only going to be drudgery!
Parental influence is important, as we teach out children to spread their wings we should be supportive but also must take care that these children, with their lack of experience, must not falter and take a false step.” Nothing has a stronger influence psychologically on their environment, and especially on their children than the unlived lives of their parents.”Carl Gustav Jung. These potent lines signify how we should let our children just be and not let our failed aspirations create an unwelcome burden on their young shoulders!
