What do you want to be when you grow up?

Yesterday, we had a visit from Smoky Hill High School's leadership group, "The Brotherhood." During Principal Chats they spoke to our students about the importance of having courage, doing well in school and being successful in life. One of the questions that the young men from Smoky Hill asked our students was, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" The kids shared all kinds of dreams they had, from being an astronaut to being a professional athlete. Now, more than ever, children are seeing that there's nothing they can't achieve.

So what can we do, as parents, to expose our kids to career choices? Children can't know if they're good at something unless they try it. By having a wide variety of supplies available, your children can explore different skills, while having fun in the process. Calculators, math puzzles and games, and building sets are appealing to those who might end up in math or engineering careers. Toy medical kits and a supply of Band-Aids are always a hit and can light a fire in future health professionals' lives. Art supplies, craft kits, and musical instruments may spur an interest in the arts. 

Talk about your own job with your kids! Many parents have jobs that their kids can't really comprehend. They might only know that you work in an office building or a store. If you can, participate in Take Your Child To Work Day (this year, on April 23rd) so they can see what a work environment is like. Talk to them about the education and training you needed to get your job.

Sometimes, it can be tempting for us to see a talent in our children and then focus only on that. However, the most successful people in life have a wide variety of interests and abilities. Be proud and encouraging of your young artist's work, for example, but make sure that he or she also does well in math, science, reading and other areas.

It's also important to be realistic. Many of our kids want to grow up to be professional athletes, rock stars, or the president. While shooting for the stars is wonderful, and you should encourage all of their hard work to succeed, help them also realize that the competition for those superstar positions is fierce. Help them expand their dreams to include their ideal job as well as other related careers. If your child wants to be a pro football player, for example, make sure he or she knows about careers in physical therapy, sports medicine, physical education teaching, coaching sports law, etc.

And, of course, connect their dreams to the importance of staying in school, working hard and listening to their teachers!