When Minds Differ.
Listen to what your son says. As he gets older you may start to hear that he likes different things than you do. Next, you may hear that he wants to choose a different career path than you think is right for him.
What should you do?
Ask yourself this question. What do you want for your son? Joy and happiness in the things he does, or a son who is “kind of happy” living the life you wanted for him.
If your son says he wants to go to college, his high school counselor will give him the information he will need about testing and applying to colleges. Once he is in college he will learn that his major does not have to be declared his freshman year. This will give him time to explore his options. He has time to research his dream major, and then to change it, if he discovers it is not all he had hoped it would be. College is a time of exploring what works best for him. He will learn not only from his professors but from his peers and from upperclassmen too. If he asks for your input, share your ideas and thoughts with him. He will learn from you too.
If your son says college is not for him, then you need to be his advocate. Help him through this process as he prepares for his future. He needs to visit his high school counselor to discuss his options. This is important. He needs to see his counselor early in his sophomore year. There are trade schools, work / study plans and many other options available to him. Once the counselor gets to know your son she, or he, will have some good suggestions for him. Remember Tip # 50, Time Management. Starting career discussions early equals putting the big stabilizing rock in that jar. Your son cannot wait until his senior year to start making career plans or he will find that he is running out of time and may be heading into a minimum wage job with limited growth potential.
There you go. Another lesson for today. Now go and love your son in your own special way. Some days are long but, trust me, the years will just disappear.
Love,
MarnaKay
Boys 