Find out how to help your child choose their future career

It's during their children's 9th year that parents almost always seek me out for the same reason: they're so lost, have no idea what they want to pursue, and have to choose in the next few months...

What pressure! What distress! Felt by the children, who for the most part are still comfortably settled in the third cycle without worrying about their grades and on autopilot with the curricular programmes that are proposed and imposed on them by the school, whether they like them or not, whether they have more or less aptitude, they all follow the same programme with little room for choice (apart from languages). And suddenly, just by finishing the third cycle, a completely different scenario opens up from what they had until then. Now it's up to YOU to decide where you want to go. You're grown up now and therefore perfectly capable of choosing what's best for you, to lead you to the course you want to take. Course? What course? Choose, me? Decide? What? I don't know… I don't know… I'm afraid of making a mistake… I'm not sure….

These are the thoughts that plague the concerns of young people, and rightly so! But also those of parents who want to help them, but feel powerless and lost in the face of such a decision. What options are there nowadays? What course is best suited to him/her? How can I help him/her without interfering in a choice that must be his/hers?

Throughout their children's lives and growth, parents have unknowingly equipped them with tools that may now be very useful: Curiosity, when teaching them new things and instilling in children a desire to learn and know. proactiveness, when tidying the room and participating in daily chores at home, responsibility, to study to be good students or to help when parents are more tired, to own your choices, When choosing a sport or leisure activity.

I could give so many examples of educational practices that are gold dust within the home and family, and could be of great value at this time of decision-making. But the truth is, when the time comes, a series of doubts and insecurities appear that interfere with the process and distress parents.

Here are 10 concrete proposals to help your child at the moment of choosing:

1. Create informal conversation moments about each family member's likes and strengths, parents, children., discuss the qualities one another.
2. To provide relaxed moments of sharing and leisure, a game, a family activity. It allows create open communication channels in both directions.
3. Transmit Confidence and pride in their abilities. Sometimes we think it's obvious, but do they know I'm proud of the qualities that make them unique in the world?
4. Share the working day. In real life, not everything is rosy; a realistic perspective on what a parent's work life is like, with all its good and bad points, will help them get to know the world of work.
5. Talk about how it was your academic journey, how you chose your course, your profession, and what your day-to-day work is concretely.
6. Give them the opportunity to make decisions on their own. Small decisions in which they feel they can be trusted to choose responsibly.
7. “Do not avoid adversities ”Give life, teach them to overcome them," Pasteur once said. Being resilient and capable of overcoming difficulties is an indispensable tool in the lives of young people.
8. Will be made available to look for information with them about courses, professions that exist and to share information that they think they might like (e.g. sending links via WhatsApp, suggesting websites)
9. Relieve the pressure the excessiveness of the decision, the paths are not all the same and at any time one can change direction. Professional choices should be made with consideration and responsibility, which does not mean they are lifelong and unique.
10. Convey to them that they trust at your discretion. Parental support helps, expectations only hinder!

I hope these proposals can be useful to you and that you feel more capable and competent to help your children choose their professional path in FREEDOM and with Trust! If you want to learn more strategies, ask us in the comments, consult our website or send us an email to info@integrativa.pt.

Sofia Raposo | Psychologist and Personal and Professional Coach

I believe that human beings are endowed with infinite potential, and it is within ourselves that we find the solutions to achieve our goals.

Integrativa | Your health in good hands.