Common question? Not here.
The first time I asked that question here (to Frenchguy's niece, she was 8 years old then), the parents (and the grandparents) looked at me like as if I'm from another planet. But hey, isn't it the first question asked in the Little Miss Philippines pageant on the primetime show Eat Bulaga?
With the look I got from everybody, I quickly understood that it's not their ordinary topic. French kids don't dream of becoming a doctor to help poor kids nor an astronaut to go to the moon at an early age (or at least to those I frequent). My niece had a massage kit when she was 3 years old because she wanted to be a physical therapist like her Mom and Dad. I asked the same question to kids of her age here and the parents had a good laugh out of my question telling me what do these kids know about professions at that age?
I met two parents with grown up daughters and they have a common problem. Their daughters still don't know what to pursue at 16 years old.
Frenchguy's niece told us she wanted to be a cashier in a department store when she grows up (she was 10 years old then). That is just to end the conversation. And I'm sure no Filipino kid will dream of that job even from the poorest of family. She's 12 years old now and still doesn't have any idea of what her dream job is.
My niece, 7 years old now, still dreams to be a Physical Therapist. She's studying in Japan (in an American school) and the first in her class.
Moi wanted to be a teacher before (like my parents) then changed my mind at 10 years old. My love for Math was probably encouraged by the dream of becoming an engineer, I don't really know. But this dream surely led me to where I am now.
How about you? Do you encourage your kids to dream big at an early age? How is it in other countries?
Posted at Pinoy Moms Network.
13 years ago
26 comments:
that's the first time i've heard that a kid wanted to be a cashier someday. i guess in pinas, it's always a practive to teach our children to dream big, like become a doctor someday even if the parents know that they don't have the funds to support the tuition. since more than half of the population in our country is poor, education is our escape from this situation. so we really need to dream high.
in my case, i think i'd encourage my kid to maximize his/her talent and dream big too.
i forgot this: my love for math is also the reason why i wanted to become an engineer. engineer ka din pala? what field are you in exactly? girl power tayo!
Hi Analyse! Jeje, my first ambition was to become a yaya. I think a lot of kids actually like the idea of becoming a cashier and punching buttons all day long :D
I really like the high school system here in Sweden. After grundskolan (9 years of basic education) the kids go to a gymnasiet (secondary school, 3 or 4 years yata) where they can choose to concentrate on vocational training if they want to work as a plumber or carpenter right after school, or art or music for those so inclined, or natural sciences for those who want to go on to engineering courses at university.
Sa Pilipinas wala kang mararating ith a blue collar job, sadly... kaya panay matataas ang ambisyon ng mga magulang para sa anak nila, katulad ng pagiging doktor o abogado. Physical work just isn't command the same amount of respect (and money). Kung tutuusin, mas malaki ang contribution ng mga yaya o basurero sa bayan kaysa sa mga lintek na pulitiko :D
Gracita, i guess i'd encourage louna to at least dream of becoming somebody someday. i think it's fun and at the same time help kids to focus on something. sarap kayang mangarap di ba haha..
girl power? like that hehe. im a chemical engr from mapua, ikaw?
Christianne, France has almost the same system. my point is that, most kids still don't know what to pursue when they reach secondary school. if only they dream early, i guess that would help them to decide what they would do next. .. when frenchguy's niece answered she wanted to be a cashier, it's just to end the conversation, it wasn't even her dream. as in till now, wala pa din.
and hey, i'm dreaming of shifting to becoming a yaya right now. it's a noble job, you know, and at the same time, i could take care of my own daughter. im just tired of the corporate world... kaya lang we still have to pay the house, kayod muna hehe.
I think dreams change as we grow old but parents support are very important - at least to help a child in discovering or experiencing different things as early as possible. I really do believe they help build a path to a dream.
I think kids here in France are just too overloaded & stressed out of school work that they can't even dream :D
now this is interesting to know. I always asked my kids what they want to do when they grow up, and it differs from time to time, but the bottom line is they want to be in a line of work that help others in need like fireman or policeman or doctor.
Louna is so cute she can also be an artista or a model in Pinas someday :D
that comment was from me....
My mom influenced me to become a CPA. Ako naman sunod lang... Hehehe...
i'd always wanted to be a pilot nung bata pa ako. but studying it is way to expensive for my family and hindi ako pede kasi may height requirement na hindi ako papasa. but i never regret anything that i had done. kasi that dream encourage me to be who i am right now. :)
I encourage Alexis to follow her heart & nurture her God-given talents. She's not really sure yet what she wants to be when she grows up, although she talks about becoming an artist, an author, or a singer. She also excels academically, and is intrigued by Astronomy. I see a lot of potentials.
But for me, it's not really that important to "dream big" especially when it's not really your passion (you know how some kids are pushed into becoming someone they don't want to be). Dreaming big can sometimes lead you to the biggest disappointment. I set my expectations, and I do set them high, but I make sure to keep them realistic.
hahaha ang haba ng comment ng lola! lol
I also ask the same question to my daughter and her ambition differs all the time. At one point after visiting ToysRus, she decided she wanted to be a cashier as well. I guess, the money exchange and all the buttons fascinated her then. She even asked for a toy cash register for Christmas. Sometimes she wants to be a doctor, a policewoman, a firefighter, a teacher, a singer. I say, you can be a singer and a firefighter at the same time. I try to encourage her that a girl can be anything she wants to be.
And yes, I dont hear a lot of non-Filipinos ever asking about ambitions to small children. I guess its a Pinoy thing.
Ana, true that. But for most kids, paiba-iba naman (ako yaya muna ang gusto, tapos lawyer at teacher... ended up with an engineering degree and working in IT) :D
what an eye-opener! i didn't know the french aren't familiar with the "what do you want to be when you grow up?" concept.
i still don't know what i want to be when i grow up! hahah... ever since i was 3 years old though, i've always wanted to be a writer. still do. that and a rockstar. yeah, i'm dreamer...still dreaming!
p.s. just wanted to say congrats on your green card (albeit a bit late!)
p.p.s as for the perfect time to have a 2nd kid? hm... i think i'm ready for one emotionally but not financially. but you also have to keep "reality" in mind --as in your age, his age, louna's age, your goals in the future, etc. so even though you may not necessarily be fully ready again (really, iit is hard to tell), you should think "big picture."
Makis, yes, you're probably right, they're too overloaded here hehe. i was just surprised when i learned about that here, parang very common question kasi sa atin.. and it became taboo here.
JO, o di ba, at least they have an idea of a possible job when they grow up..
Linnor, hehe. My mom dreamed of having a teacher in the family, walang sumunod.
AirWind, o di ba, at least you had 'that' drive... kumusta ka na?
Rhada, your Alexis' got a lot of potentials, im sure she will know what she wants in due time.. pero at least she's got choices na di ba... that means she thought about the question already.
Leah, it probably is a pinoy thing, as you said. i've asked a lot of kids here already, and i always had that same look.. non-sense yata ang dating sa kanila hehe.
Christianne, so we almost had the same 'ambition' pattern hehe.. in fact, i also thought of becoming a fish dealer when i was a kid haha, cute kasing tignan pag ginagatang ang dilis hehe.
Kat, keep on dreaming hehe.. but me thinks you're already a writer and a rockstar!
ps: thanks!
pps: ah, tell now, i don't know yet.. but frenchguy already stopped asking the question, so i feel better now, i dont feel guilty anymore hehe.
Well most parents I know here they ask their children on what they wanted to be when they grow up.
When I was young I already been dreaming of becoming a star or a celebrity... hehehehe
I'm a reception class teacher in the UK and I did ask the kids in my class what they want to do when they grow up, I get answers like "fairy" and "don't know". They're 4 and 5 years old after all and hey, "fairy" is totally cool. At least can fly ka and maybe in the next few years maging pilot yong sagot. Wishful thinking.
in the phils, dreaming big is encouraged because the cost of living is high. in developed countries, as long as you earn minimum wage, you can afford the basic necessities. sa tingin ko yun ang dahilan.
my son wants to join the Military to follow his father's footsteps. he also wants to be a nascar driver and make the next installment for George Lucas's STAR WARS.
we tell him all the time and he could do all those but after college, hehe. Any course, probably be in the Film area for the Star Wars dream so either way, college is inevitable :)
people in the first world really does not care much about what they want to be when they grow up.
they're a pampered lot- they can easily get what they want and the government will support them no matter what (e.g. social security, federal loan, etc.) unlike sa atin sa pinas we dream big and high because we want to have security.
besides it's also sa outlook nila, like here in the US they don't mind about your social standing, they'll respect you basta nagtatrabaho ka ng marangal. i've seen janitors talking casually (kabiruan pa minsan) to the president of the company which will never happen sa pinas.
i had some elderly patients who would proudly say that she's been a waitress for 22 years!
napadaan lang at nakisabad na po ako ano?LOL
care to link uP?
people in the first world really does not care much about what they want to be when they grow up.
they're a pampered lot- they can easily get what they want and the government will support them no matter what (e.g. social security, federal loan, etc.) unlike sa atin sa pinas we dream big and high because we want to have security.
besides it's also sa outlook nila, like here in the US they don't mind about your social standing, they'll respect you basta nagtatrabaho ka ng marangal. i've seen janitors talking casually (kabiruan pa minsan) to the president of the company which will never happen sa pinas.
i had some elderly patients who would proudly say that she's been a waitress for 22 years!
napadaan lang at nakisabad na po ako ano?LOL
care to link uP?
In developing countries, people tend to drive themselves towards professions that will make them earn to have a decent quality of living, students tend to choose courses that would give them higher and better chances of employment. Whereas in developed countries, the need to be concerned about their bank accounts is not as great; and because poverty is not prevalent, people have more inclination to pursue their real passion... say, the arts, literature, etc. and they'll still be able to live comfortably.
Hayyy, if I had known better when I was still younger - I would have worked towards my "dream job" harder. But anyway, now is not too bad either =)
Oh, my younger brother wanted to be a "MetroAid" (Philippine street sweeper) when he was 4 years old. How about that??? =) Hehe! He's studying Mechanical Engineering now. Kids change what their minds all the time! It's a matter of how the parents are able to expose them to as much as they can absorb, in order to equip them with a sound knowledge and variety of choices to be able to at least categories skills or professions that they are interested in and are good at.
Chase, go for your dream.. me thinks you're almost there ;)
Mac, thanks for visiting ;). big dreams start from little cutie dreams like that di ba.
Anonymous, you're right. I guess people here know that they will nevertheless live (not survive) so that don't motivate them to dream big. Whereas in developing countries, it's a way out of poverty.
DexieJane, i think every kid, in one moment of their kid life, dreamt of doing the same as their parents. cute no hehe.
Mitsuru, here in France, the standard of living starts to be really high that gap between rich and poor starts to be visible in the society. And since education is free, I would like to take advantage of that and let Louna chose whatever education she would want when time comes. I don't want to influence her but I would really prefer that she focus on something so she could lead her life in function of that dream.
ok for exchange links.. ill update the link later ;)
Jovs, swerte ko pala that I pursued what I really dreamt of. And yes, exposure is one thing. Engineers are everywhere in the family, so the result.... hmmm, will Louna dream to be an engineer too?... i guess she's dreaming about eating all the time, even when she's sleeping.. la gourmande!
When my daughter was 7 yrs old, she wanted to be a firefighter, then teacher..paiba-iba. Now that she's 12 yrs old, she wants to be a neswcaster someday. Kukuha raw sya ng mass communication sa college. Yung iba naman na kakilala ko, kung kailan nasa 4th yr highschool na doon hindi alam kung anong kurso ang kukunin.
Ann, and it might again change.. most kids are sometimes influenced by their peers.. kung ano ang uso hehe.. but the most important thing is the encouragement that kids receive from her loveones di ba.
Lolo and I decided for anjo and margie to take college degre that do not requires much of their time slaving for the Boss.
So to be computer tech or working in a bank 9-5 work is already good, less stress and hardwork.
I wish them to be profs also like takng medicine, airline pilot, gynocology (for anjo) hehe, but its all requires hours and hard work and studies.
Baka margie can be medical secretary na lang.
Yoko naman sila cleaners like mama.
Great info and insights :) Thanks for writing this article. It is well written and is really current.Thank you.
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