Does a child has the right to choose for his/her future career

While I was checking my old files in my locker, I saw the speech of my student and started to read it. The speech was simple but it was full of information. Then I remember the time when I was going to enroll in the university. ( I was 16 years old that time. Still young and full of dreams.)I do not know what major should I take even I already have plans in my mind. That time, I was  planning to take Political Science then I will proceed to Law School. That was my plan. However, it changed when my father told me to enter the seminary in Cavite. At first, I was hesitant because I do not want to be a theologian. But at the end, my father was able to convinced me to enter the seminary. If you will asked me what is my profession now, I will tell you that I did not become a pastor or a priest. I am a full-pledged school teacher. I became a teacher after I graduated from the university, and this is my 11th year in this profession. I enjoy my work and I love it.

This scenario always happen between the parent and the child, and this is common in our country. But the question is this, “Does a child has the right to choose for his/her future career? Let me share the speech of my student. This is worth reading even it was addressed to her classmates.

Hello to everyone. Did you decide for your future career? Now you are a student, but someday you will choose a career, right? Also, your parents will be concern about your career, too. However, many parents force their grown-up teenager to decide for a career that they want, instead of giving advice to their children. The roles of the parents are important for their children. However, parents should know what their children want to be in the future, and they should support and encourage their children.

All parents love their son and daughter so much, so they want their children to be successful persons, and to live a happy life. Therefore, parents tend to expect their children to be a doctor, a nurse, or a lawyer. However, if the children will choose what their parents want, then there is a possibility that they will not be happy and cannot be a successful person. Even though they succeed, it will not continue forever. Do you know why? If a person cannot do what he wants, then he does not have enthusiasm to do his work effectively, and cannot enjoy what he is doing. As a result, that person will live unhappily and will not be successful. In short, parents can ruin their children life instead of improving them. The meaning of choosing a career is to decide how to live your life. It means that a chosen career has many effects to a person’s life, so children have to choose by themselves.

The reason why parents choose for themselves is that they want their dreams to be fulfilled through their kids. Many parents became frustrated because when they were still a kid, they were not able to do it, so they are forcing their children to do it for them. Even though they have reasons, they cannot force their children to do it. Parents also argue that they raised their children, so they have the right to choose for their children. However, both reasons are not acceptable. Once a child became 18 or 19, he or she is dependent and can have an own life.

Parents know what are the aptitude, interest, intelligence, and personality of their kid very well. They raised their children for many years. When parents and a child discuss about choosing a career, they must consider their child’s opinion too. However, parents sometimes do not consider it. A grown up teenager knows better than his parents when it comes to his interest, aptitude, intelligence, and personality. He cannot tell everything to his parents like a young child. He has his own idea for his future. He keeps on finding what he likes to do, and what skills he wants to improve. Therefore, parents should consider a child’s opinion.

I therefore conclude, a career of a person plays a large role in his happiness. Let the grown-up teenager choose a career which he / she wants based on his / her interests, aptitude, intelligence, and personality. Teenagers sometimes think differently and illogically, so they need their parents’ advice and guidance.

This is __________ from level 6. I hope your mind is clear with this issue. Thank you for listening and have a nice day.