This is a guest post with heavy edits by Lei Han
Probably one of the most awkward and challenging phases in our lives was our teenage years. As adults, we probably remember how it was. We went through a lot of mental, physical and emotional changes and life during that period was often confusing and scary. Now that we are adults and have growing kids, it is important to understand how to help our teenagers think about what they want to do when they grow up. Discussions with your teenager will not only help them but will also forge a closer bond between the two of you.
There are actually many resources out there to help parents or guardians guide their teenagers. Here is one of them to help you provide proper career advice to your child. It highlights seven tips.
Tip 1: Listen to Them
Sometimes, all teenagers need is someone who will listen to them. If they already have ideas about what they want to pursue for their career, it’s important to lend them your ears and don’t judge their ideas.
- Be open to what they have to say and encourage them to pursue what they want or what they think will work for them.
- Keep in mind that as part of growing up, teenagers will have their own dreams and aspirations, and this will surely reflect on the career path that they will want to pursue.
If they came to you not having any idea of what to do with their life yet, don’t pressure them. Instead, take this opportunity to help them explore career options.
Tip 2: Talk About Their Career Ideas and Future Plans
Kids will surely have people that they look up to during their teenage years. At the same time, they will have their own talent, passion and dreams that they will want to pursue. It’s important that you take some time to talk to your teenager about their career plans. The goal is to help them think constructively about what career they might want to pursue.
If taking a career test can help them figure out what to do in the future, then talk to them about taking it. You can also talk to them about people that they look up to or would want to be like once they start working. Taking time to talk to them can help teenagers find the inspiration to choose the right career path.
Tip 3: Think About Their Talents and Qualities
Apart from their dreams and aspirations, you can also help your teenager choose a career based on their skills and knowledge. For example,
- If your teenager is good at and enjoys coding and designing websites, maybe he would like to pursue a career as a website developer or establish his own web design business.
- If he is good with art, he can become a commission artist, a painter, a graphic designer, or even a game designer.
Nowadays, a child’s natural interest and talent can come in very handy in various careers, especially with how technology has made a lot of knowledge and skills much easier to acquire.
Tip 4: Empower Them to Explore Their Strengths and Passions
Encouragement can go a long way when it comes to pursuing one’s passion and skills. Not everyone will see eye to eye with your teenager, but as a parent or guardian, your guidance and words of encouragement can be a great emotional and mental support for them. So if your teenager share with you that they want to pursue a career that is relevant to their passion, encourage them.
Tip 5: Help Them Find a Suitable Mentor
Once your teenager has determined one or several career direction to explore, you should then help him find a suitable mentor. A good mentor for your child should be
- Someone who has a successful career in the field your child wants to explore.
- Someone you respect and believe can provide sound advice that you may not be able to.
- Someone who can commit sometime to share their advice or guidance over time with your teenager
- Someone who your teenager can click with personally – this is key as your teenager will not listen to anyone they don’t respect or get along with.
Recognizing that you as the parent or guardian, won’t have all the knowledge to guide your teenager is smart. By finding a mentor or two for your teenager, you not only can help your child immediately but they can also learn how to find future mentors as they grow up into adults.
Tip 6: Be Patient and Encouraging
The path towards success is not always an easy one. Before anyone ever achieves success, they usually have to go through a lot of challenges and difficulties. Your teenager will surely go through the same challenges in one way or another. As a parent or guardian, it is important that your teenager knows that you are there to guide and support them no matter what. Your presence in their life no matter what challenges they face is always important for their mental and emotional health.
Tip 7: Help Your Teenager Distinguish between Dedication and Obsession.
When it comes to pursuing a career, there is a thin line between dedication and obsession. There are two nuances to this
- As the parent, you cannot obsess over your child’s career exploration more than they do. You need to let go of your ambition for your child and really support them in their dreams. This is sometimes very hard for highly competitive, overachieving parents.
- It is also important that your teenager understands the difference between dedication and obsession. It’s okay for them to really dedicate to their passion, but teach your child that work is not everything in life and thus work shouldn’t turn into an unhealthy obsession. Help your teenager understand how to navigate failures and keep going instead obsessing over failures and shortcomings.
At the end of the day, it’s important to teach your child how to set boundaries when it comes to working hard. Their physical and mental health should still be a top priority. Stress and missteps are inevitable parts of pursuing a career, so it’s important to teach them healthy ways to relieve stress and be resilient against unexpected obstacles in life.
Final words
No matter what career your teenager decides to pursue, your presence and guidance in their life will always be of great value. As a guardian or a parent, it is your duty to support them as they take on various new paths in their lives. Knowing you are always there to listen, to guide and to celebrate with them will be an invaluable foundation for their journey in life and in their career. At the same time, you will also feel the joy of being an integral part of watching them grow into high achieving, and happy adults.
Your comments: Do you have additional tips to add or follow up questions? I look forward to your comments
Your comments: Do you have an inner voice that tells you that you are not enough? Do you where it comes from and how to ignore it? I look forward to hearing from you.
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Lei
Guest Author: Marquis M is a free lancer writer.