Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion What do they want to be ?

At 10, my son has big dreams - he wants to be a professional soccer player, playing in the Premier League in England He does know that probably won't happen (he's a great player, plays up a year, with kids who are now turning 12, so we can dream). Yesterday we were talking about how his soccer coach is already talking about getting the kids seen by college recruiters, and how it's pretty clear that some of the parents are, indeed, hoping their sons will get soccer scholarships. Yikes - so young! My son said that if his soccer career doesn't work out, he'd like to be a teacher - something he's never mentioned before. I asked why ? He said that when he's finished with his math in 5th grade, he helps the other kids out, explaining stuff to them - and he really enjoys that !
(I should also mention that he does go to 6th grade in Middle school for math, so I don't have a problem with him spending time helping in 5th grade). I realise that he will change his mind many many times over what he wants to be, but I do like that he thinks being a teacher is cool Much better than the politician that his teacher suggested he might be last time we spoke !

DS6 wants to find a cure for all diseases (without the use of shots) end world hunger using sustainably grown organic crops, and design cars for people by reusing items they don't want anymore (so like the upholstery in the car might be from your old couch) and then pair the customer with a local artist for a custom paint job.

In his spare time he plans to work as an undercover cop and be a movie director. Oh and be a "super scientist". An expert in all disciplines who pretty much knows everything.

DD is only 4 but has already changed her mind a few times on what she wants to be. First, it was astronaut, then firefighter, then gutter cleaner and now a part-time park biologist/part-time pilot.

NCPMom, teaching is truly an admirable and satisfying profession-half my family are teachers. KJP, no matter what your ds becomes, he is sure to make this a better world for all of us.

Let's see -

I believe the latest for DD9 is to be a writer. This is something she consistently falls back on between wanting to be a vet, or a teacher, or inventor, or who knows what else.

DD8 is pretty sure she wants to be a vet that also does animal rescue. She gets excited when DD9 starts to shift towards being a vet too because she wants her sister to be her partner in their practice together.

DD14 is cursed with multi-potentiality and finds that career tests from school just make it worse. She takes after me. DD12 wants to be a scientist - astronomy and chemistry top her interest list for the moment. DS9 wants to create a teleporter so he could just push a button on my smart phone "and just be there." Can you tell that he is the third kid who has gotten dragged to everyone else's stuff for far too long?

DS8 has had math professor as his career goal for the last two years (NCPmom, remind your son that a professor is a teacher, too.) Then second careers pop on and off, such as gourmet chef or novelist.

Potential enables, passion informs.

I hope he reads about Norman Borlaug, since the stated means would increase world hunger rather than end it.

DS7 wants to have his own company that builds androids. He is then going to use his robots to do all of the things that he doesn't like to do (like his homework) and sell them for millions. He has already designed his company logo and is always thinking of new features that they should have.

Failing that he says he wants to be an engineer, astrophysicist or chemist. I'd be extremely shocked if he ends up in something non-STEM related.

DD5 doesn't want to talk about it. I'd guess she's going to be more evenly talented but we'll have to wait and see.

DD14 also has the curse of multi-potentiality riding her fairly hard.

She is seven months away from enrolling in classes, and already she's changed her major twice.

We keep telling her to "work hard to keep as many doors OPEN as possible-- and then, explore."

She has wanted to study:
sociology
psychology
political science
immunology
forensic pathology
ornithology
mathematics-- sp. Statistics (this is a fairly enduring interest)
computer science
electrical engineering
biochemistry
physics
materials science
history

She wants to BE a research professor. She just isn't sure what field. LOL.

You may or may not want to pass this on to your DD, HK, but I have a PhD in Materials Science, and it's a great field for a polymath. Since all of the engineering disciplines use "stuff," you end up learning a little bit of most every kind of engineering - electrical, mechanical, chemical, even some civil engineering. At MIT, I took a materials science / archaeology class. I stumbled upon this because I had to declare an engineering major while I was a sophomore in high school (long story), and I picked the one that I could double with anything else in the department. It turned out to be so fun that I stuck with it. (Of course, now I don't do any engineering - I'm a patent lawyer. Which is another fun field for someone who knows a little bit about a lot of different things.) If she decides she's interested enough in it to want to talk to someone with a degree in the field, I'd be happy to talk to her.