PARENTS' IMPACT ON CHILDREN'S CAREER DECISIONS

By: Arabella R. Alayon

BS Accountancy

Students have always discussed what they want to be when they grow up ever since they were
young. They want to be engineers, nurses, police officers, flight attendants, and various other
occupations. But as people become older, they gradually realize that their choices about their
careers and jobs significantly impact their lives. The students are under a lot of pressure to pick a
career, a lot of it coming from their parents.

Lukasz Laniecki said that people grow up in a belief system in which children should always
make their parents pleased and happy (instead of making themselves proud and content). For
instance, despite the trends like the attachment individuation theory claims that most
communities have become more individual-centered than social in the way they live and make
personal decisions, particularly career decisions, according to Chifamba. It is shown that parents
(family at large) strongly influence their children's career decisions.

According to Mark Quinto's findings, eight (8) out of every ten (10) students considered cheating
academically at least once within an academic year which some parents inculcate in their
children. Career choice is the decision to choose a specific career path or occupation. Children
are primarily forced to select a particular career or course of study during the transitional stage.
Parents play the most significant role in any child's career choice.

How a child is raised is one of the factors that parents have the most influence over. Family
values and culture are key factors to consider when a child matures. Adolescent children often
ask their parents for guidance because they believe they will have their support. However,
parents often become more demanding and intrusive when their children start to drift away from
them. Being selective and being supportive are two entirely different things.
Parents start their child's life outright, including sports, socializing, or school. Parents respond to
their child's daily decision-making as they become autonomous adults. Parents may experience
either pride or disappointment as a result, which further fosters parental individuality. Not all
parents are amenable to this, and when their child decides they want to attend college, their
controlling intentions add to the pressure to select a school—often a four-year institution.

The level of pressure on a career decision might also vary depending on the relationship between
a parent and a child. It is beneficial to have a close relationship with your parents. Still, even
then, parents often have higher expectations for their children's careers and even harbor the hope
that they will follow them. That is not always the case.

Even in complex parent-child relationships, occupational preferences might vary. The child's and
parent's feelings are often ignored when choosing a profession. Although it is crucial to debate
and clarify the perspectives of all sides, there is not always an equal exchange of information.

Parental pressure does play a role in career choices. They might make their child pursue the
career they want or fight for the career the child love. Parents only want what is best for their
children. However, children also need to be open to the profession they want and weigh the
choice.

Making a choice concerning this essential phase of the transition to maturity requires careful
consideration of a variety of elements. Even if parents do not decide their child's career, they can
at least help them make an informed choice.

Parents must always keep in mind that their children's careers come first. A student should be
allowed to make decisions based on interests and dreams. Parents can advise but cannot mandate
or force a child to follow a particular job.

Parents should encourage their children to consider various careers or follow a path that makes
them happy. Although parents may offer their input, a child's career choice is theirs. It is normal
to deviate from parental expectations to find fulfillment in the career a student wants. Since life
and actions depend on them, people, in general, should not be hesitant to express their desires.