While you grapple with a paint brush, the child produces a Michelango!

If you happen to be a parent, chances are that you’ve spent days and nights manoeuvring the course of your child’s career path. Your child, on the other hand, might have spent double the time wondering and creating her own air castles, or perhaps, on some occasions, flown a plane or two in his dreams, surprised you with her bold brush strokes, or spent her evenings writing brilliant pieces of fiction. The colour palette in a child’s hand is more diverse than the rainbow, and can paint dreams and visions beyond the parent’s imagination.

An interesting experiment conducted under #DoYourHome work campaign revealed quite similar results. The children and their parents were asked to paint what they would like become when they grow up, and what they would like to see their children become in future, respectively, without talking to each other during the experiment. The results of the experiment were exemplary. The parents’ expectations regarding their children’s career aspiration were more or less dichotomous to what the children had envisioned for themselves. The experiment was videographed and is available on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTaHzfWsrcA

Now the question arises, what can the parents do to ensure that their children’s career aspirations are not compromised? The answer lies, quite interestingly, in homework! If you think that finishing homework has got something to do with only children, then you are wrong. Yes, you read it right. Children are no longer the only ones who need to finish their homework in time. It’s their parents, who need to catch up and spend some time to ensure that their child gets to choose a career path of his choice. What can parents do to ensure this? The answer lies in identifying your child’s niche. Several useful experiments and activities were held under #DoYourHome work campaign at places like Crossword Bookstores, across 7 cities in India and Kidzania, Mumbai. Tools like the ‘It’s a Draw’ board game under the same campaign can also prove useful.

It’s also important to ensure that the parents are financially prepared to afford their child’s choice of career. Do campaigns like Save Less & Share More (Taxman campaign on Equity Linked Savings Scheme) attract your attention? We have come a long way in ensuring wise financial decisions on our part. Now it’s time to extend our prudence and ensure a successful career for the next generation. The ‘Home work’ App has achieved unprecedented success in compiling the estimated future value of costs of education in a multitude of courses across the globe. Such tools can help parents in better planning.

While the parents grapple with the paint brush, the child produces a Michelango! A child’s imagination can never be, and should never be, controlled. The future can’t be predicted, but parents can always ensure a bright future for their children. It’s never late to start planning. Identify your child’s interests, and let her shine!