Parents should not decide their children's career paths. While parental guidance is valuable, i believe the ultimate decision should lie with the child. After all, it's the child who will attend classes, do the work, and live with the career they choose for the rest of their life. Forcing a career path onto someone may lead to frustration, lack of motivation, and even failure.
Take my own story as an example. Right from secondary school, I developed a deep love for animals after raising some poultry birds. It was then I knew I wanted to study agriculture and focus on livestock farming. Fortunately, my mum recognized my passion and fully supported my decision. She saw that I was determined to pursue agriculture, so she had no problem with it. Now, I’m in my fourth year in the university studying agriculture, and I’m thriving. Over time, I’ve gained a vast amount of knowledge in both animal care and plant management, and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Because I had the freedom to choose a field I’m passionate about, I can excel without feeling trapped.
However, not everyone is that lucky. One of my classmates originally wanted to study public health, but he gave in to his parents' wishes and chose Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) to make them happy. Unfortunately, it’s been a struggle for him. He’s failed repeatedly, had several carryovers, and was eventually forced to change his course. Now, he’s back in 200 level studying public health instead of being in his final year. If his parents had supported his original choice, he likely wouldn’t have been in this mess, wasting precious years trying to force himself into something he had no interest in.
Sadly, his story isn’t uncommon. Many parents, perhaps out of love for their own aspirations, try to advice their children to go through specific career paths. A common example is when parents, who are lawyers, expect their children to also become lawyers. This might make sense from their point of view, but when a child expresses interest in something like music, for instance, the parents often dismiss it, claiming it’s unrealistic or unsustainable. This kind of pressure can seriously affect the child’s performance in school. Most times when students are studying something they aren’t passionate about, it becomes much harder for them to focus and succeed.
I’ve also seen cases where people go through the motions of school just to please their parents, only to switch careers later on. My brother is a perfect example. He studied medicine for years in Russia, but his real passion was computer science. He only chose medicine because our father wanted him to become a doctor. After goung through difficulties in school , he graduated and ended up discarding his medical degree and pursuing his dream in tech, where he’s now thriving as a successful website owner. Even though, he found a way around this by eventually following his passion, not everyone can afford to waste five or six years studying something they don’t care about. I know I couldn’t. I’ve experienced how tough school can be, and I wouldn’t want to spend all that time and effort just to abandon the field after graduation.
The point is, students should be allowed to make their own decisions about their career paths. It’s great when parents guide and advise, but in the end, the child needs to follow what they love and are passionate about. Only then can they stay motivated and excel. Choosing a career just to please others rarely leads to long-term success or happiness.
This is my entry for the #octoberinleo contest for day 21. You can also participate by clicking here
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