If and when I become a parent, I wouldn't want to dictate my children's careers but I would love to provide wise counsel/guidance with respect to this issue and others as well.

However I will not be party to any money miss road careers or projects in the name of '' I am exploring to discover myself''. You can explore all you want on your time and with your own money as a full grown and financially independent adult.

As a parent I will also strive (by God's grace) to introduce as well as encourage my children to learn a trade like baking, sewing, hair styling, repairs of electrical appliances etc, etc  So they can acquire skills and learn early in life the different ways in which they can do honest work and earn a living.

IMO, formal education is not all that grand neither is it everything we need to survive and make an honest living. Some times I feel I wasted 6 years of my life focusing on education and getting a degree in Law (to the detriment of all other things).

Chai, if only I could turn back the hands of time my priority would be acquiring skills in a particular trade of interest before acquiring a formal education. The former would certainly pay me better than the latter

@ dayokanu

What's wrong with Anthropology or Communications as a course of study? I'm LOL at your post.

I guess overseas where people incurr student loans, the course of study would matter. Here in Naija though I've come to realize what you study doesn't really matter employers are often seeking fresh graduates with any background and are willing to provide the requisite training after recruiting them.

A friend had to settle for a job in the banking sector after several failed attempts to get into Nestle,Cadbury and other FMCGs such as the two mentioned. Meanwhile she has a tight 2:1 in Food Science and Technology and has no business with the banking sector.

I don't think any course of study would be a waste, so long as a person can prove their capabilities and show that indeed they are well informed and educated about issues that matter.

Nigerian parents typically don't believe in letting their children decide life for themselves. They want o make all the decisions from A to Z for their children and then start wondering later in life why the child doesn't know how to make good decisions. You never let them make any.

Parents are right a times.

thats not true

Every parent has atleast once implied that they want their child to be a doctor.

I will say whoever is paying should have some say. You don't expect me as a parent to pay for my child to study ponography or you don't expect a parent to support their child to take on prostitution as a career or do you?

..

parents force here in naija cos they believe the nxt junction aint cool 4 d kid so he gats to grab wat they ar holdin b4 its too late. fear of d unknown. naija is unpredictable bt dat aint cool 4d kid cos of frustration n unfilfilment.

really, i love enythin art n dat led me thru art dept. back in sec. sch bt my dad wantd me to go back n take science stuffs cos i play wit electronics at home bt i knw my capabilities n i'm very inquisitive bt odas dont undastand dis later i was forced to apprentice as an electrician bt if u see me, u wil neva believe i can touch a live cable, nw i fix phones, computers, elects n oda tins bt my mind is stil on entertainment. it jus pays off a little cos at least, i make some money doin all these fixin.

If you teach properly you certainly don't need to force or to dictate anything. Good information makes for proper choice. But you can't give what you don't have so the onus is on parents spending time to train themselves and open up to proper information about life issues.

Parents should guide their children, not force them, because forcing them may not yield desired result.

If your child says he wants to be a DJ grow dreadlocks and sing raggae

But Bob Marley is celebrated worldwide today. I think he succeeded because he was allowed to follow his heart. Or what do you think?

Parents can monitor their children know what courses they choose, but do not force them to fulfill their ambitions, not their children. They not only guide the selection,

Wahala90:

But Bob Marley is celebrated worldwide today. I think he succeeded because he was allowed to follow his heart. Or what do you think?

Would you allow your own child to embrace that kind of life?

It is not logical because people have different interests and abilities. Besides, it is not a guarantee that when your father is a lawyer you automatically become one you might became a musician or some thing else which is not related to law. It better for parents to guide but not dictate.