Wishing on Stars

Kyle was bored and asked me what he should play. I told him to write a list of possible careers. Then he could pick something from the list to pretend. This was his list (spelling cleaned up, of course!)
Astronaut
Scientist
Mad Scientist
Secret Agent (Spy)
Archaeologist
Baseball Player
Football player
Evil Football player
Army guy
Ghost killer
Gangster
US President
Farmer
Ninja
Doctor
Racer
Rock star
Actor
Super Hero
Pirate
Cartographer
I just can’t decide what would make me more proud, evil football player or mad scientist. What’s up with the “evil” and “mad” careers anyway? Who thinks of that kind of stuff? I don’t ever remember thinking I wanted to be an “evil teacher.“ (Although my students may argue with that!) How about those “gangster” and “pirate” options? Gee, they are equally lofty ambitions. I also find the order of my son’s possible trades interesting. What made him take the mental leap from gangster to U.S. President to farmer? On the flip side, what would a girl’s list look like? Ballerina, princess, actress, singer, “evil” ballerina?
I’m guessing most mothers look at their children’s lists, their talents, their interests and begin to think of their kids as adults. Sure, we weed out the pirate, ninja, and superhero and pick the more reasonable careers like archaeologist, scientist, and doctor, but what will they become? What can we do to help them achieve their dreams? There is a definite sense of ownership. Being a parent is a stressful job! We feel we have self-esteem to build, skills to develop, and motivation to manufacture. We also have to foster a sense of limitless opportunities. Baseball player, doctor, and astronaut may be far-fetched but anything is possible! Reality dictates, though, that parents are just the compass. All we really do is point our children in the right directions. We take them to baseball practice, art classes, and guitar lessons, looking for those interests. The rest is up to the kids. Knowing that, every wish I make on a birthday candle and shooting star is for my boys…just to grow up to be happy and healthy in whatever they choose to do!