Son's career choices

amother

OP ↓

Yesterday at 4:23 pm

My son has been insisting that as soon as he's old enough he wants to work as a construction worker. I'm kind of disappointed because I would really like him to learn through his 20s and if he's going to work to get a skilled job with better conditions and earning potential. I would much prefer him to be an accountant or medical professional then a construction worker.

I'm trying to figure out how to respond. I really hope he'll grow out of it but he hasn't changed his mind since he started with this idea almost 2 years ago. He's my oldest, and 4 years old already.

shabbatiscoming ↓

Yesterday at 4:26 pm

He's 4 year old and your worried?
Also, let him come to israel where so many now only want jewish construction workers.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Yesterday at 4:28 pm

shabbatiscoming wrote:

He's 4 year old and your worried?
Also, let him come to israel where so many now only want jewish construction workers.

I'm not worried per se. If he really wants to do it then it's not the end of the world.

More like wondering if I maybe I'm doing this parenting thing wrong. Maybe my values aren't coming through clear enough to him. Maybe I should be buying less trucks and more books. Something like that.

I know I'm probably being overly anxious for no reason. But he's my first...

amother

Mistyrose ↓

Yesterday at 4:29 pm

amother Forsythia wrote:

Electricians, plumbers, contractors can make good money. In any case you should be supportive of his choices.

Hello? The kid is 4! I can guarantee that he's not thinking about money now.
Does OP not remember what she wanted to be when she was 4?

amother

Butterscotch ↓

Yesterday at 4:29 pm

Lol! Sounds like my son. I'm very supportive though he already has an orange vest and has all the truck sounds down pat at 2.5.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Yesterday at 4:29 pm

Success10 wrote:

That's so cute! Get him the Carters construction pajamas. Don't squash his dreams!

Right so I did. Now I'm wondering if that was a mistake. Maybe I should have gotten him Alef Bais pajamas instead.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Yesterday at 4:29 pm

amother Mistyrose wrote:

Hello? The kid is 4! I can guarantee that he's not thinking about money now.
Does OP not remember what she wanted to be when she was 4?

I wanted to be a mommy when I grew up and that's what happened. So you really could do what you thought you would be when you were 4.

↑ Success10 ↓

Yesterday at 4:30 pm

amother OP wrote:

Right so I did. Now I'm wondering if that was a mistake. Maybe I should have gotten him Alef Bais pajamas instead.

You're being controlling. Not all toddlers are cut out for kollel.

amother

↑ Mistyrose

Yesterday at 4:31 pm

Success10 wrote:

You're being controlling. Not all toddlers are cut out for kollel.

Maybe he'll be the one building the kollel a few years down the line. It's just as chashuv.

↑ shabbatiscoming ↓

Yesterday at 4:34 pm

amother OP wrote:

OP, you are way over thinking this. He is 4. Give him time and the space to grow up and be what he wants to be.
And be proud of him for whatever he will end up doing professionally.

ittsamother ↓

Yesterday at 4:34 pm

Lololol I'm very sorry OP if this is not a joke and you're serious, but I'm rolling. My almost 5 year old wants to be a ballerina. So I help her put on her leotard and tutu when she dresses up. There are kids who want to be frogs or dinosaurs as toddlers, what they play at the age of 4 has no bearing on what they're going to do when they're 24. Let the kid play and have fun, you have years to shape his future. Even when a kid is 15 they have no idea what path their life will actually take!

Hashem_Yaazor

Yesterday at 4:37 pm

He'll probably go through an astronaut and fire fighter stage...

That being said, my son who is in bais medrash commented to me last week that he notices a lot of boys who aren't cut out to sit and learn any more are going into construction. It's not really outsourced so there's always parnassa and if they're with other guys who had been sitting and learning, the environment isn't horrible. Just saying that it's not so crazy if he really wants to do this in 18 years. But a lot can happen between now and then. He hasn't even started learning Chumash to even know what a glimpse of learning is!

amother

↑ OP ↓

Yesterday at 4:39 pm

ittsamother wrote:

So it's okay if I buy him more trucks and that won't make him more likely to pick this as an adult? I just don't want to mess up. I know he would rather a garbage truck for Yom Tov over a doctor set but if he becomes a garbage man I'm going to feel really guilty.

You sound like your kids are older and you know better.

amother

Celeste

Yesterday at 4:39 pm

My 4 year old also wants to be a construction worker. They can be partners! He has all the construction ikippas and full construction worker outfits and he's great with sharing so your layout costs should he minimal.