Encouraging Our Youth When They Express an Interest
Has there ever been a time in your life when you were drawn to something that truly sparked your interest? Maybe you were a part of a class trip in school and found yourself captivated by what you learned, or maybe you saw something special in someone you met, and you desperately wanted to know more about how that person was able to be the way that they were. These are the types of things and experiences that can pull ourselves out of our daily routines and make us want to do something more. They create interest and exploration in us and can give us a sense of purpose.
When our children, no matter their age, feel something that is driving them in a different direction, conversations need to begin quickly between parents and their children. Hopefully the interests of our children match the established family morals and values. And, it’s important to make sure that children understand the possible outcomes of the courses of actions they choose. It’s like a movie I saw recently on TV where the son really wanted to be a fire fighter, and the mom wanted him to go to college. After weeks of mom ‘nagging’ for him to finish his college essay, she finally realized that firefighting was her son’s passion, and saving lives is what he wanted to do. He didn’t want to go to college, because he knew what he wanted to do. The mom had to step aside and realize her son’s dream. She began to encourage him to follow his interest and to stop ‘pestering’ him to follow the path that she thought was best for him…
