NIGERIAN PARENTS AND CAREER TOXICITY
In every family and regardless of their background, a large percentage of a child's future is highly dependent on the knowledge, wisdom and moral values instilled on the child while growing up. A childs choice of career should be self-decided but can only be guided and supported by parents provided it is ethical and of positive moral values.
Recent advances in Nigeria has shown that parents are the pivot for decision making as to a childs career. It is no stale knowledge that every Nigerian parents wants their ward to pursue a career in professional fields such as Medicine, Law, Engineering, Architecture just to mention a few without considering the childs innate ability that are either talents or gift. Some parents/guardian wants their ward to pursue a particular career in order to succeed the position they occupy. They believe that maximum respect is accorded to those who practice the aforementioned careers, thereby making them occupy a niche at the helms of affairs in the society when they become independent.
In every pursuit of life, personal interest matters a lot before taking any life choice. If a child is forced to pursue a particular career without their personal interest being considered, the child will pursue this career with aggravated grudges which then leads to increased emotion and decreased critical thinking. For instance, a child with a good voice for singing and interest in music should be allowed to pursue a musical career and not being cajoled or forced to pursue a more professional career as against the childs interest; a child who is actually good in designs and has a flair for architectural works should be allowed to pursue a career in architecture and not medicine or other professional career. Personal interest matters a lot. If a child pursue a career based on their parents choice, there is a high tendency that the child will abandon the career later in the future once he/she becomes independent. There are numerous cases of Professionals owning Commercial/retail outlets, farms, and other investments outside their professional field which they focus on full time and rely solely as their solely as their only source of income.
Evidently, those with a Professional skills and career are not the richest in the society and it is quite obvious that not everyone will attain a professional career, especially in Nigerias education system where the JAMB FACTOR will make student end up pursuing a career that is out of their choice or personal interest. The world is changing into digitalization and most parents/guardian of this contemporary time were born before the digital era are quite oblivious of the digital age and opportunities that lie within it. Artificial intelligence, automation and robotics will over time take the place of professional skills thereby rendering people with such skills jobless in the nearest future.
The popular adage that says not all fingers are equal should also apply to Nigerian parents in the aspect of career pursuits for their wards. Moreover, Biology has defined it that no two humans are totally the same, bringing about variation in Morphological and Physiological characteristics between parents/Guardian and their ward.
Conclusively, A Yoruba adage says lati kékeré la ti n pèka ìrókò, which simply means One should teach a child the way they should live so that when they grow up, they will not depart from it, these only applies to moral, character and learning but does not apply to the aspect of career choice/pursuit as this is solely the childs decision to make.
Thank you.
Onele Emeka James,
emekyne@gmail.com
Recent advances in Nigeria has shown that parents are the pivot for decision making as to a childs career. It is no stale knowledge that every Nigerian parents wants their ward to pursue a career in professional fields such as Medicine, Law, Engineering, Architecture just to mention a few without considering the childs innate ability that are either talents or gift. Some parents/guardian wants their ward to pursue a particular career in order to succeed the position they occupy. They believe that maximum respect is accorded to those who practice the aforementioned careers, thereby making them occupy a niche at the helms of affairs in the society when they become independent.
In every pursuit of life, personal interest matters a lot before taking any life choice. If a child is forced to pursue a particular career without their personal interest being considered, the child will pursue this career with aggravated grudges which then leads to increased emotion and decreased critical thinking. For instance, a child with a good voice for singing and interest in music should be allowed to pursue a musical career and not being cajoled or forced to pursue a more professional career as against the childs interest; a child who is actually good in designs and has a flair for architectural works should be allowed to pursue a career in architecture and not medicine or other professional career. Personal interest matters a lot. If a child pursue a career based on their parents choice, there is a high tendency that the child will abandon the career later in the future once he/she becomes independent. There are numerous cases of Professionals owning Commercial/retail outlets, farms, and other investments outside their professional field which they focus on full time and rely solely as their solely as their only source of income.
Evidently, those with a Professional skills and career are not the richest in the society and it is quite obvious that not everyone will attain a professional career, especially in Nigerias education system where the JAMB FACTOR will make student end up pursuing a career that is out of their choice or personal interest. The world is changing into digitalization and most parents/guardian of this contemporary time were born before the digital era are quite oblivious of the digital age and opportunities that lie within it. Artificial intelligence, automation and robotics will over time take the place of professional skills thereby rendering people with such skills jobless in the nearest future.
The popular adage that says not all fingers are equal should also apply to Nigerian parents in the aspect of career pursuits for their wards. Moreover, Biology has defined it that no two humans are totally the same, bringing about variation in Morphological and Physiological characteristics between parents/Guardian and their ward.
Conclusively, A Yoruba adage says lati kékeré la ti n pèka ìrókò, which simply means One should teach a child the way they should live so that when they grow up, they will not depart from it, these only applies to moral, character and learning but does not apply to the aspect of career choice/pursuit as this is solely the childs decision to make.
Thank you.
Onele Emeka James,
emekyne@gmail.com
Comments
Lovely write up.More grace....