I have always encouraged my children to do what they want to do with their lives even though I must admit I thought they would not be very successful. However, that thought process changed one day when Brittany announced she wanted to be an interior designer. I thought oh my the economy is horrible and only rich people can afford an interior designer. As we began looking at schools I was enlighten at the many opportunities the field actually held. She could work on movie sets, furniture stores utilized them along with individuals planning new commercial buildings. Wow there was even more and I was amazed.
This was helpful when Brandon finally confessed he wanted to be a game designer. However, he did state part time. Now when I was growing up and wanted to do things my father would sit me down and ask me all kinds of questions geared towards, have you thought of? We have done this also and it can be discouraging for the children knowing that the field they would like to enter will not be easy.
So, I told Brandon that while the gaming industry is hard to get into I would help to prepare him by finding out what subjects he should study during high school, which I have. I also told him that due to the lack of materials for homeschoolers he could maybe teach a class online or use his God given writing ability to write a curriculum.
While your teen may not want to go into a career that is considered safe, encourage them. Think outside the box of how they can use that knowledge to make their dream come true. Also do the research and find out how you can help them during the high school years. Brandon will be doing a lot of reading and studying before he creates his first game.
