Healthy Kids • YMCA Child Care
From What to Who: Shifting the conversation with our children (Part 2)
13 February 2019 - by Dawn Yan
For decades now, children, teens and young adults have been asked what they want to be when they grow up. For some, the question may seem very black and white, but for many others, coming up with an answer isn’t quite as easy. Who Do I Want to Become? is a bestselling book that offers a refreshing new take on a question that is too often asked and overlooked. By simply switching up the pronoun from “what” to “who”, acclaimed author, Rumeet Billan reframes the traditional question and invites a shift in conversation among our younger generation.
In part one of our blog series, we began to interview Dr. Rumeet Billan—award-winning, internationally recognized entrepreneur, learning architect, speaker, humanitarian, and author of Who Do I Want To Become?—who answered some of our questions about her book. Today we’re picking up where we left off with some advice from Dr. Billian herself for children who are struggling with the question, as well as tips for parents & educators who want to guide the conversation with little ones.
What advice would you give children who are unsure of who/what they want to be when they grow up? What can help with this decision?
My advice would be to explore possibilities and expose yourself to different experiences. My mentor once shared with me that my career wouldn’t be a linear path, and he was absolutely right. If I was stuck on getting from point A to point B, I would have missed so many growth opportunities along the way. Enjoy the detours and learn more about who you are.
In what ways do you think this shift in conversation will affect/influence our future generations and societal culture?
The future should hold excitement, hope and possibilities instead of anxiety, fear and this idea of perfection. Youth are experiencing pressure to know exactly which courses to take to get them on the track to a specific profession. And this pressure comes from various sources: peers, the adults around them, media and their own internal expectations. I believe that if we shift the conversation, and share our own experiences about not knowing what we had wanted to be or even anticipating the jobs that exist today, we can help youth and relieve some of their anxiety.
What would you encourage parents, educators and other Child Care professionals to do more of to help guide children on their path to self-discovery?
Here are a few tips for parents, educators and professionals in this industry:
Tip #1
Be empathetic: Use your child’s reference points to understand what is important to them, where they find meaning and what interests them.
Tip #2
Expose your child to different experiences: Provide children and youth with as many enriching experiences as possible so that they can have a better understanding of the direction that would fit them best. Flexibility to change their mind as they learn about new things should be encouraged and embraced.
Tip #3
Share your personal career path/journey: Hearing about personal experiences can help children learn about different paths and changes that occur along the way.
Tip #4
Ask the right questions: Start with Who do you want to be? There is nothing wrong with asking “what do you want to be when you grow up?” but following that up with “why is that important to you?” is critical. It’s one thing to name a position (ie. doctor, lawyer, teacher etc) but it’s a completely different conversation to discuss the why. “I want to be a doctor because I want to save lives” – the why piece identifies what’s important to the child and where they find purpose and meaning.
On behalf of YGTA, thank you to Dr. Billan for taking the time to do this Q&A with us. Who Do I Want to Become? is now available for purchase on Amazon in English, Spanish, and French. Be amongst the first to know about new initiatives & releases from Dr. Billan by following her on Twitter, LinkedIn or by visiting her website.
The YMCA of Greater Toronto is committed to fostering and sustaining a safe, positive, and inclusive learning environment for children of all ages. Understanding that our educators and child care professionals play a huge role in moulding the minds of the next generation, we’re always looking for passionate child care professionals to join our team! To browse through our current job vacancies or to apply, please visit our website.
In part one of our blog series, we began to interview Dr. Rumeet Billan—award-winning, internationally recognized entrepreneur, learning architect, speaker, humanitarian, and author of Who Do I Want To Become?—who answered some of our questions about her book. Today we’re picking up where we left off with some advice from Dr. Billian herself for children who are struggling with the question, as well as tips for parents & educators who want to guide the conversation with little ones.
What advice would you give children who are unsure of who/what they want to be when they grow up? What can help with this decision?
My advice would be to explore possibilities and expose yourself to different experiences. My mentor once shared with me that my career wouldn’t be a linear path, and he was absolutely right. If I was stuck on getting from point A to point B, I would have missed so many growth opportunities along the way. Enjoy the detours and learn more about who you are.
In what ways do you think this shift in conversation will affect/influence our future generations and societal culture?
The future should hold excitement, hope and possibilities instead of anxiety, fear and this idea of perfection. Youth are experiencing pressure to know exactly which courses to take to get them on the track to a specific profession. And this pressure comes from various sources: peers, the adults around them, media and their own internal expectations. I believe that if we shift the conversation, and share our own experiences about not knowing what we had wanted to be or even anticipating the jobs that exist today, we can help youth and relieve some of their anxiety.
What would you encourage parents, educators and other Child Care professionals to do more of to help guide children on their path to self-discovery?
Here are a few tips for parents, educators and professionals in this industry:
Tip #1
Be empathetic: Use your child’s reference points to understand what is important to them, where they find meaning and what interests them.
Tip #2
Expose your child to different experiences: Provide children and youth with as many enriching experiences as possible so that they can have a better understanding of the direction that would fit them best. Flexibility to change their mind as they learn about new things should be encouraged and embraced.
Tip #3
Share your personal career path/journey: Hearing about personal experiences can help children learn about different paths and changes that occur along the way.
Tip #4
Ask the right questions: Start with Who do you want to be? There is nothing wrong with asking “what do you want to be when you grow up?” but following that up with “why is that important to you?” is critical. It’s one thing to name a position (ie. doctor, lawyer, teacher etc) but it’s a completely different conversation to discuss the why. “I want to be a doctor because I want to save lives” – the why piece identifies what’s important to the child and where they find purpose and meaning.
On behalf of YGTA, thank you to Dr. Billan for taking the time to do this Q&A with us. Who Do I Want to Become? is now available for purchase on Amazon in English, Spanish, and French. Be amongst the first to know about new initiatives & releases from Dr. Billan by following her on Twitter, LinkedIn or by visiting her website.
The YMCA of Greater Toronto is committed to fostering and sustaining a safe, positive, and inclusive learning environment for children of all ages. Understanding that our educators and child care professionals play a huge role in moulding the minds of the next generation, we’re always looking for passionate child care professionals to join our team! To browse through our current job vacancies or to apply, please visit our website.
