As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
By mindym
@mindym (978)
United States
August 21, 2011 1:19pm CST
I was conversing with the child I care for during the summer, and we were discussing how my Dad was a police officer for a long time (he is now retired after 28 years). The boy said "I think I want to be a police officer." That got me to thinking about when I was a child, I used to play teacher all the time. I thought that being a teacher would be easy. Well, now that I am an adult (I wouldn't say grown up
) I do work with children in a classroom. But it can be challenging, so it is not always easy like I played it out to be. When I attended college, I knew that I wanted to major is something that has to do with children. So, when I was a child, I wanted to be a teacher and am currently in a classroom. I would like to go back for my Masters', and would like to continue having a career working with children, but outside of the classroom. What did you hope to be when you grew up, or became an adult, whichever way you want to look at it
? Do you currently have a job similar to what you dreamed you would be?
) I do work with children in a classroom. But it can be challenging, so it is not always easy like I played it out to be. When I attended college, I knew that I wanted to major is something that has to do with children. So, when I was a child, I wanted to be a teacher and am currently in a classroom. I would like to go back for my Masters', and would like to continue having a career working with children, but outside of the classroom. What did you hope to be when you grew up, or became an adult, whichever way you want to look at it? Do you currently have a job similar to what you dreamed you would be?2 people like this
17 responses
@enigma13 (372)
• Philippines
22 Aug 11
I wanted to be a surgeon. I just wanted to be different since a lot of my childhood friends wanted to be doctors so I decided to be different. Plus it sounded bad @ss that you wanted to operate on people. I certainly didn't become a surgeon. I cringe at the sight of blood. Oh well, so much for being a bad @ss. ;D
1 person likes this
@mindym (978)
• United States
22 Aug 11
Sometimes super stars may be beautiful on the outside, but not on the inside. Many stars here in the United States, let their stardom get to their heads. But if you can avoid letting the fact that you are a star get to your head, then being a superstar would be FUN!
@celticeagle (166761)
• Boise, Idaho
22 Aug 11
I retired back in 2004. Had worked in customer service for nearly thirty years. I loved that type of work but had never wanted it as a child. When I was a young child I wanted to be a movie star and drive a Jaquar. I had the interior figured out and everything. Then when I met my now BFF she introduced me to writing and I have been doing that ever since. I publish articles online and am working on a novel and some short stories. I love it!
@celticeagle (166761)
• Boise, Idaho
22 Aug 11
Customer service can be very frustrating and very rewarding. I could tell you all kinds of stories. I think the Jaquar and Lexus story is great!
@mindym (978)
• United States
22 Aug 11
Customer service is one of the most difficult jobs to do. I think that everyone should have to do customer service at least once in their lives, especially one week before a full moon
. Customers can be jerks, I know because I was a supervisor in a restaurant. So, thank you for being in customer service and putting up with people for 30 years
! Even though you are retired, you are doing something that you love and I think that is really important to staying healthy. One of my friends has always wanted a Jaguar and/or a Lexus, but she new she wasn't going to get either one, so when she got two cats, she named them Jaguar and Lexus
.
. Customers can be jerks, I know because I was a supervisor in a restaurant. So, thank you for being in customer service and putting up with people for 30 years! Even though you are retired, you are doing something that you love and I think that is really important to staying healthy. One of my friends has always wanted a Jaguar and/or a Lexus, but she new she wasn't going to get either one, so when she got two cats, she named them Jaguar and Lexus.1 person likes this
@Triple0 (1904)
• Australia
22 Aug 11
When I was a child, I loved animals so of course I wanted to be a veterinarian and take care of all the sick animals. Now, knowing what veterinarians do, I decided that I don't want to be one anymore but I still love animals. Also, in order to study that course, You have to get a really high rank in the state in order to do that and I know I won't make it. Some dreams shatter but with hard work, you might just get there. =)
1 person likes this
@mindym (978)
• United States
22 Aug 11
Veternarians, just like doctors, have to do some pretty gruesome things. So it takes someone who can handle something like that to take those jobs. It's just like with teaching. Teaching is not just correcting papers, it involves builing an academic relationship with children to better understand their needs in the classroom. Some dreams were not meant to be, so it's important to never give up and to pursue other dreams if necessary.
@rollylolly (2843)
• India
22 Aug 11
Reading your post I am reminded of my childhood . I too play acted like a teacher and taught my brother . But my mind was never constant and too fickle . I also wanted to be a doctor . Doctors and their profession fascinated me .But after school ended up studying English literature and then Journalism . But my play acting became real and ultimately I became a teacher .
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
21 Aug 11
I wanted to be a fashion designer when I was kid. Only problem like any life changes and there's no job market here for such things. So I have a 2yr degree for Apparel Marketing... ie basically I have a degree to work retail. I was so pi$$ed that my guidance councilor didn't guide me tward something more practical. Not that I know what I want to be now days anyway.
@mindym (978)
• United States
22 Aug 11
One of the teachers I work with has a degree similar to that, along with her teaching degree. But she is so fashionable. I envy her and her style
. I don't think I have ever seen her wear the same outfit twice in the four years I have worked there. So, even though there might not be jobs available outside of retail with that degree, you have the knowledge of fashion and that's a good thing to have. Thanks for sharing!
. I don't think I have ever seen her wear the same outfit twice in the four years I have worked there. So, even though there might not be jobs available outside of retail with that degree, you have the knowledge of fashion and that's a good thing to have. Thanks for sharing!
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
21 Aug 11
There were a lot of things that I wanted to be. I wanted to be a nurse at one point. My aunt was sick and I helped take care of her and she would tell me that I should grow up to be a nurse because my smile would make people feel better. Then I wanted to be a Stewardess which is what flight attendants were called back then. I had gotten a play outfit with a badge, and a tray and cups etc. and would play stewardess all the time. I also wanted to be an entertainer, singer and dancer. I actually did that for a while. I was a competitive singer and won a lot of metals, I also started taking dance classes at four and I kept dancing all through my life, I was in a performance choir and even danced with a dance company for a year, I also did some plays and musicals. I played the narrator in Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. I also did wedding singing for a few years. I miss those days actually.
@GemmaR (8517)
•
21 Aug 11
I went through various phases about what I wanted to be, but the one thing that I have always wanted to be is a midwife. Unfortunately, I've never been clever enough to be able to get as far as I would like to, so I am now doing a psychology degree in the hope that I will be able to get graduate entry onto a course somewhere. In the UK, midwifery courses are funded by the NHS, which takes a little bit of the pressure away as I don't have to worry about paying thousands of pounds for the course. I hope that I will be able to be in my dream job by the time I'm 30.
@mindym (978)
• United States
22 Aug 11
Being a midwife would be really interesting, and fun at the same time. I have an undergraduate degree in Child Psychology, so that should help me get into a graduate program. It's definitely good to have a goal, and I wish I could say that my goal is to have my master's degree by the time I am 30, but I've already passed that point
. Hopefully I will start my Master's program soon.
. Hopefully I will start my Master's program soon.
@BlueGoblin (1829)
• United States
22 Aug 11
Hi! No. I never had dreams like that when I was growing up. I never wanted to join a trade and be a wage slave. I think the goal was just to be rich and to travel a lot. A dream unfulfilled unfortunately.
@thetis74 (1525)
•
21 Aug 11
Oh when I was a child I was so fond of pushing buttons and the things like that I had always wanted to become a secretary so I get to tap on typewriters. I would even often to a friends house because she had a typewriter. And the typewriter is the reason why we became best friends. Haha. Very funny for me. But the I grew up with a lot of interest. I had my AB Mass Com, then Hotel and Restaurant Management and graduated AB English and just recently had my Diploma for Professional Education. But now I am a stay home mom and love doing everything about it. I might pursue on something else later, but I'll see how it goes.
Working with children is good. Our children nowadays really need very passionate and loving teachers.
@mindym (978)
• United States
22 Aug 11
Wow, thetis, you wear MANY hats! Kudos to you! Being a parent is a full time job in itself, but since you are a stay at home Mom, why don't you have an in home day care (like stowyk advised)? You only have to have a couple of children, it's not like you have to have 10 children. Plus, that would offer you some extra money and tax write offs.
.
@goggles213 (735)
• Philippines
21 Aug 11
When I was little, I really wanted to be an Astronaut or a Pilot. I didn't know that my eyes were already damaged when I was little so when I turned 6 years old and the doctor broke the news, that's when the dream ended. Instead of being a pilot, I now work for a major computer company as a computer technician.
@mindym (978)
• United States
22 Aug 11
My maternal Grandpa was a pilot in the Navy and he said that being a pilot is easier than driving a car. Being an astrounaut would be cool, but I'm not sure that I could do it. Well, to look on the positive side, those jobs all require the pushing of buttons, so they are kind of related. But computer jobs offer job security, and if I have any questions about my computer
, I will contact you.
. But computer jobs offer job security, and if I have any questions about my computer, I will contact you.
@sirulrike034 (166)
• Philippines
21 Aug 11
When I was a kid, I always say I wanted to be an Aviator. I immediately look up in the sky when I heard a noise from a helicopter or an airplane. As a lad, I often play video games wherein I'm using a fighter jet and exterminate enemies with my missiles and bombs. It is still my dream one day to become a fighter jet pilot. Right now, I finished Engineering course which is completely different from what I liked during my childhood days.
@asiregar (864)
• Jakarta, Indonesia
25 Aug 11
I want my child when grown up someday become a doctor because it could be more independent and have a fairly high social status in society, but I think it is better to follow the desire and ability of the child as a parent I oversee and direct enough so that my child does not take the wrong path
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
25 Aug 11
Children would mostly aspire to be like their parents. If their Dad is an Engineer they'd say they like to be Engineers or if the Mom is a teach, a daughter would say she wants to be a teacher too. But as they grow older their desires change and would oftentimes follow the desire of their heart.
I like it so when I see one of my little ones putting on the back-pack of my older son on his shoulder and saying he would want to go the same school where his older brother goes. He also would often say he wants to be a doctor although nobody among us is a doctor. I just wish his dream would come true.
I used to dream of becoming a dentist when I was a child but that did not push through. I suddenly changed my desire and ended up as Economics major.
