Choosing a Career (at least for now)

One of the things I've looked forward to as a homeschooling mother is the day when my kids would express an interest in a particular area that might one day lead to their career.

For the longest time Jerah wanted to be a veterinarian when she grows up; and even though she still has an intense love of animals, since she also wants to be a mom — a homeschooling mom — she realized that being a vet would not allow her to stay at home with her kids. And so she set that aspiration aside.

But before long another interest took hold, and it has stayed strong for over a year now. She wants to be a writer. And what's even better is that she's already pretty good at it — little wonder since she's been a voracious reader since the 1st grade. I love that I can now focus her homeschool curriculum on her interest in writing, providing her with a quality writing curriculum and various opportunities to share her writing. She's even taken the initiative to learn more and improve her skills and has been reading some of the how-to writing books from our own personal library. And several months ago, through the power of Twitter, we set up a telephone interview with author Jennifer Schuchmann and Jerah was able to interview her about how she became a writer and what Jerah could do now to help prepare her for a career as a writer. It was an amazing learning experience for her.

Jaden has been a completely different story. Pretty much the only thing he's been interested in since the age of four is Legos, and he's said for years that when he grows up he wants to be the manager of the Lego factory. We had hoped that he might become interested in a different field, one that might lead to a more fulfilling career, and sure enough, he seems to have found his area of interest — science. Specifically the biological sciences. While Jaden is usually anti-school, claiming that school is too boring to really take seriously, this new-found interest in science — or rather since he's finally admitted he loves science — we can already see that his approach to his schoolwork is changing. There's a reason to study now!

I realize that their interests may change again, but it's so wonderful to see their enjoyment of learning and the desire to know more. It's truly a Finer Thing!