Help the young person to assume responsibility!

As a parent you are an important dialogue partner and advisor for your young when it comes to choosing an education and occupation. You may perhaps have knowledge from your own education or experiences from working life that you want to share. There is nobody who knows the young person’s abilities, aptitudes, qualities and interests as well as you do. However, you can still not choose on behalf of your own children.

This is how you can become a good advisor for your own children

In order to be good advisors for your own children, you must place the young person at the centre of attention and listen to his or her thoughts and wishes about education and occupation. Here are some hints and advice for you in your advisor role:

• Listen to the children’s thoughts about their own situation and show respect for the young person’s points of view.
• Give him or her time to explore, think and consider different options.
• Say that you consider the young person responsible and independent.
• Let your own expectations take the back seat.
• Start the conversations early on, so that the choice can ripen slowly.
• Do not be afraid to ask confronting questions, but listen to the young person’s reasons for their choice.
• Let the final decision be the young person’s own responsibility.

Choosing one’s future education is a very important decision. Many pupils and parents experience this decision as difficult - almost frightening. It may then be a comfort to know that if the first choice turns out to be a wrong decision, it is possible to make a .