Don’t force a career on your child – Association urges parents

Parents and guardians have been advised to stop enforcing careers on their children and wards but allow them to exhibit their potential for the nation’s development.

The Association of Muslim Women in Business and Profession (The Criterion), Oyo State District, gave the advice at a lecture organised in Ibadan on Sunday.

The association’s Global Amirah, Alhaja Sururah Abdulmojeed, said it was better to guide and engage rather than enforce their decision as parents on the children’s chosen careers and future.

It was reported that the lecture is entitled, “Pathway to Career Development of Nigeria: Engaging Youths Positively”.

Abdulmojeed said many parents had wrongly chosen careers for their children without considering their potential and ability to cope therein, thus leading to academic failure.

“Parent should be able to identify the weaknesses and strengths of their children and guide them appropriately and not to enforce,” she said.

Also, the Amir of the Association of Muslim Men in Business and Profession (The Companion), Malam Nureen Sakariyau, called on parents to allow their children to pursue positive careers as they grow.

According to Sakariyau, parents should erase the mindset that a child can only be successful by studying medicine, law or engineering.

“Each child has his or her potential and as parents, we need to relate with them to find the potential, unlock it and the child will do well,” he said.

He, however, urged the children to also listen to their parents because they had seen it all and understood what they, as children, wouldn’t understand.

“They should allow their parents to guide them because they have seen it all and can lead them to a good career progression,” Sakariyau said.

The guest lecturer at the event, Malam Lawal Yusuf, urged parents to imbibe good morals and integrity in their children, engaging them in their overall development.

“Be cautious of things that will discourage them from achieving their goals; don’t focus only on their Western education, but also inculcate good morals for their behavioural progression.

“Study the children’s uniqueness and show them the way because many things shield them from the pathway of development as they grow in life,” Yusuf said.

The lecturer identified age and maturity as major factors determining a child’s career development.

He then urged parents to engage positively to prevent them from being distracted on getting to higher institutions.