I knew career planning should start early, but I was thinking we wouldn’t have to worry too much about it until the monkey reached high school.
But she has started already.
Actually my daughter started her career planning quite a while ago and she’s still an entire year away from starting kindergarten.
At first she wanted to be a nail technician. I suspected this was large in part to a friend of the family’s who my daughter adores, who just went through nail school.
The better half and I told her to try and keep her options open. It was a long time until she could go to nail school. But she was persistent for a while, wanting to paint her toenails and do her dolly’s nails.
Her interest waned, however, after I wouldn’t let her near my nail polish.
After awhile, her constant companion, "Bunny" — the incredibly ratty blanket friend she has carried around with her since she was three months old — opened up his own store in Bunny town (where Bunny lives, when he’s not spending every waking moment with our daughter. I tell you, that rabbit runs a very full life!).
The type of store Bunny runs varies, but the monkey tells me she has recently opened her own store. It varies in location from her room to the bathroom to the living room, from which she sells toys and books and other things she likes, like cupcakes and strawberry sundaes. From her description of her store, it looks a lot like, well, my store — minus the ice cream and cake.
I have to say I am impressed that she has finally started to realize that where I go every day and where she ends up a few afternoons a week, is my job and that I am working there — doing other things besides all the things I do at home.
She also tells the better half and me that she’s off to do a jewelry party or write a column.
I think I might work too much.
So, the monkey is very busy planning her careers. I told her that when she gets older she would probably want to pick one job or two (depending on the economy at that time).
Her current job fixation is being a doctor, probably on account she started watching Doc McStuffins on TV and that we’ve both been sick lately and have visited a real doctor a couple of times.
She wears around her pink and purple stethoscope and tells her stuffed animals to say "Ahhh." She has also checked my forehead a few times and offered to get me a blanket and slippers.
I think she’d make a very caring doctor.
On the flip side, when we’re walking to preschool, we have to jog the whole way and she makes me do jumping jacks and high knees.
So, I also think she would make a good, and somewhat vicious, personal trainer!
I really just want her to be a kid for as long as possible. But I’m enjoying her exploration into different jobs — and I do believe she’ll be good at whatever she does because she’s sure good at being my kid!
Kyla Henderson is a local freelance journalist, business owner and mommy. Her column runs every week in the Community News.
» kyla@lilbitbaby.ca
Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition June 7, 2012
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