Their futures

I've been talking to the kids about colleges the past few days and careers that they are interested in. N isn't sure yet. She's got a lot of ideas, but she's still working them out in her head. I know that she wants to get a "real degree" and then go to a bible college to see how she can use it in a ministry. Good goal, maybe a little misguided. We're still talking. I don't know that you have to go to Bible College to find your way to a ministry. So I am sure we'll have more conversations as she gets older and really starts researching degrees and colleges.

Cman's also starting to talk to us more about college and careers. I've had better talks with him then N on it actually. I guess it's because he doesn't just think about what might be fun to do, he wants to know about school, years it takes to get a certain degree. Money you can make doing it. He's thinking about becoming a teacher maybe. But he also likes the idea of becoming a mechanic. He told me a few days ago that he really wanted to be a construction worker and farmer. I have to admit that I told him he'd make more money as a mechanic and not have to work in the climate and deal with being out of work in the winter, etc. It was after that, that he started entertaining mechanical work again!

He said tonight that he might like to start his own restaurant someday. But he would want to do that after he did something else because he would need more money when he's younger! :) Which is really quiet bizarre because when I met dash he wanted to do all this stuff, one of which was open a restaurant up after he retired! How wild that my son has the same desire! (Dash said tonight that he "use to want to do that too" when cman talked about it, so I guess he's changed his mind.)

We talked about how the risk factor for a restaurant is higher, but he potentially could make a lot more money with it then even a mechanic makes. He mentioned working for Jiffy Lube :) through school! I told him, yes you can do that, but that still would not be the kind of money a mechanic makes, that if he did that in high school he could learn about engines and oil changes and general parts which would be a great foundation for him to have going to school to be a mechanic.

We talked about technical schools verses College and cost of education. We talked about the value of education too. He wasn't sure how he could be a teacher and mechanic both. I told him how that would work and he seemed interested in it. He lit up when I said "you charge people to fix their cars." He immediately said "ewww, I can charge them whatever I want to fix their cars!" and giggled. I will picture every mechanic I meet from now on with the sinister laugh at the age of 6 realizing how economics work! I did explain to him that there is a typical mechanic's hourly rate depending on region and that the going rate right now in KS is around $70 to $80 an hour. I told him that a Jiffy Lube guy makes probably closer to 8 or 9$ an hour. (I'm guessing from an ad I read one time.)

It's fun seeing them think about the future and start to understand how what they like and are interested in may or may not play a part in their future. I don't know what he'll end up becoming, but I am glad he's thinking about it now. I do know from a conversation we had last week that I don't need to hold any pretense dreams of him becoming a doctor! He made it quite clear that he would never entertain that as an option! Oh well.