Dear Dr. Debbie,
Our rising ninth grader may be typical in not knowing what direction she wants to pursue after high school. We assume she’ll go to college, having adequate grades up to this point. Fortunately, in addition to being an intense screen user, she’s always been an avid reader. Other interests outside of school have been fleeting.
Couch Potato’s Mom
Dear CPM,
It’s the rare middle schooler who has a clear vision of her future even with a myriad of examples all around her.
Purpose
Hopefully her experiences in her family, school, and community have shown her how we each play roles in other people’s lives. In the family and at school there are tasks that one does that benefit others – household chores, partners and teams for school projects, etc. Out in the community, people in various fields of employment help others through their roles at work. Volunteers also play a role in getting things done in an organized way for the benefit of others. Even children can volunteer.
Parents set an example of serving multiple roles – using earned income to support the family’s financial needs.
Through these experiences a child learns that people need people.
Even before she gets her first paying job she should have evidence of her worth as a contributing member of the family and of society. A career isn’t just about her, it’s about how she uses her personal resources (natural talents, honed skills, creative problem solving, and personality traits) to help others.
Your daughter may use the next few years, or more, to discover her specific purpose.
A World of Choices
It’s never too early to point out the many ways a child is capable and to acknowledge her interests, despite frequently skipping from one to the next. Make references to the many career fields these align with. “You like to make drawings of houses which is what architects do.” And vice versa, wonder aloud what interests and talents may have been present during childhood in the adults your daughter encounters in their work roles. “Do you think your dental hygienist enjoyed cleaning tiny things when she was a child?”
The Association for Middle Level Education (a professional organization for middle school teachers) has a short list of questions you can use in casual conversation with your daughter to open up possibilities for her to consider.
- What careers have you heard about that you might be interested in? Her answer may reveal that she needs more exploration. This can be accomplished through discussion with extended family members, through reading (a good librarian can guide you here), through a parent-supervised internet search, and through outings to places of employment (there are so many!).
- How do your current classes, hobbies, and activities align with the careers that you are interested in? If she hasn’t really contributed to choosing these, take some time to investigate: clubs at her school, offerings from your local recreation department, and countless other opportunities in your area from Art to Yoga.
- What can we do to help you learn more about the careers that interest you? Make career exploration a family pursuit. Generate a list of possible career fields (maybe one or two at a time) and follow through with suggestions from the ideas that came up from questions 1 and 2. For a rising ninth grader there may be volunteer roles she can fill that will give her first-hand experience in a field of interest (and count toward high school graduation).
The Future of Work
There once was a time when a single career path was chosen and followed. People today are more likely to change companies, change professions, and even pursue self-employment. The Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council reports that self-employment reached the highest level yet in 2025. One reason is the instability of companies which threatens job security. Another is the increasing ease of using technology at home (sometimes, the entrepreneur’s parents’ home!) to start and conduct a business.
Trends shaping the future of work have been noted by IE University, based in Spain with 75% international students. Preparation for satisfying employment should consider the widespread use of social media and other collaborative technologies, flexibility to set preferred hours and to work from home, and the globalization of our work relationships and interactions. There is also a trend to prioritize a meaningful work-life balance.
This brings us back to your couch potato. You say she likes to read. Fiction or nonfiction? Either could be supporting a future writer or researcher. Does she watch movies? Music videos? Successful people in the entertainment field often cite role models they aspired to emulate. And entertainment promoters, set designers, sound technicians, etc., are usually fans first. Is your child internet savvy? Does she use apps to play games, to shop, and to communicate?
According to the trends predicted by IE University her time spent at home with books and screens may be already readying her for the future world of work.
Dr. Debbie
Write your question to Dr. Debbie! Please include age(s) of your child(ren) and other details about the situation or concern.
Deborah Wood, Ph.D. is a child development specialist and founding director of Chesapeake Children’s Museum, located at 25 Silopanna Road in Annapolis. Online reservations are available or call: 410-990-1993. Walk-ins are welcome. Summer Family Memberships to the museum provide unlimited admissions for your family through Labor Day.
There is a Nature Walk on Thursdays at 10:30 am. Art and Story Time with Mrs. Spears and Puppy the Puppet is on Mondays at 10:30 am. In August CCM hosts Crafternoons from 1-3 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with a different theme each week. All materials are provided!
Learn Cursive! Rising 4th, 5th, and 6th graders can master the basics of writing in loops to gain speed in notetaking in a 12-session class on Sunday afternoons starting August 9th.
