sahm2cody

I think learning that we, as parents, do not have to supply all of
the information to our kids is a big lesson to learn (and not always
an easy one!)

You have a child that wants to be a veterinarian? Find out if they'd
like to volunteer at a local vets office or animal shelter. If you
have a zoo nearby, they may even take teen volunteers. This will not
only help your child learn what's really involved in working with
animals, it will allow them to form relationships with adults in the
field (who will, in turn, help them learn what it really takes to do
that kind of work).

The child that's interested in computer programming? Put the word out
that he's looking for a mentor (if he's interested). You'd be
surprised at how often adults love the opportunity to share their
knowledge with someone who's really interested in what they do.

And yes, kids *do* learn things because they want to. Sometimes it's
not clearly visible, especially if it's not something that we, as
parents, think is particularly valuable. But they do learn. All the
time.

~Carri Ann~
mom of a Star Wars/lego obsessed 10 y/o ~ who is also interested in
anything American war related (from the Revolutionary War to
VietNam), video games, and his new current obsessions: Russia, banjos
and bluegrass music, and learning French.