To parents out there - what do you want from/for your kids?

<p>I was raised in the later 50’s, the middle of 5 children, and went to college in 1974. Atomom sort of hit the parents’ expectations; children were not to be heard so as long as you were not doing anything bad…My parents had apprenticeships in Europe before legally immigrating (family sponsorship in the U.S., came over single and both young - met at community ‘english class’), so the college thing was something they did not know too much about but learned a little from friends with students in college - my dad was a smart businessman so he figured things out and also was a good communicator.</p>

<p>mcat2 your son will come along on meeting the right girl, just have him make sure he goes to functions like church, is open to talking to people in grocery store, book store, coffee shop, etc. Never know if attending a HS class reunion or getting together with friends, meeting a friend of a friend. How many times have people married that met through common friends or at a friend’s wedding? One CC poster said his future wife was dating a friend (but obviously not too seriously) because he was able to win her over; I guess he knew she was the one for him and moved forward.</p>

<p>Interesting life story about how you can find the right person when you think it is unlikely. CS major female cousin was at TAMU a few years after becoming co-ed (late '70’s) where there were 4 or 5 guys for every girl, and she chose badly - a guy who she thought she could ‘help’ who ‘needed her’; he was a user and a flatterer, and she finally realized she could never give enough and he was never going to man up. Years later met her 2nd husband in church, sitting in next pew and is over the moon happy.</p>

<p>tranquilmind and atomom desiring grandchildren has to be directly non-spoken. H was the first of 4 married, and having grandchildren was brought up on our wedding day and every phone conversation until we wrote a letter (I knew early on to move away for our own life, so early job offer for H worked out great, several states away); first grandchildren were from other 2 other siblings (our two are the youngest on both sides of the family, born 15 and 17 years after our marriage).</p>

<p>eetboco chesterton and atomom - great thoughts on s/d expectations.</p>

<p>@Apdenoatis -

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<p>Great questions Apd… As a parent my hopes differ from my own parents in that they were concerned with simple practicalities like making a living, whereas I am hoping my children find satisfaction and fulfilling careers that can also support them financially.</p>

<p>I believe our parents and we are pretty similar. They and we want our kids to love learning, be good people, earn our own living, and contribute to our communities. How they choose to do so may be different from the paths H & I took but we continue to evolve, and our kids and parents do to. Our parents were pretty good at supporting us in what we choose, even though my parents vetoed one of the majors I wanted (Community Service and Public Affairs); they were OK with sociology followed by law school. Now, lo and behold, decades later I am running a nonprofit!</p>