<p>What would be the most prestigious career you’d imagine your child could do?</p>
<p>Is that being a rocket scientist, or a surgeon, or a lawyer? Which career would make you most proud as a parent?</p>
<p>(I’d like to exclude fantasy careers like professional athlete or senator or president or CEO of a major company…I’m trying to think of careers that pretty much anyone with the right drive and aptitude can do.)</p>
<p>I think teaching and clergy are the most noble professions. </p>
<p>But, for prestige, I think judges win. First they have to keep their noses clean while working as an attorney. Then they have to be elected or appointed to the bench.</p>
<p>The career that would make me most proud as a parent is one where my son is happy, making a difference in the world, and providing for himself and his family. However he defines those terms is up to him. In my mind, pride and prestige are not the same.</p>
<p>I just can’t fathom the idea of what career would make me proudest of my kid. I really can’t. I honestly don’t care WHAT career they have. What would make me proudest is that they accomplish their goals in their chosen fields of interest…get employed, enjoy it, and achieve in positive ways and make a difference. Then it would be worth it and make me very happy, let alone proud. </p>
<p>I love following my kids’ journeys in their respective fields. I never considered the idea of “prestige” when it came to a career field either. Sorry! </p>
<p>(one of my kids is a performer and one is in the field of architecture)</p>
<p>By the way, I am an educator…which in this country, seems not to be very prestigious but I feel good that I have helped many young people over the years. :D</p>
<p>Anything that they did that required of them to consider others and prioritize long range goals would make me proud. ( actually knowing them- anything they did- that they wanted to do- I would be thrilled with)
THey are already well down that road- Older D is applying to graduate schools of education and before she even started college, younger D worked to raise money for her volunteer “vacation”, in an Tamil Nadu orphanage.</p>
<p>This thread reminds me of a conversation I had with my H last night. He asked me if I thought Pearl Jam was going to win a Grammy- I said I hadn’t been following it- but I doubted it- when they won 14 years ago- the lead singer gave a speech about how he didn’t think it meant anything, but when it was the rhythm guitarists turn, he all but shouted out " hi mom! Hi dad!- see I * do* have a job!".
( although since his parents were the last of the hippies- they probably were happy he wasn’t working at Perkins Coie)</p>
<p>So if the general agreement is that parents are proud with whatever path they choose (which makes a lot of sense to me), why do people spend huge money on private schools or prestigous schools like Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Gonzaga, etc?</p>
<p>We chose private schools for older D, not because they were prestigious ( although I suppose they were), but because they were a good fit and a good value.
For younger D- she demanded much more involvement in her school choice and actually her public inner city high school- is probably better known in the larger community than her sisters private school- but name recognition wasn’t why she chose it.</p>
<p>But often times the private schools have more resources- have more flexibility for teachers, increased communication with parents & smaller class sizes allowing students to have an intensive educational experience. ( something that isn’t always available in public schools with emphasis on alignment and lack of accountability or even common sense)</p>
<p>Because they want to.
Because we’re Americans and like to have choices.
Because some people think they’re buying challenge and inspiration, not prestige.
Because some people think a prestigious diploma = higher long term income.
Because some people can’t find a public school that fits their needs.</p>
<p>^^Agree why do some people play golf on private courses when some of the best courses in the country are public? Why do some people buy an Escalade instead of a Prius? Because we live in a country where people have choice and indivdiual belief structures. Suum Cuique…and all that. Prestige itself means “appearance of value” and appearances can be disceiving</p>