Mama Tee Series - Should Parents Choose Their Kids Career Path?

I bet you never really gave this a second thought?

I would say they should guide their children in the right path to good careers.

I used to be of the opinion that it was bad for parents to interfere in their children's career but with the heartbreaking calls I get from my cousin these days, I have a change of heart now.

In those days, when we were about to write JAMB and WAEC, you will see some parents hustling 'special centres' for their children so they can pass in one sitting. After that, they make sure the children pick good courses, I mean marketable and lucrative courses in the higher institution. They guide these youngsters in the right career paths. Kudos to such parents. 

You would agree with me that graduates of some courses these days especially Management courses are just everywhere searching for good jobs to no avail. My cousin is one of them.


Our own parents in those days did not care or let me say they were ignorant of this. They left us to our choices and some of us copied friends. In our senior secondary, we ran away from science class where we were and followed friends to Commercial and Arts classes instead. As a result, we ended up in Higher institutions with 'anyhow' courses. All these, our parents did not know.


My cousin's case is more pathetic as he is a man. After school, he couldn't get any tangible thing to do, he decided to learn a skill. He learned Aluminium Fabrication, he makes doors, windows and the rest. As it is now, that too is not helping him as he needs the right connection to get good jobs asides the occasional show glass and two windows that he gets to do. 

His matter is even made worse by the fact that he lives in Kwara state. He once told me that people advised him to add juju to his work because that is what others do to get contracts, he said some people that he knows are into it and they even invite him to join them to do their jobs for a token when they get big jobs. He also said an Islamic cleric approached him and also advised him to do something, he said the 'Alfa' offered to help him for a fee of 20k. I told him not to try it.

So he got a job in 2016 and worked for a few months before the company folded up.

He called me few months ago to ask if he could come join me in Lagos, I told him he needs to start applying for jobs here and when he is asked to resume, then he can come join me.

Don't blame me my people, things are hard, I cannot house someone who is not working. Asides feeding, I will have to give him transport fare to interviews and job hunting.

Two days ago, he called again and was sounding so depressed and empty. I don't know what to do, I will keep praying for him.

Mama Tee