Realistic Dreams
Every mother wants to see her little girl grow up and become successful. In fact, having your daughter accomplish her dreams is perhaps your number-one goal as a parent. It’s easy to support a career dream with a clear path, such as a doctor, lawyer or veterinarian. However, when your daughter comes to you with dreams of becoming a famous actress, musician or artist, you might find yourself feeling doubtful that these hopes could ever come true. How do you support your daughter’s big dreams without feeling like you’re setting her up for heartbreak?
Make Sure You’re Not Having a Knee-Jerk Reaction
It’s a very common thing to deem certain ideas as unrealistic. We’ve all heard that the entertainment industry is difficult to break into, but how many of us have really done the research? How many people do you know that literally have statistical information regarding the number of people who shoot for these careers and the number that are actually successful? The truth is, certain careers are harder to break into than others, but that doesn’t mean that any of them are impossible. There is an element of luck involved, but the greatest element is an intense amount of passion, drive and hard work.
Make Sure Your Own Insecurities Aren’t Speaking For You
The world is full of adults who never had the confidence to go for their dreams. Maybe you’re not one of them, but if you are, you should watch yourself carefully to ensure that your reaction to your daughter’s dreams are not subconsciously related to your own. If you failed to become a famous author when you were younger, you may feel that becoming a famous author is next to impossible. Try to put this feeling aside. Your daughter is her own person and her path may turn out different than your own.
Make Sure to Encourage Improvement
Remind your daughter that practice makes perfect. If she wants to be an artist, buy her a paint set. If she wants to be a writer, help her sign up for a creative writing class during the summer. If she wants to be a singer, encourage her to begin taking voice lessons. You may feel in your heart that she will never be the next Whitney Houston, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t capable of improving her voice.
No matter what “impossible” industry your daughter wants to break into, you can support her along the way. It may be tough to watch her experience disappointments, but that is something she will need to get used to if she wants to attempt a less-than-easy career. Believe in her and support her with everything you’ve got, and she just might surprise you one day.
