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Sunday, September 27, 2015

Prepare you kids



One thing about doing things a bit different in life is that you kids might want to do something different with their lives too.

A friend's son is graduating from college and plans to live in his van. He hopes to be able to practice his trade while traveling on the road. While his dad is concerned as any one would be, there's not much he can say. After all, my friend used to live in a pop up trailer. Actually, I think my friend kinda wishes he could hit the road too.

My lovely wife and I are in the same position. If our girls are adventuresome we've only got ourselves to blame. I guess all those wilderness canoe trips and mountain camping trips had an influence on them. My kids grew up in a solar powered dome, so they are used to the non conventional.

Actually, I don't really worry too much about my kids. They are smart people who can figure things out. I suspect my kids might worry about my lovely wife and I more than we worry about them.

It's a tough time to be a young adult. Good paying jobs are few and far between. Job security is a joke. Maybe the worse thing young people can do today is to try and live “normal” lives. Maybe it worked for their parents, but conditions have changed. Doing the normal and safe thing is probably anything but safe.

Living in a van is a lot better option than paying too much for a rent in a bad neighborhood. Being mobile allows someone to quickly take advantage of opportunities, even if they are across the country.

Parents want to prepare their kids for life in the great big world. Pushing them to take college prep courses isn't enough anymore. They should know their way around a tool kit: know how to repair cars, and boats, how to set up an alternative energy, grow and gather food, and how to make their own electric power. Self reliance is the new job security.

-Sixbears






12 comments:

  1. Our sons opted out of a college education. Both went trade schools. They have always had work and can build and repair anything. Very handy to have 'em around!

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    1. I bet it is! Always nice to have someone in the family who can do that.

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  2. Those who choose to go into a trade rather than get a BA or such are the ones the so-called educated will rely on since the educated aren't really.

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    1. Education has gotten so specialized that people know nothing outside their fields.

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  3. My oldest worked at Mc Donald some of her co workers had MBA . She's now a certified welder and going to school to learn robotic repair and programing. Honda has Offered her a maintenance job upon graduation. Funny we went from farmers to trades then degree's . Now its back to trades and later back to farm's??

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    1. . . . maybe all the way back to hunter/gatherers if we aren't careful.

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  4. Learning a trade is always a good way to go. Repairmen will always have a job!

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    1. Someone has to fix all these wiz-bang machines.

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  5. That pretty much sums up things as I see them as well. I sent my kids to technical schools in Vancouver, B.C. rather than to some college to get a degree in Bullshitology like their dad got.

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    1. I didn't get my useless degrees until I was 41. By then I already knew too much.

      Sounds like the technical degree was a good investment. One of my daughters went to a 6 months training school and then opened her own business. She makes her own hours and makes good money too.

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