If at birth you could select the profession your child would eventually pursue, would you?

Never.

I’m thinking our healthcare system and the judicial system might be overloaded. You?

Hey, what are the numbers you put before the descriptions of your questions?

Anyway, no, I wouldn’t. My child should be able to choose which career she wants to pursue. No matter what she chooses, though, she will be required to complete a 4-year college degree (at the very least) in a related area.

@girlofscience: Glad you asked!!

I would not, I want my kids to find their passion and follow it.

When I was growing up my old man used to say “I don’t care if you are a potter in Appalachia, as long as you are happy.” I think that is a pretty good attitude to have. Shout out to NevadaOldGuy!

@squirbel: Are you Gregory Stock?

Lol, no. Why?

Unthinkable.

Most people have a hard enough time of it choosing one for themselves.
Can’t imagine I’d be good at choosing it for someone I haven’t even met yet.

Definitely not.

P.S. I think I just “lurved” Nimis. I’m not quite 100% on this Fluther thing, but I just Great Answered you! ;]

No. “Whatever you are, be a good one!” – Abraham Lincoln. That’s the advice I pass on to my girls.

PS: Looks like an interesting book.

Who’s birth? Mine?

I’d probably choose a nice safe profession, like Prenatal Genetic Manipulation Specialist.
Everybody always needs one of those…

Any parent(s) who don’t learn to understand their child’s strength’s and weakness’s and, while raising them, encourage them to build on their strength’s and at least improve their weaknesses is doing the wrong thing.

I used to be a professor of architecture. I had a student who was failing miserably. In talking to him I learned that architecture was not his choice. His parents had picked the careers for each of his siblings.

The pitfalls of parenthood are many. Why a parent would actively choose to intervene in a manner that potentially sets a child up for a life of misery and failure is nuts.

PS
A college bound neighbor decided to interview people who had a careers in which she had some interest. I was one of the about 12–15 she interviewed.
No one she interviewed recommended their career as a good career choice.

@jvgr: I’ve heard this sort of thing from actors in interviews. They’ll tell people not to do it, and if they can’t dissuade the would-be actor then they might have enough drive to make it. I think a big part of that has to do with why the college bound neighbor sounded interested in the profession.

I wouldn’t pick for my kids, ever, but I’d hope they’d have their eyes wide open about whatever they chose.

Yes….if it was something like ” prosperous, healthy, happy, creative philanthropist who works tirelessly for world peace because he/she loves doing it.”

Otherwise…..no.

:)