Would you be ok if your child grows up to be blue collar worker?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No.

My DS and DD are, for lack of a more delicate way of saying it, better than that. Part of it is breeding/bloodline, part of it is familial expectations, and part is educational opportunities. But the summation is that neither will do service industry or blue collar work. That would be like using a Tiffany lamp to light a toolshed. It just doesn't happen.

Sounds like you’re the tool. Enjoy your Tiffany.

[Anonymous]

DH and I are lawyers. His best friend from childhood is a mechanic. He's an "A" mechanic and makes over $100k. His wife makes around the same. They live in a nice house in Fairfax, have their kids in plenty of activities, take nice vacations and are very happy.

[Anonymous]

He’s too lazy to hold down a blue collar job.

Born to be management.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No.

My DS and DD are, for lack of a more delicate way of saying it, better than that. Part of it is breeding/bloodline, part of it is familial expectations, and part is educational opportunities. But the summation is that neither will do service industry or blue collar work. That would be like using a Tiffany lamp to light a toolshed. It just doesn't happen.

Ha ha ha! You are hilarious, pp!

Right? PP is like the snooty mother in law in an eighties movie!

[Anonymous]

Op - you should loose the blue/white collar thinking. The rest of you too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No.

My DS and DD are, for lack of a more delicate way of saying it, better than that. Part of it is breeding/bloodline, part of it is familial expectations, and part is educational opportunities. But the summation is that neither will do service industry or blue collar work. That would be like using a Tiffany lamp to light a toolshed. It just doesn't happen.

Your poor kids.

+1

A lot of people on this thread that I hope my kids never grow up to be like. I’d much rather a kind, blue collar worker who says “ain’t” than a pathetic snob who talks about bloodlines and Tiffany lamps. I’m willing to bet your “bloodline” isn’t half as impressive as you think, person upthread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No.

My DS and DD are, for lack of a more delicate way of saying it, better than that. Part of it is breeding/bloodline, part of it is familial expectations, and part is educational opportunities. But the summation is that neither will do service industry or blue collar work. That would be like using a Tiffany lamp to light a toolshed. It just doesn't happen.

Hate to break it to you but I doubt your bloodline from your kids forward will never include any blue collar workers.

[Anonymous]

Something specialized with room for growth - yes, absolutely.

Something dead-end - absolutely not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Plumber, maybe. Walmart worker, no.

I was pondering this same thing yesterday actually. I happened to be sitting next to a white (appreared to be) middle class family. They were talking over the two hours about lots of different things. I was trying to figure out where they were from. They talked about cruises they've been on, friends who spend too much on drugs, an overweight relative who was so big that he had to be taken out a window when he died. They used words like ain't and just sounded very low class. My stereotypical impression of white people like this is that they are lower to middle class blue collar workers who I have nothing in common with. I'm sure they were very nice, and Yrumo never came up, but we just live in different worlds. I can't understand theirs and they can't understand mine. Not do we want to, I'd bet.
I would not want my kid to grow up to be a guy who smokes and wears t shirts that have sayings about beer and boobs and whose main form of travel is a cruise. This is why I don't cruise. I'm afraid it will be full of people like them.

You are hilarious

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Considering how snobby everyone on the board is, what if your child grows up to end up working at Walmart as a cashier or becoming a plumber?

Or what if he grows up to become a cop?

What will you do?

You are so naive. There is a huge difference between a plumber and a cashier. Plumbers are skilled. Self employed plumbers can easily make over six figures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He’s too lazy to hold down a blue collar job.

Born to be management.

I have one of these too!

[Anonymous]

Cashier at Walmart? Only if they were working their way up to management. Cop? I would be super proud. Military? I have three military kids. Two enlisted right out of high school, then went to college, and then OCS. One went through ROTC. Life was certainly much easier for them as officers. But I was proud of them back when they were E1. Plumber or electrician? Those are skilled trades. I would be fine with that.

I want my kids to be successful. To our family success is defined by much more than income. We have four adult children living independent, happy lives. That's what matters to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Something specialized with room for growth - yes, absolutely.

Something dead-end - absolutely not.

What’s the need for growth for? Money?

At a certain point, our lives are all dead ends

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Something specialized with room for growth - yes, absolutely.

Something dead-end - absolutely not.

What’s the need for growth for? Money?

At a certain point, our lives are all dead ends

PP here - so true!

Growth is important because it allows a person to build upon what they've established themselves as being able to do. This is only true to a point, I recognize.

[Anonymous]

I raise my kids to make their own decisions. If they decide to take up a trade or retail instead of a white collar job, how exactly am I supposed to stop that, considering they’ll be legal adults?

I want them to be happy and able to take care of themselves. If that means working with their hands, creating art, healing people, teaching, doing research, fighting fires, or staying home and raising children (assuming their partner is supportive and they can afford it), as long as they’re happy with their decision, I’ll be supportive.

If they find themselves in a place where they’re unhappy with their career choices, if I’m in a position to help them change it, I will. If I can’t help in a practical way, I’ll at least provide emotional support. I won’t say I told you so or favor one child who chose a more lucrative career than the others.