In this day and age, getting into a good college can be extremely competitive. With AP and gifted classes pushing the average GPA requirements higher and higher each year, many middles schools are practically twisting the arms of students to get them to declare a career path. While specialty centers in public high schools offer a tremendous amount of value for motivated teenagers, this practice leaves the normal child wondering what’s wrong with them and if they’ll be successful as an adult.

What many people don’t share with these kids is that, in the past, very successful individuals have graduated college not quite knowing what they want to be when they grow up. As this type of person experiences life, they’ll usually find their passion and end up with a career that they love instead of a job that they perform. That’s not to say that some kids don’t know from an early age that they want to be a doctor or a lawyer or an Indian chief and stick with it. This is just a reminder that it’s not reasonable to expect pre-teens – or even high school students – to have a complete life plan in place.

Many adults forget that even though their children act like miniature adults, their brains don’t completely finishe developing until they’re in their early 20s. Unfortunately, the pressure to succeed takes its toll on many kids and leads to depression or worse. In short, encourage your kids to do their best in school, but remind them that they will always have the freedom to change their minds about what they think they want to do at any age.