The Worst Question to Ask a Child
And how to tackle it no matter how old you are.
I was utterly speechless and completely unprepared.
Frantically looking around for another classmate to save me, I was met with blank, unhelpful stares. Buttheads I thought as I admitted defeat and cleared my throat.
“I’m sorry…could you repeat the question?” I asked timidly.
My teacher rolled her eyes, gave an exasperated sigh, and once again asked:
“What do you want to be when you grow up?”
I had absolutely no idea.
How could I be bothered to face such an existential question (that would end up plaguing me for the rest of my life) when I had better things to do, like staring out the window while doodling superheroes all over my wide ruled notebook?
And to top it all off? I was only in third grade.
Unfortunately, I’m not the only one who has come head-to-head with this terrifying question — kids all over the world are being asked it every day and it’s only getting worse.
I’ve always wondered why grownups feel so compelled to ask a bunch of clueless children something so complicated at such a young age. It’s obvious most grown-ups mean well, but what…
