My son approached me today and said he wanted to be an architect like me. I’m flattered that he looks up to me and all that... but I don’t want him to go into this field. I just don’t. How do I go about this?
Miles Jaffe
Apr 21, 18 10:45 pm
I didn't want to be an architect but I grew up in the office - literally. So while I followed that path by default I ended up doing a great many other things. That experience in may ways shaped my life.
The best thing you can do is facilitate and encourage your son's experience. Share your journey with him. Likely he will learn to see the profession the way you do and find his own path.
bowling_ball
Apr 22, 18 2:48 am
You folks can really be a downer.
I'm the first person in my family to get a university degree. Compared to some of the jobs I had as a teen, architecture is fantastic.
Every career choice has its pros and cons. I'd rather be an architect than most other professions. It sure as shit beats driving a forklift in a warehouse.
thatsthat
Apr 22, 18 12:53 pm
Everyday I don't want to go to work, I think about every minimum wage, part-time, manual labor job I had in college and how I hated those way more than anything I'm doing now.
JonathanLivingston
Apr 24, 18 6:48 pm
really I feel like every manual labor job i had was way more enjoyable, beer tasted better at the end of the day and all i had to do was the job i was told. Keep moving and you good. easy on the mind, good for the body and soul. If i could make the same money swinging a hammer I totally would.
Wilma Buttfit
Apr 25, 18 6:26 pm
I love working manual jobs too. I worked assembly line in a window and door factory. It was good money and the day flew by.
joseffischer
Apr 26, 18 1:56 pm
I agree a lot with Jonathan. I really liked most days in construction way more than most days here. A few caveats, I don't want to be up on a 9/12 roof anymore. I don't want to be on a roof or outside when it's over 90 or raining. I don't want to work in the cold. I don't want to work in a crawlspace. I don't want to be the guy required to fix something went sideways and now requires a lot more thought than normal predominantly because the time and tools we have on the job aren't what's needed now that the scope just grew exponentially. I don't want to be taking down a deck ledger built years ago by the home owner and get zapped off my ladder because the lag bolt must have knicked a wire. Response from owner?? "So that's why the storage room lights always flickered.... Thanks guy.
randomised
Apr 22, 18 7:30 am
It's great your son has an interest in architecture, it's a wonderful and diverse field to be working in and training to become an architect gives you an amazing and critical set of skills that can be applied in many different ways in many different places.
How old is your son? Secondly, does your son see how exhausted you are from work, with little or no time for the father/son school events?
Thirdly, does your son enjoy the rat race which his father has to shoulder to keep up with those that are always ahead of him in the support your family reality?
Learn programming or study medicine is my advice, however I remember from the Graduate film that "plastics" was the future.
x-jla
Apr 22, 18 2:02 pm
My advice, don’t ever discourage a kids interests. It’s great that your kid is interested in something challenging and thinking about a positive future. That’s the important part.
mantaray
Apr 22, 18 4:09 pm
I would be thrilled if my kid wanted to be an architect. She shows a lot of interest but I try to remain neutral as I want her career to be 100% her choice, no matter what it is. Why would you pressure your kid one way or the other? If you have concerns because of your own experience, just try to share what those are and help your kid strategize about how to avoid whatever mistakes you made.
thisisnotmyname
Apr 22, 18 4:51 pm
Allow your child to come to work with you every day this summer and see everything that you do. If they continue to be interested after that, encourage them 100%. Your child will have a tremendous advantage when they go off to architecture school.
Miles Jaffe
Apr 24, 18 4:22 pm
My advantage was going to architecture school and switching into industrial design when I saw how removed from reality the architecture program was. If I hadn't grown up in my father's office I'd have been just another clueless noob drinking KoolAid.
sameolddoctor
Apr 24, 18 4:54 pm
In many ways, this.
Wilma Buttfit
Apr 24, 18 2:30 pm
My 5-year-old daughter is designing a house right now in fact. It has a purple floor which is genius. If she goes through with it as a career, I can teach her what took me many years to learn and maybe after two lifespans of this, we can achieve great things!
Non Sequitur
Apr 24, 18 3:23 pm
I think a bright purple floor would look awesome in a kitchen.
Wilma Buttfit
Apr 24, 18 6:01 pm
The grape kool-aid stains don't stand out so much.
SneakyPete
Apr 25, 18 9:15 pm
My dad still has the dinosaur hospital I designed when I was a wee
lad.
sameolddoctor
Apr 24, 18 3:19 pm
This is what happens. When you hate something a lot (like the way I know you hate your job onelostarchitect) - your kid turns around and want to do the same exact thing. When the time comes you might want to explain in a very clear manner what sucks about the profession.
Oh, and yes, dont listen to the koolaid drinking folks here.
sameolddoctor
Apr 24, 18 4:35 pm
Burp!
geezertect
Apr 24, 18 7:55 pm
Truth isn't toxic. False illusions are, after the truth is eventually discovered.
chigurh
Apr 24, 18 4:38 pm
total fail.
bennyc
Apr 25, 18 6:06 pm
Why not put them in school for real estate development, construction management or something of that nature and then self teach him architecture. If you are licensed, he can technically work for you and eventually get licensed himself, without any formal schooling as an architect.
Thats what I would do with my son if he ever mentions architecture.
My son approached me today and said he wanted to be an architect like me. I’m flattered that he looks up to me and all that... but I don’t want him to go into this field. I just don’t. How do I go about this?
I didn't want to be an architect but I grew up in the office - literally. So while I followed that path by default I ended up doing a great many other things. That experience in may ways shaped my life.
The best thing you can do is facilitate and encourage your son's experience. Share your journey with him. Likely he will learn to see the profession the way you do and find his own path.
You folks can really be a downer.
I'm the first person in my family to get a university degree. Compared to some of the jobs I had as a teen, architecture is fantastic.
Every career choice has its pros and cons. I'd rather be an architect than most other professions. It sure as shit beats driving a forklift in a warehouse.
Everyday I don't want to go to work, I think about every minimum wage, part-time, manual labor job I had in college and how I hated those way more than anything I'm doing now.
really I feel like every manual labor job i had was way more enjoyable, beer tasted better at the end of the day and all i had to do was the job i was told. Keep moving and you good. easy on the mind, good for the body and soul. If i could make the same money swinging a hammer I totally would.
I love working manual jobs too. I worked assembly line in a window and door factory. It was good money and the day flew by.
I agree a lot with Jonathan. I really liked most days in construction way more than most days here. A few caveats, I don't want to be up on a 9/12 roof anymore. I don't want to be on a roof or outside when it's over 90 or raining. I don't want to work in the cold. I don't want to work in a crawlspace. I don't want to be the guy required to fix something went sideways and now requires a lot more thought than normal predominantly because the time and tools we have on the job aren't what's needed now that the scope just grew exponentially. I don't want to be taking down a deck ledger built years ago by the home owner and get zapped off my ladder because the lag bolt must have knicked a wire. Response from owner?? "So that's why the storage room lights always flickered.... Thanks guy.
It's great your son has an interest in architecture, it's a wonderful and diverse field to be working in and training to become an architect gives you an amazing and critical set of skills that can be applied in many different ways in many different places.
How old is your son? Secondly, does your son see how exhausted you are from work, with little or no time for the father/son school events?
Thirdly, does your son enjoy the rat race which his father has to shoulder to keep up with those that are always ahead of him in the support your family reality?
Learn programming or study medicine is my advice, however I remember from the Graduate film that "plastics" was the future.
My advice, don’t ever discourage a kids interests. It’s great that your kid is interested in something challenging and thinking about a positive future. That’s the important part.
I would be thrilled if my kid wanted to be an architect. She shows a lot of interest but I try to remain neutral as I want her career to be 100% her choice, no matter what it is. Why would you pressure your kid one way or the other? If you have concerns because of your own experience, just try to share what those are and help your kid strategize about how to avoid whatever mistakes you made.
Allow your child to come to work with you every day this summer and see everything that you do. If they continue to be interested after that, encourage them 100%. Your child will have a tremendous advantage when they go off to architecture school.
My advantage was going to architecture school and switching into industrial design when I saw how removed from reality the architecture program was. If I hadn't grown up in my father's office I'd have been just another clueless noob drinking KoolAid.
In many ways, this.
My 5-year-old daughter is designing a house right now in fact. It has a purple floor which is genius. If she goes through with it as a career, I can teach her what took me many years to learn and maybe after two lifespans of this, we can achieve great things!
I think a bright purple floor would look awesome in a kitchen.
The grape kool-aid stains don't stand out so much.
My dad still has the dinosaur hospital I designed when I was a wee
lad.
This is what happens. When you hate something a lot (like the way I know you hate your job onelostarchitect) - your kid turns around and want to do the same exact thing. When the time comes you might want to explain in a very clear manner what sucks about the profession.
Oh, and yes, dont listen to the koolaid drinking folks here.
Burp!
Truth isn't toxic. False illusions are, after the truth is eventually discovered.
total fail.
Why not put them in school for real estate development, construction management or something of that nature and then self teach him architecture. If you are licensed, he can technically work for you and eventually get licensed himself, without any formal schooling as an architect.
Thats what I would do with my son if he ever mentions architecture.
Be glad he didn't say he wants to be a realtor.