Children’s responses to the question ‘When you grow up, what would you like to be?’ may give an important insight into their emotional state and ability to deal with difficult family circumstances, according to new research.
The study, which explored the link between family poverty, career aspirations and emotional and behavioural problems, analysed the career dreams of 9,000 seven-year-old children in the UK.
The 12 most popular occupations were: teacher, scientist, hairdresser, sports player, fire fighter, police officer, artist, actor/entertainer, animal carer, vet, doctor and builder.
The study found that the role of career aspirations among children had a protective effect and contributed to their resilience.
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