Higher education is a beautiful thing, and the right college education will prepare an eager young mind for a successful life in a number of important ways. The lessons and experience one gets to take away from college are without a doubt some of the most valuable things available to a human being during his or her lifespan. College isn’t a no-brainer for everybody, however, whether it’s due to motivation, budget, or chosen career path. As a parent, of course, you want the absolute best for your children, and to most of us this means a college education, no question about it. Many of us make this type of a decision knowing that it’s the best our children could hope to have, and sometimes forgetting that by the time they’re ready for college, our kids will be adults of 18 or 19 years old. For a few different reasons, it can be a smart idea not to force college on your kids if they’re a little resistant, and we’ll talk about a few reasons why.
It’s Expensive
College isn’t cheap, and right now it’s actually never been more expensive. If your kids aren’t going to make the most out of an education that will likely cost a small fortune at this point, then it might be a smart idea not to waste your money. College is something that an adult must decide to do and complete when he or she is ready. Otherwise, some of the most important knowledge will simply fall on deaf ears that aren’t ready to hear it yet.
They’ll Need to Be Fully Invested
Which student do you think will be more likely to succeed in college — the student who’s chosen to the be there, or the one who has been forced to attend class? If you guessed the former student, you’d be right every single time. Forcing your children to attend college against their will only causes them to build up intense mental barriers, whether they realize it or not. If you want your child to truly succeed during his or her education, then you should allow it to be something in which they are genuinely interested.
They Might Not Need It
If your child can truly succeed without going to college, now’s the time to do it. With the job market all up in a twist the way it is, employers are less and less interested in a college degree and more interested in actual skill and performance levels. With the Internet being capable of what it is, there has pretty much never been a better time to be a self-teacher. It’s entirely possible that your child can make something of him- or herself without a college degree, especially now.
You Can Charge Them Rent If They Don’t Move Out
You don’t have to force your kid to go to college against his or her will, but there’s no reason that you, as a parent, should support any kind of idleness. Just because your kid isn’t in school doesn’t mean he or she can’t do something productive and forward-moving in life, or contribute in some sort of way. Not going to college doesn’t mean a free ride, so if your child can’t afford to move out, then you might perhaps think about charging rent that increases on a yearly basis. Many young adults think that not attending college means the ability to simply stay at home, where they’ll get to live and eat on Mom and Dad’s dime. Adulthood shouldn’t be delayed like this, so you might want to start finding ways to help ease them into independence.
It Can Build Unnecessary Barriers
Nobody likes friction between them and their kids, and not only will forcing your kid through college create a situation where he or she doesn’t make the most of the education you paid for, but it’ll also build barriers between you and your children that you simply don’t need built over something that didn’t even benefit them to begin with. You don’t need careers in social work with children to understand that there are alternate ways to ensure that your child grows up to be a healthy and intelligent individual.
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