I dare say that most young people entering their senior year are really quite frightened. Of course, it isn't "cool" to show this fear, so they often bluff by being loud and boisterous. Their fear is compounded every time someone asks, "What are you going to do when you get out of school?" That is why I try to never ask that question. Most young people feel that they must give an answer and will say the name of a career that they are not really sure about. It is much better, in my opinion, to say, "Are there some careers you are considering?" This does not pin the student down and leaves the person free to change his/her mind. Too many times, when a student is pinned down, that student feels an obligation to follow through on what has been said. A career path may be chosen simply to save face when that may not have been the best choice.

Parents can help alleviate fears in children by not putting undue pressure on them to make a definite decision in a certain time frame. Rather, parents can help by making sure the young person has the opportunity to take aptitude tests and gain the knowledge of careers available and the requirements for those careers. Right now, the demand for nurses is high nationwide. In Southwest Missouri, truck drivers, nurses, and elementary school teachers are the most needed. We can be assured that whether or not healthcare undergoes changes, there will be a big need for people in that field. High school counselors can help students find what they are best suited for.

There are, unfortunately, those students entering their senior year who haven't a clue as to what lies ahead. Many actually refuse to think about a future, almost in denial that they will have to make important decisions. Their only thought is on fun and getting through the year with the unrealistic expectation that life will be rosy once they get away from rules and discipline. Our society has fostered the notion that everyone will be taken care of with no regard to past behavior. Some homes have fostered this notion as well. From kindergarten until now, some students have been passed from grade to grade whether or not they met requirements for each grade. It is no surprise then that they may feel that everything will be all right whether or not they do anything about it. Some way, some how, these students must be brought to face reality.

Thankfully, there are those students entering their senior year who have been coached by parents and know that our country is not in great shape right now, and that nothing is guaranteed. Families who have worked together as a team have instilled the confidence that the family is always there for support. There was a time when parents told children, "When you are eighteen, you can start taking care of us!" There is nothing in the Bible to indicate that we ever stop being parents without becoming enablers. We should always do the best we can for our children. There comes a time when total monetary support should end, but prayer support should never end.

One suggestion I would like to make is that seniors use this year to catch up on math if they need to. Nationwide, many high school graduates are being required to take remedial math when they go on to school. They get no college credit for remedial math and it is costing money to take it. They will save time and money to make sure they are where they should be in math upon graduation.

It would be good if all of us would do everything we can to encourage our high school seniors. They have a tough road ahead of them.