Knowing the important things in your job

On Wednesday, my daughter is going to be spending the day at a local co-op for the school systems. It is a village with real businesses where the children will work.  Each school is assigned to individual companies, and the children filled out job applications and completed the interview process for the positions.

Darcy was keen on becoming a cashier at the supermarket, but the teacher felt that she was more qualified for the bookkeeper position at McDonald's. When Darcy found out she hadn't gotten the job she wanted, she cried and horrified at this, the teacher took her aside and explained how Darcy had been chosen for this job because of her math knowledge. Darcy doesn't feel she is a math student. She prefers to tell everyone that is her sister's forte. Her math teacher has worked really hard at getting her to think positively and to get her to overcome that way of thinking. She thought giving her this job would be a reward.

I talked to Darcy at home about the situation in my normal Cara-way.

Me: "I'm hoping you aspire higher than a cashier, honey, that's why we're spending so much money on your education."

I realized after those words left my lips that perhaps I should be a tad more tactful. So, I discussed the reasoning behind the math teacher's thinking. How Darcy is a decent math student. How the harder she works in the subject, the more proficient she will become. I talked about how math is everywhere in life. How she already has a jump on things because she has been keeping her own bank account and bank book for several years.

The conversation seemed to work because, for the past week, she embraced her upcoming job. At school, she studied minimal accounting and completed an accounting packet that included keeping a register, depositing checks, and writing paychecks. She concentrated on keeping the numbers nicely written in columns, and she used beautiful handwriting to fill out the slips and checks.

Saturday night, she told her father all about the upcoming field trip and her job. She was very enthusiastic about her role as the bookkeeper. When she finished, she said she needed both our advice on something. We had visions of questions concerning her job, and we assured her we would help her in any way.

She disappeared, returning with two outfits, one in each hand.

Darcy: "Which outfit should I wear and what shoes would look best?"