Aspirational grandson

Boys give up on pirates at about the same age as girls abandon the pink princess phase. Bad news is that GS3 has a penchant for the most villainous characters from Star Wars; alternatively, he would like to be a time lord.

My GS (4) has a large menagerie of plastic animals and knows all about them. When I asked if he was going to work with animals when he grew up he said no and that he wanted to be a cook. He makes a good flapjack and so who knows.

GS1 (9) wants to be Master of the Universe.

My granddaughter who is now 12 always said she wanted to be a dog walker. When I got my Westie 9 months ago it was a bit of a novelty and she admits dog walking is a regular chore so she will be something else.

I can remember when my daughter started nursery, aged 3. They were also asked what they wanted to be when they were older. Twin sisters said a lawyer and a dentist. Another child said she wanted to be a chicken. I really thought her answer was more age appropriate. My daughter said she wanted to work in asda so I could come in and see her every day. She's now a teacher and living the other side of the country.

GD2 (now 13) has been through many ambitions but now she has joined the Army Cadets, she has her eye on being a high ranking Army officer.

When I was 5 our teacher asked us what we wanted to be. I said I wanted to be an interior designer because I had just been "helping" my poor father do some decorating. Oddly enough I ended up designing record shops - perhaps I did know what I wanted to do.

My youngest GS now 8 has always wanted to work in a dump. He is fascinated by rubbish and recycling. A favourite book of his when he was four is step by step guide on how recycling happens which he used to spend hours looking at and being read all the different sections. Another book he was given included funny pictures of rubbish dumps, one picture showed a dead rat stuck upside down in the dump which GS loved looking at. Now at 8 GS still wants to work in a rubbish dump and loves to sort the recycling and put it in the recycling bin which is one of his jobs at home. When his dad goes to the dump to get rid of branches GS always goes along to help. Recently he saved up some cans so his father took him to the recycling centre where he was given money for his cans. That was a happy day for him, money for recycling.

Am I wrong to worry that my GD wants to be a police dog? We thought she meant dog handler but she was adamant she wants to be the dog!

When my children were very young my daughter wanted to be a pilot or a doctor and my son wanted to dig holes in the road.

When he was about four my youngest DGS wanted to be a ballroom dancer, then a couple of years later he wanted to be a karate instructor. I can't wait to hear the next aspiration if discipline, movement and rhythm are key ingredients.

My 8 year old GS has been adamant for approx. the last 18 months that he wants to make you tube videos about Minecraft and Terraria, like Stampy. Since Stampy seems to be making a very successful life for himself, I suppose it's not a bad life plan.

In an exasperated unguarded moment, I once told him I was going to get Stampy to come to school to teach him his times tables as he might have more success that I was having!! His little face lit up and I had to explain it was a bad Nana joke.

For the past two years my DGS has been adamant he is going to be a racing car driver. Nothing will distract him, and he is in seventh heaven on the go carting track where Lewis Hamilton started out. Who knows.....!

When my dear sister's elder son was about 5 he said he was going to be a soldier. Sister said he would have to leave the village then-he was horrified but sister said well have you ever seen any soldiers in our village? He hadn't so that was the end of that career choice! He's something v successful (don't ask me what!) in computers in the City-so he did leave the village
DH has ALWAYS wanted to be a bricklayer. He worked as an art teacher for 40 years instead. . . .

A few years ago a very bright, very small (3?) girl joined Mensa, the high IQ society. She had various media interviews and on one tv channel was happily answering various questions.
Then she was asked what she would liked to be when she grew up - 'A mermaid' was the reply!!

When I worked in a bookshop I commented to an elderly man that he had made an excellent selection of children's classics. He told me that his father, a South Wales coal miner, had ensured that he read those book when young and now he wanted his own son to be able to do the same. I asked him what he did in life after such a good start fromhis father, he was Professor of Theology at a Welsh University.

When my middle DS was about 12 and was asked what he wanted to do when he left school he said he wanted to be a book maker. We were quite impressed with this until he made it perfectly clear he meant a bookie. Tbf you rarely see a poor bookie. Having said that he never did become one but he still likes a bet on the horses!

When DD was 6 she told her godmother (very respectable JP) that she wanted to be a bank robber or a stripper. . Never voiced that one before or since. Glad to report she is now a high powered program manager. (Phew emoticon)

DD2 couldn't decide between clothes design, dancer or teacher. Enjoyed singing, dancing and eventually did some fashion/textile work, so maybe the best of all possible worlds for her!

My GS has wanted to be a zookeeper for several years now. I'm getting worried it will happen. I hate zoos. Don't understand how anyone who loves animals would want to put them in cages/enclosures.

He will likely run his own waste processing plant and be extremely well off.
I imagine that at 3,he is fascinated by the bin lorry .
Sounds like a very individual little soul.

DS1 wanted to be a coach driver when he was small. I can see the attraction of driving to the tourist spot, enjoying it for the day and driving back in the evening. He is now an heating engineer travelling all over the country and abroad.

GS2 (aged 5) says he wants to be someone who works with potions.... I'm hoping he means something like a chemist and not a poisoner. His sister (7) wants to travel the world and write about people in other countries. They are so funny, aren't they? I love the bin man story

Once, discussing jobs they wanted to do with a group of infants, one boy cheerfully said he wanted to be a burglar. Into the ensuing silence the boy sitting next to him said he wanted to be a policeman. All agreed that he could catch the other one! Sorted!

My younger son also wanted to be a bin man - because they only work in the early morning and have the rest of the day off. Now 40 I have to say he is now a really successful graphic designer