creekland Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 On another thread some of us were looking at our heritage, ourselves, and our kids in relation to our likes/dislikes/niches in this world. It inspired more curiosity in me. Of course, this thread is ONLY for those who care to share - no one should feel they have to. It IS for those who have been adopted or have adopted kids too - just mention it somewhere as I'm genuinely curious as to whether those results will look the same... I have no idea if there's a genetic component to any of these things or not - and of course, this won't "prove" anything - just provide some "fun" to consider... 1) What were your parent's fields/likes? Your in-laws (or similar)? 2) What are yours and your "other half?" 3) What are your kids (seemingly if younger) interested in for potential occupational fields or academics? 4) Any other "strange" issues not related to academics? For myself... 1) What were your parent's fields/likes? Your in-laws (or similar)? Parents were both instrumental music teachers in public schools and loved the instrumental and show music world. In laws worked in tobacco (foreman) and SAHM - no clue as to academic interests from their school days. 2) What are yours and your "other half?" I was never "talented" at music in spite of being raised to appreciate it. My talents academically are in math/science/psych (majors in physics and psych, minor in math, but I use math more now). I did inherit the "teaching" gene in spite of saying I would never be a teacher in my youth. I don't just "do" it. I "love" it. Hubby is a Civil Engineer and owner of his firm. He loves it. 3) What are your kids (seemingly if younger) interested in for potential occupational fields or academics? Our offspring have chosen (wannabes yet since they aren't yet through all the steps to get there, but all "seem" to have chosen according to their true interests): 1) Business/accounting 2) Doctor 3) Marine Biologist All three have inherited the "teaching" gene and have tutored peers for years. None have wanted engineering or math/physics. Middle is majoring in Brain & Cognitive Studies which is very close to Psych. 4) Any other "strange" issues not related to academics? Both hubby and I hate snakes. Youngest wants a house (or tent) full of them - and NOT just to keep us away from his place! Both hubby and I are "minimal intervention" folks medically (not faith healing, but just the belief that a healthy body tends to heal itself given enough time and decent nutrition). Doctor visits are rare in our family once kids passed 12 years of age (annually before that). Middle son has wanted to be a doctor since 3rd grade and hasn't wavered. Anyone else care to share? I see "some" genetic trends in our family, but certainly not some I might expect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 1) What were your parent's fields/likes? Your in-laws (or similar)? My dad - military and computer programming. Was a manager at IBM for 25 years - works a few days a week overseeing computer stuff for Fidelity bank now. My mom - she has always been a SAHM My FIL is a pastor (his dad was a Wesleyan pastor) My MIL - SAHM always 2) What are yours and your "other half?" My husband - worship pastor for 15 years. Music definitely has very deep roots in his family. Myself - SAHM but worked as a social worker until my son was born. I love being a homemaker like my mother was. I literally find great joy in it & see it as my career. I did not inherit my father's math skills at all! But I am quite handy with building and fixing things, as are my father and grandfather. 3) What are your kids (seemingly if younger) interested in for potential occupational fields or academics? My son - video game programmer or ninja My daughter - no idea Both will go to college though. I imagine as they get older their career paths will become clearer. 4) Any other "strange" issues not related to academics? I'm not sure. :) I will need to think about that! We hate snakes too!!! Does that count? My parents both come from hard working blue collar families. They are the first in their families ever to be financially well off. All of my sisters have very financially secure families as well. Each of my sister also are SAHM-- so maybe there is a trend there? Even though women in my family have degrees, it seems most of us on both sides stayed home. Interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 Not an answer to the questions, but I have a homeschooling friend who was a professional ballerina. Her adopted daughter is also a professional ballerina. We've accused her of roaming through the orphanage examining infants for turn-out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ripley Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 We're a strong aviation family. Several licensed pilots in my family, and also in my ex's family, plus many employed in the aviation industry. We spend a lot of time, on/in/around aircraft! Not surprisingly, I have one child very interested in a career in aviation. Also not surprising is that he wishes to pursue this via the military, which is another thread common to both my family and my ex's. I don't know if this is genetics, or just exposure. I was adopted as a child (not infant), and have always been in regular contact with both biological parents; aviation isn't something that's been any part of either family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 My family is medical; dh's family farmed. Dh has his own business. I am a SAHM but my interests are...learning cool stuff while homeschooling, playing guitar, singing, songwriting, sewing, knitting, crochet, and currently, learning French. Dh enjoys watching his favorite college sports team. We all enjoy traveling. Our kids are all over the place: 1. Psychology w/ chemistry minor, now a sister in a religious order 2. Computer science 3. Aspiring writer, works in a whole foods grocery store and is considering a degree in nutrition 4. Elementary Ed 5. Engineering student 6. Interested in art or psychology 7. 8th grade, has expressed interest in writing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 30, 2014 Author Share Posted January 30, 2014 My parents both come from hard working blue collar families. They are the first in their families ever to be financially well off. All of my sisters have very financially secure families as well. Each of my sister also are SAHM-- so maybe there is a trend there? Even though women in my family have degrees, it seems most of us on both sides stayed home. Interesting. It sounds like financial knowledge is being passed on one way or another too - along with a love for education and family. ;) Not an answer to the questions, but I have a homeschooling friend who was a professional ballerina. Her adopted daughter is also a professional ballerina. We've accused her of roaming through the orphanage examining infants for turn-out. Cute! I don't know if this is genetics, or just exposure. I was adopted as a child (not infant), and have always been in regular contact with both biological parents; aviation isn't something that's been any part of either family. I have no idea either - which is what drove my curiosity. Genetics? Environment? A combo? Some aspects one way and some another? We all enjoy traveling. This is true of every member in our family as well - all generations I know of, but of course the older generations (my grandparents) couldn't do it as much as travel wasn't as easy then. They did love trips they went on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T'smom Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 This is an interesting thread! There are several things in my family like this. My dad is a pastor. He has several uncles that were pastors. His brother graduated from seminary and is an ordained pastor, but went back to school and is now a doctor. My mom and her sister are both teachers, though my mom taught high school and my aunt taught Kindergarten. I went to school for elementary education, didn't get a job my first year out so I subbed and worked at the library. Then I taught for a few years, moved for my husbands job and worked in a library. My sister went to school for El Ed, didn't get a job her first year out and she worked in a library! Now we are both SAHMs, though I homeschool and she doesn't. My sister, my mom, my grandmother and great-grandmother all graduated from the same college with degrees in education. (My grandma and great grandma went back to school late in life. My great grandma taught mostly in a one room schoolhouse on the prairie and my grandma taught the first few years in the same. They didn't need degrees at the beginning of their careers.) My dh is a triplet and they could not be more different. One is in construction, one in engineering, and one in a healthcare related field. One dropped out of college, one has a Bachelors and one has a Masters. ETA: I do have a brother that sortof defies description. He is in law enforcement, but his interests and lifestyle are all over the map. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 okay, this is fun ;) 1) What were your parent's fields/likes? Your in-laws (or similar)? my parents: both teachers, then mom was a special ed specialist and dad became superintendent of schools my grandparents: both grandmothers were teachers, paternal grandfather was an accountant dh's parents: both scientists, then dh's dad became a biology professor, and dh's mom became a sahm recreation: dh's mom sings, my dad played the viola. i played piano and viola 2) What are yours and your "other half?" me: teacher, social worker, councellor, pastor, homeschool mom dh: geologist, scientist 3) What are your kids (seemingly if younger) interested in for potential occupational fields or academics? oldest: geology professor second: EMT third: on her way to becoming a biologist and/or a professional violinist (and has decided to learn to play the viola "for fun". sigh....) fourth: still finding her way, but is great at math, languages, chemistry and music (violin and piano) 4) Any other "strange" issues not related to academics? i'm sure, isn't it all strange? ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted January 30, 2014 Share Posted January 30, 2014 1) What were your parent's fields/likes? Your in-laws (or similar)? My dad is a doctor, son of a doctor and a nurse and his sisters are nurses. None of my dad's 4 kids or 4 of my 5 cousins went anywhere near medicine (1 cousin is a nurse). I know that in our family, we saw the workload and hours out of the house and had no interest in being doctors. My mom was a teacher, daughter of a teacher. Her dad was a park ranger. She was a SAHM after kids came along. FIL was an electrical engineer. MIL trained for speech therapy but was a SAHM. 2) What are yours and your "other half?" I was a high school math teacher with an engineering degree, then worked in industry, some of it as an engineer. Teaching is really my calling though and I would have continued teaching in OR if there had been any jobs here (I taught in CA). So I'm a third generation teacher. I've been a SAHM since my kids came along. Dh is an electrical engineer as is his brother. His grandfather worked in rural electrification (bringing electricity to rural Indiana starting in the 30's), so he's a third generation electricity kind of guy. 3) What are your kids (seemingly if younger) interested in for potential occupational fields or academics? Hard to say. Older dd I could see teaching. Definitely not an engineer! Younger it's too hard to say. Wouldn't rule out teaching or engineering. Wouldn't mind if either went into medicine, but not as doctors as I think they both value family life. Wouldn't be surprised if they home school their kids and be SAHMs if financially feasible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 31, 2014 Author Share Posted January 31, 2014 This is an interesting thread! There are several things in my family like this. My dad is a pastor. He has several uncles that were pastors. His brother graduated from seminary and is an ordained pastor, but went back to school and is now a doctor. My mom and her sister are both teachers, though my mom taught high school and my aunt taught Kindergarten. I went to school for elementary education, didn't get a job my first year out so I subbed and worked at the library. Then I taught for a few years, moved for my husbands job and worked in a library. My sister went to school for El Ed, didn't get a job her first year out and she worked in a library! Now we are both SAHMs, though I homeschool and she doesn't. My sister, my mom, my grandmother and great-grandmother all graduated from the same college with degrees in education. (My grandma and great grandma went back to school late in life. My great grandma taught mostly in a one room schoolhouse on the prairie and my grandma taught the first few years in the same. They didn't need degrees at the beginning of their careers.) My dh is a triplet and they could not be more different. One is in construction, one in engineering, and one in a healthcare related field. One dropped out of college, one has a Bachelors and one has a Masters. ETA: I do have a brother that sortof defies description. He is in law enforcement, but his interests and lifestyle are all over the map. It's seeming that teaching does run down family lines (pastoring wouldn't be much different IMO). I'm finding the triplet deal very interesting. Were they identical or fraternal? okay, this is fun ;) 1) What were your parent's fields/likes? Your in-laws (or similar)? my parents: both teachers, then mom was a special ed specialist and dad became superintendent of schools my grandparents: both grandmothers were teachers, paternal grandfather was an accountant dh's parents: both scientists, then dh's dad became a biology professor, and dh's mom became a sahm recreation: dh's mom sings, my dad played the viola. i played piano and viola 2) What are yours and your "other half?" me: teacher, social worker, councellor, pastor, homeschool mom dh: geologist, scientist 3) What are your kids (seemingly if younger) interested in for potential occupational fields or academics? oldest: geology professor second: EMT third: on her way to becoming a biologist and/or a professional violinist (and has decided to learn to play the viola "for fun". sigh....) fourth: still finding her way, but is great at math, languages, chemistry and music (violin and piano) 4) Any other "strange" issues not related to academics? i'm sure, isn't it all strange? ;) More teachers in family lines... and it's DEFINITELY all strange! :coolgleamA: 1) What were your parent's fields/likes? Your in-laws (or similar)? My dad is a doctor, son of a doctor and a nurse and his sisters are nurses. None of my dad's 4 kids or 4 of my 5 cousins went anywhere near medicine (1 cousin is a nurse). I know that in our family, we saw the workload and hours out of the house and had no interest in being doctors. My mom was a teacher, daughter of a teacher. Her dad was a park ranger. She was a SAHM after kids came along. FIL was an electrical engineer. MIL trained for speech therapy but was a SAHM. 2) What are yours and your "other half?" I was a high school math teacher with an engineering degree, then worked in industry, some of it as an engineer. Teaching is really my calling though and I would have continued teaching in OR if there had been any jobs here (I taught in CA). So I'm a third generation teacher. I've been a SAHM since my kids came along. Dh is an electrical engineer as is his brother. His grandfather worked in rural electrification (bringing electricity to rural Indiana starting in the 30's), so he's a third generation electricity kind of guy. 3) What are your kids (seemingly if younger) interested in for potential occupational fields or academics? Hard to say. Older dd I could see teaching. Definitely not an engineer! Younger it's too hard to say. Wouldn't rule out teaching or engineering. Wouldn't mind if either went into medicine, but not as doctors as I think they both value family life. Wouldn't be surprised if they home school their kids and be SAHMs if financially feasible. And more teaching... I wonder how much bias in that comes from this being a homeschooling board... Many teachers opting to teach their own. That's how it worked for me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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