CARIMAC Times 2016: The JREAM Edition Journalists Reviving Awareness of what Matters | Page 56

As he spoke, the passion he had for this field was
evident in his voice.
“My parents are kinda one-sided. They don’t consider
anything else. I used to complain to my art teacher
a lot in high school, but he used to say it’s best if I
adhere to what they want.”
The young accountant said, despite all his studies,
he plans to pursue graphic designing in the future,
after he works as an accountant for 10 years.
Neville McIntosh, a parent, told CARIMAC Times with
great pride that he is 100 per cent not in support of
those parents who tend to live their dreams through
their children.
When asked if he would force his children to do
what he wants them to do, he replied, “A parent
can provide their children with advice, but it’s the
children’s decision to choose what he/she wants
to become in life, whether it is a doctor or teacher.”
CARIMAC Times asked, “Do you have a son?”
“No,” he replied.
“If you had a son, would you convince him to become
an electrician like yourself?”
He echoed the answer “No” three times.
“But if my son grew up with me, seeing what I do
and if he likes what I do, he can do what I do. But
I don’t think I would convince or force him to do
what I am doing.”
Nineteen-year-old Joshanna Anderson is a first-year
student at the UWI in the Faculty of Humanities and
Education, the faculty in which a majority of her

family members have sought to pursue a career.
She said that practice has become mandatory for
all family members, including her.
She said while most of her friends wanted to attend
university and study to become accountants, social
workers and lawyers but not her; she wanted to
become a cosmetologist and a fashion designer.
Anderson said she plans to own a beauty salon
someday. She stated that her interest in cosmetology
came from dressing up, putting lipstick on her doll
and combing their hair when she was younger.
However, her plan of becoming a salon owner will
have to wait until she completes her Bachelor of Arts
in Literatures in English.
Anderson’s mother insists that she studies to become
a teacher since it is a profession that most of the
females in their family, including her grandmother,
cousin and older sister, have done. Furthermore,
Anderson mentioned that her mother wanted to
become a teacher but did not get to because of
reasons she did not wish to reveal.
Dr. Kai Morgan said the theory of cognitive behavioural
perspective can be used to explain the behaviour
of some parents who live vicariously through their
children. The theory explains that the parent may
have some automatic negative thoughts about his/her
experience and this may cause him/her discomfort
because he/she did not live up to that expectation.
The cognitive behavioural theory speaks about the
person who is the parent having a thought, which
produces a feeling, and then this feeling produces
a particular behaviour.
“The thought of the parent may be ‘I have not lived up
to an expectation’ and the feeling would be that ‘I am

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