My son N had the rare privilege of being on the cast at his school. The performance was Matilda the Musical. One song that has stuck, from the performance, is When I Grow Up.

Part of the song goes like this:

When I grow up,
I will be tall enough to reach the branches
That I need to reach to climb the trees
You get to climb when you’re grown up.

And when I grow up,
I will be smart enough to answer all
The questions that you need to know
The answers to before you’re grown up.

https://www.themusicallyrics.com/m/244-matilda-lyrics/1740-when-i-grow-up.html

Which child doesn’t have a wish as to what s/he would like to be when they grow up?

This remains one of the favorite topics with my ninja. He is very inquisitive. He wants to know more. The more he knows, the more he asks.

Today, during school drop off, the discussion came up again.

N: Dad, when you were young, what did you want to be?

Dad: I really did not know what I want to be when I was young. I kinda figured it out when I was in High School. I wanted to be an Engineer.

N: When I was younger, I wanted to be a taxi driver. Then I wanted to be a train driver. Now I want to be a pilot.

Dad: That is interesting. Why would you want to be a pilot?

N: Before I answer … how much money does a pilot make in a year?

Dad: I think a pilot makes around one hundred thousand dollars. It could be more. But it depends on the plane, how long he has worked and how far he is flying the plane.

N: Wow. Thats good money. Now I really want to be a pilot. I will work for 5 years then I retire. No, I will go back and make more money.

Dad: (thinking aloud …. where can I enroll N in a class for BSc. in Pilot & Flying Planes. It has to take not more than 9 months).

…. when I grow up ….