What did you want to be when you grew up?

A librarian because I am a bookworm and could think of no better way to earn a living, but the careers advisor told me I needed Latin and I had given that up in the third year. So I trained as a teacher despite having no aptitude and so wasted three years and never taught.

As a young child I wanted to be a concert pianist but did not have the talent or dedication. However, I went to a music college and have been a piano, violin and viola teacher all my career; both in school or privately. I have also done a great deal of professional piano accompaniment and performances in orchestras or as a soloist. I’ve been very blessed.

A naturalist - but was told I wouldn't get any money. A Cartographer - but hopelessly failed maths. A nurse - but my parents couldn't afford to put me through the training. An engine driver - "oh, no, no, no dear, that's definitely not for girls!". Turned out that I was a d**ned good administrator and have been all my life. Hey-ho!

An author (the doctor who delivered me left his best fountain pen in my shawl and my grandmother said I was going to be a writer…)
I was and still am a voracious reader and made up stories for my younger sisters and my own children. I have been an office girl, promoted to legal secretary, window dresser, singer then teacher.
Can’t complain but write poetry, keep a journal and still write odd things.

I wanted to be a vet but was encouraged to leave school before getting A levels. I did get O levels tho which were enough to get me into nursing school, I ve now been a nurse for 46 years but do regret not going into veterinary medicine even though I ve loved nursing

I wanted to be a Bluebell /Tiller Girl .

Ha ha? I too was told I'd make a good teacher cos I had a loud deep voice and a commanding manner!!! I wanted to be a WREN Police most of all and journalist all occupations I was told were not reallyfor girls.....I always always wanted to be hairdresser found out at 35 that my birth mum and aunts had ALL been accomplished hairdressers!!! I ended up a bored office worker for nearly 40 years ..... eventually marked a Policeman and I've always done my and family's hair (and no we didn't look like that weird pic of the family in matching clothes and pud basin cuts!!!)????

# grrrrr. Married a Policeman!!

Hilarious the Catholic options! Nun/wife to politician/wife to diplomat/teacher/missionary (!?)/wife to farmer but always ambition must be to have LARGE family? those options courtesy of private Catholic school in Manchester in 1960s !!! Gawd help us, and I did a part time stint as a podium dancer at a rock club in my early teens.....? Well I didn't get spends and I loved a night out!

A ballerina! Unfortunately I was tall & despite going to lessons it was never going to happen.
So I became an Estate Agent!

Alioop

A hairdresser, but my mum said no as they didn't make much money. I think she got that wrong, it's a fortune going to a salon now.

Same here Alison, it was four year apprenticeship then with salary about a £1.00 per week. Mum wanted me out earning to be fair we needed the money.
Had stayed on at school (grammar) no help from careers advisors as I think if you didn’t want to go on to sixth form and university which I didn’t, they didn’t have any advice.
Ended up working in various accounts offices which was strange as I hated maths at school.

On another note can always remember one of my cousins daughters on being asked by some maiden aunties what she wanted to be , she answered a page three girl in the Sun newspaper, she must have been about six ?

Wanted to be an actress because my mum said I was a show off? but being young in the 50s and coming from a working class family wasn’t possible until I saw look back in anger and all the other kitchen sink dramas, missed me chance there.

I wanted to be a Sister Tutor (teacher of Nursing) - but I was involved in a road accident, and left school, rather than start again my first year of a two year pre-nursing course).
I was employed in clerical positions (with a brief stint as a Civil Servant) for most of my working life.

An actor or singer.

I wanted to be a policewoman and I did become one.

JaneJudge Just as well I never became an air hostess as I loathe flying, although I don't remember hating it as a child ? I do it because I must if I want to go somewhere but I'm still waiting for my transporter belt like the Tomorrow People.

I'm not complaining, had a brilliant 30 years in IT with a 10 year break in the middle to get my PhD.

I loathe flying too!!! sounds like you did amazingly well amberone

When I was 11 I wanted to be a nurse or a teacher. I became a teacher which is just as well as I don't think I would have had the co-ordination to have been a nurse. I would not have been very good at putting on bandages.

A teacher. I taught for 40 years and bought a nice house and brought up two children on the proceeds. I’m happy with that.

grandtanteJE65

A ballet dancer until the grown-ups insisted that was impossible because my big toes are longer than the next two on both feet. As they said I had a lovely singing voice, I changed my dream to becomng an opera singer.

That didn't work out either, so I changed completely and did something I wanted and came up with by myself and enjoyed it.

My other dream of having at least four children, six for preference didn't come true either.

I had the same problem feet. That’s the trouble with ballet. You don’t just have to be able to do it (and it’s far from easy), but you have to have particular physical characteristics. Hardly anyone is suitable.

A concert pianist...I barely pay anymore and suffer from terrible nerves performing.

A doctor, always a doctor. My mum and stepfather were horrified, even though 3 headmistresses told them I needed to move up a level education wise. I would have specialised in psychiatry. Became a secretary, mum’s dream job. Hated it. Then became an entrepreneur, dating agency, boarding cattery abroad and now writing books.

Follow your dream ladies.

A hairdresser until as a Saturday girl while washing a clients hair I burnt her head and got sacked. Then a lawyer, I did study law but found it boring.

An almoner, a writer if stories and poems and a psychologist. I did the last two, teaching special needs. Have written loads of things, plays, children's books and a full length novel, but am rubbish at persevering if turned down by publishers; I just move onto the next thing I want to write. The teaching was more successful ?