Listen to my parents, or listen to my heart?

Question

My biggest dream is to become a pastry chef, not a glamorous one, just a happy semi-successful pastry chef. I love to make desserts, its like art and it makes me and others SO happy. I make cakes from home for fun. But the problem is my parents have always viewed me as the "smart kid" the one with a "good future." When i told them i was leaning away from psychology and toward baking, they nearly passed out. But what confuses me is they've always taught me to do what makes me happy, not rich. I live in the central valley CA so theres not much opportunity for a pastry chef. But i want it so bad, i want to get started while im young and can always change my mind. How do i convince my parents how serious i am? And where do i get my foot in the door to begin with??? Tech schools costs 10s of 1000s of dollars, i cant do that.

Answer 1

Dreams...taking imagination to the utmost highest.

Listening to your parents can be a hard decision. They have been through a lot so they typically know what's out there in the world.

But your heart ... your heart is also there. Do we mix reality and imagination together? Or do we separate them in order to benefit solely?

Show your parents that dream can be far greater than they imagined. Sure it's not going to be easy, but the trick in success is the willingness to understake change.

Not everyday will seem like your dream will get any closer. In fact, it might even fade. But in times like these, you must realize that committment and dedication is the path towards destiny.

Answer 2

Look for scholarships, and take out loans. I imagine your folks are shocked but that's ok.

If you were my daughter what I would ask you about is why you are willing to settle for just a "semi-successful" pastry chef. You don't have to be at the top of the ladder, but your comment makes me wonder if you are feeling alittle overwhelmed and under pressure and this is how you are coping with the stress. To lower the bar, you can ease that pressure. You might want to think about it, something isn't right.

Otherwise, tell your parents that your dream is to own your own bakery or be pastry chef to the president. The idea is for them to pay for your education. And just another thought from someone who is a bit older. I had an unexpected stroke at the age of 53. A year later, I find that I just am not able to continue in my profession. Now what?

My point is, things happen to change your life. You should be prepared for that. A good basic education will give you the freedom to move from profession to profession and you won't ever wonder what you are going to do to pay the bills when something unexpected happens, as it does in life.

I hope you do well as a pastry chef if that's what you want, but as a consumer, I don't want to eat a pastry made by a chef who was semi successful.

Answer 3

It could be helpful to know how old you are. Are your parents prepared to pay for an education that leads to psychology? If so, you may want to look into a major in psychology and a minor in culinary arts if that is possible.
There is no substitute for a great education. Life experience is a great education, but not too many employers feel the same way.
Let me put it to you this way, it's always good to have options. Follow your dreams but have something to fall back on. If an education in psychology (or something similar) is something your family will support, grab it. Use it for all that you can and let it guide you towards fulfilling your dreams.

A psychologist would probably find it easy to pay for a culinary arts education. How impressive would that look on a resume?

So many people are going to tell you to go after your dreams and do not let your parents control you, but believe it or not, your parents just want the best for you. You can still follow your dreams with a great education behind you.

I wish I knew where the idea of psychology came from. Was it an interest of yours at any time or was it all your parents idea?

Going on only what you have shared here, I would suggest that you approach this in a way that allows you to alter your course a little further along the path of your studies.

No matter what you finally decide to do, a background in business will help you towards success. An understanding of psychology will help you to understand people. Culinary arts will make you happy and bring some joy to others as well.

Try to do all three of these things.

A Masters in psychology, with a business degree, and additional culinary arts classes could possibly be your true ticket to happiness.

Best of luck to you.

Blewz4u

Answer 4

Tell your parents that you are going to go to a school of business. That you will not only become a pastry chief, you are going to start and maintain your own business. You will also include chef school.

This will probably require a finance degree or at least a sales degree. I cant tell you how happy the pastry chiefs are that make wedding cakes. The problem is the ability to close sales.

Your parents would be willing to accept you getting a marketing degree as long as you are trying to get a 4 year degree and be a chef while all this is going on. A good compromise thatt will put more money in you pocket and allow your parents to be happy tha the smart one got a good education.

Answer 5

They probably aren't having that reaction because they want you to be "rich" -- but rather they want you to be successful enough to live on you own, independently, and be able to pay your own bills, insurance, taxes, rent or mortgage, groceries, ETC. You obviously don't understand the severity of that yet and or how drastically the job market is going to be hit once the baby boomers retire-- which will not help either.

My suggestion: Go to college, get a degree, and then get a job. Work for 5-10 years, bank your paychecks, get used to living on your own and having your own financial responsibilities. And then maybe someday you can do pastry work on the side or start your own business after you've worked for a while and accumulated some savings and credit.

Trust me, the degree will be worth it for you in the end and will make you happy by allowing you to accomplish the things you want to do. Maybe you should get a degree in Nutrition and you can learn the science of cooking. No matter what happens, you'll always have a college degree to fall back on if for some reason your pastry chef aspiration doesn't work out.

It's the smart thing to do.

Answer 6

Search the net and find a sample business plan for people who have started a bakery business. Come up with your own ideals, designs of the building, menu, cost, everything needed to start a business. It will take some effort and searching. But if you really want to convince your parents, let them see through your hard work in gathering the information and resources needed to accomplish it. By the way, a course in the finance would be a plus in your own business. Not to mention, you can search the net also for grants available for starting a business and for going to school. Good luck to you.

Answer 7

Consider getting the education to build a bankroll in a higher-paying technical field, while building your pastry business on the side. That way, you have something to fall back on. Teaching certificates are also a good idea.

I know people that started catering businesses out of their homes. There are a lot of niche markets to fill in this way.
Think wedding cakes, or rowdy-shaped bachelor cakes, or ethnic specialties... and by all means, get a digital camera to catalog your creations!

How about using Inulin-FOS and Stevia powder in place of sugar to sweeten pastries for diabetics? How about using coconut flour or almond flour instead of wheat flour? What about catering to people with dietary allergies? How about the "raw foods" versions of cakes?
My gosh, there is a world of possibilities!

Answer 8

They love you! You will make 9.00 an hour when you start out as a pastry chef...I checked it out. Try going to school for something else and in the mean time look for a restaurant that will take you in as a chef's helper and learn that way.

Answer 9

Well for one and from my own personal experience. Kick parents to the back burner on telling you what to do with your life. I know they mean well but, they try to impose their own dreams on you at times. Trust me I more than know about this, as my folks want me to be a lawyer and but I'm working on being a writer :). Now for number two, as you said you make cakes from home right? Well why not try to strum up some business by selling them to bakeries? Maybe if they sample your cakes they can sort of help you out a bit with interning there and you could probably get paid for your cakes as well. Number three, if you have a computer or know where you can go to use one, try and find out all you can on being a pastry chef. Also look up the tech schools. I know you said they will cost alot, but think about it if you can sell enough of your cakes through the bakeries and get enough money from that you can probably save up enough to take a few classes so you will be paying your way through school. Probably even when you get accepted can transfer any proceeds from any cakes you still have at the bakery into your account and that can help you with more classes down the road. Once you get as much know how from the school again look for internships that will help you learn more about your profession and maybe that pay too. So you can put that into your bank account and pay off the school when you get ready to graduate. Now depending on how busy you would be with all this going on, I think if you took a bit of time out to research business plans, and then write up your own, maybe show it to one of your bosses at the internship they could help you find a way to open your own business when you get out of school. Which would be really awesome. Now if you can't make enough money from selling your cakes in the bakery you will have to look up loans and what not, and determine how much you will need for the school you wish to go to. Hopefully the school would help you out with this too. But I think once you get your business up and going, maybe have friends and family get the word out about your desserts and stuff, you would be making some serious cash flow. I hope this helps ya out. And all the best to you on living your dreams. :).

Answer 10

How about working your way up in a bakery while attending an actual college, just to get through the basic classes. That way you get to experience or at least see what it would be like in a bakery and you are still working towards something in school. Happy life!