Would you encourage your children to become Engineers?

I can't say my experience is the common path, but I recall my Dad who worked at a factory bring junk parts home (motors, wiring, etc) and I would take them apart while he did stuff on his work bench. At a later date he went out and got a beay up lawn mower and had me take apart the engine. This putzing around at home led me to taking shop classes at school (electronics, metal working, wood working, auto stuff). Those experiences led me to have an interest in engineering initially.

I was going to say: I bet most kids gravitate towards engineering because of a parent, grandparent or teacher encouraging an interest in such things.  Some kids just like taking things apart to see how they work (and not necessarily being able to put them back together again!) Either way, I think that kids develop the knack very quickly if they're interested enough.

George Daniels started by taking his father's clock apart when he was out at work and failing to put it back together again; in the 1930's the only encouragement that got you was a clip around the ear!  But it started his lifelong passion with mechanical objects, particularly watches and clocks (but also Bentleys) to the extent he taught himself every step required to make a watch from scratch and invented a new escapement that changed hundreds of years of 'the norm'.  And how to change a clutch on the hard shoulder of the M6 in winter in the pouring rain.

I think I've always had a bent toward engineering.  I've considered it more a lifestyle rather than a job.  That being said, I started out in microbiology and biochemistry before practical considerations (getting a job) changed my focus to electrical engineering.

My engineering career was a difficult one (probably because of the jobs that I chose), so I was not a good model of a career choice for my sons.  When they were younger, I was always working 60-80 hour weeks and when they were older, I missed a lot of holidays and vacations because I was away trying to resolve some crisis or other.  I tried to get them interested in engineering while they were growing up, but they preferred doing things with their friends rather than repairing cars and building electronics with me.

Life has a funny way of changing, though.  My older son started out in business at college, but he later switched to getting a BSEE with a focus in renewable energy.  He recently completed his master's in engineering technology management (METM) and is doing design consulting, project management, and simulation in solar power.  Unfortunately, the one thing that he did learn from me is how to be a workaholic (that is a very negative aspect of engineering as a profession).

I wish that I had spent more time encouraging and teaching my sons electronics as a hobby.  Career choice is something that each individual needs to figure out on their own.

There was a great documentary on GD a while back! It was awesome. Very clever escapement. 

Whether it be my daughter, grandchild or the kids I coach, if the "problem solving" is unique to Engineering then I am guilty of favoring that field.

Analyzing and solving problems is a life skill. We will never be without problems. What do you do, when you have no idea what to do and you're the person responsible for doing something?

Sure I would and did, but they did not end up in engineering. The schools around here didn't help either - they don't portray engineering as an attractive career.

My Dad started out as an engineer which had a big influence on my path. He gave me a simplified choice - you can be a pro athlete or an engineer, there weren't any other options on the table. He probably mentioned other options but didn't make them sound like they were worth considering.

I never had much inclination to take things apart - I always liked to design things, build things and experiment. I remember getting a large diecast metal model of a WW2 fighter aircraft which I took to the pool to see if it would "fly" in the water - it didn't. After taking engineering I now understand why.

I did not try to steer my children. All 3 are now well in their 20s, have finished school and have a job. In different branches. They had clear interests and that's what we supported them in. I would be happy if they went for engineering, and I'm happy now. 

I would not have tried to steer them away from engineering, if it would have been their choice. It's such a great career path.

I missed that but I have read a lot about him.  Back in 1999 when Omega released a set of watches with his new escapement in I bought one - a bargain really.  The exact same model is in the Science Museum (mine is a higher edition number though!)  His book on 'how to make a watch' where he describes all the processes involved, with drawings, is fascinating.  You forget when you see the pictures, he's actually talking about machining (manual lathe) parts that are a couple of mm long or toothed-wheels that are mm's in diameter with complicated shaped teeth.

This is the moment where I have to make a confession: I subscribed to the youtube channel Wristwatch Revival. Not because I'm that much into watches - I don't own one. But it is very comforting and nice to see someone working on these incredible fine mechanisms. Therapy.

I like the Dilbert video. My Mum tells a story of when she discovered I had the "knack".  I didn't think anything of it but she noted it. We had a house with no weather stripping and ice would build up around the doorway, sometimes freezing the door shut. I used our Electrolux vacuum cleaner to  defrost the doorway. This machine allowed the hose to be connected at the inlet for vacuum or at the outlet for a blower. I used it as a blower - the heat added by the motor made it a warm air blower. This was long before hot air hair dryers were common.