How does your child feel about their future direction?

We've asked hundreds of young people how they feel about the future over the last few years. This picture summarises the question visually at the start of our talks with students. It’s useful for them to reflect on how they feel. We then explain that 42% of young people at school or university don't know what they want to do (Young Minds 2020) and almost half are feeling anxious or ill equipped for the future (UCL and Sutton Trust 2023). This data has worsened since the impact of Covid and socio-economic hardships. However, when students see this data, they are reassured to know they’re not alone, not matter how they feel.

It's not easy for parents either

It's also really hard for parents and guardians to talk to their children about the future. How can they have delicate conversations and guide them, without putting them on the 'wrong path' or causing stress? Plus the job landscape has transformed since they were in the same position. The advent of the internet, social media and now AI have opened new possibilities and pathways to navigate. Given all this, how can parents inspire their children to imagine possibilities for themselves?

New tools are needed

We wanted to address these inter-connected challenges with a ground-up approach. Our solution was [Re]Start: It’s Never Too Late, an innovative combination of graphic novel, guided journal and handbook. The comic medium makes it visual, relatable and easy to read, even for those who prefer screentime. The book also can be a guide for parents to talk to their children creatively about the future, no matter their starting point. It acts a conversation starter in this case. Interestingly, our research indicated that young people are not looking for self-help books (absolutely not!). But are open to books where you can get ideas to help yourself.

Our research with young people and careers advisors highlights 4 attitudes young people have about their futures.

If you’re a parent you’ll probably recognise these attitudes. Our book has been designed to meet the reader ‘where they’re at’ rather than prescibing a set way.

'Forging ahead' (I know what I want to do / more open to new possibilities). This is for children who are curious about their futures and embracing the challenge. Typically, they may need help with some structural questions such as ‘what’s the path I need to take to get to X’). Breaking this down and giving some useful tips for them is valuable.

'Following the tracks' (I know what I want to do / less open to new possibilities). These young people know what they want to do. Typically, they are following their families into certain jobs or professions (e.g. my mum is a nurse so I want to be a nurse / doctor). These young people may want some tips to improve their journey to their destination.

'Lost / anxious' (I don't know what I want to do / open to new possibilities). These young people are typically feeling 'lost or anxious' about the whole thing. They want to engage but it’s quite stressful. They just need some supportive help and tools to feel better and move forward.

'Head in the sand' (I don't know what I want to do / more closed to new possibilities). These young people are not engaging on the future for a variety of reasons. There are other things more important or pressing for them. They may require being exposed to new ideas, which can help stimulate and inspire them to gently think further ahead. ?

We all need a helping hand

Over the course of the year, we’ve learned that there are some young people who are proactively seeking out knowledge (see the huge appeal of YouTube growth / performance hackers such as Ali Abdaal ). However, most young people benefit greatly from the guiding hand of a parent. Providing a book to read is a gentle way of influencing a curious mind. It may be opened immediately or simply when the time is right. We designed [Re]Start: It's Never Too Late to be something people would be proud to have on their table or in their bag. There are no heavy claims or marketing messages on the cover (making it harder to sell, but better to use).

Dialogue builds empathy and reassurance

We’ve also started guided sessions at schools, which has yielded strong improvements in feelings about the future. The ability to read a story out loud and discuss the challenges the characters are facing makes it easier for the readers to open up and explore the topics. Empathy and reassurance are a result, as well as a quiet confidence to face the future in new ways.

Co-creation is key to action

We developed the book with >65 people aged 16-60 years old in order to ensure wisdom was relevant. Over 80% of the team were 16-24 years old ensuring the book talks the language of its audiences and genuinely resonates. Questions of the future are co-creative as we seek information and insights from other people. Talking to your child about the future can be a rewarding time of full of possibility and imagination. We hope you find our book a useful tool in this. Remember It's Never Too Late to [Re]Start.

Thank you Dotti Irving Creative Access Whitefox Publishing Christopher Wold John Bond Eddy Nicholls Latreya Nelson Alex Copeman Julia Koppitz Hannah Bickerton Yasmin Hemmings Barney Lankester-Owen Alexander Grouet Jo?o Alves Dias Eliana Soares Jonathan Pattinson Samata Pattinson Adam Papaphilippopoulos Dawood Gustave Claire Stuart Marc Jenks Matt Boffey Cameron Jay Rains Ian Pattinson Charlotte P. Gaia Vince Alex Roxin Tony Orsten Toby Bull Jane Saville Tom Tivnan Emma Shoard Amana M. Josie Dobrin OBE Kemi Ayorinde Busayo Matuluko Wendy Hodgkiss Binda Patel Jake Anders Lesley Thain jason arday Joe Arday MBCS FCCT FRSA Kirat Gata-Aura Anna Afolayan Lemaire