Skip to main content
Journal Kids

i wanna be the boss when i grow up…

oh joy for zooey magazine / photo by megan welker

oh joy for zooey magazine / photo by megan welker

oh joy for zooey magazine / photo by megan welker

oh joy for zooey magazine / photo by megan welker

Remember when you were asked that question as a kid? Looking back, it's sort of a hard thing for a kid to answer when they don't really know what all the options that exist out there really are. The very first thing I said wanted to be "when I grow up" was a cheerleader. Then, I evolved it to being a veterinarian, a pediatrician, a journalist, a botanist, a geneticist, and finally, a graphic designer.

Lately, Ruby has been saying she wants to be a princess or a doctor. But yesterday, she gave me the best answer I've heard yet…

    "When I grow up, I want to be the boss!"

What are some of the best answers to that question you've heard from little ones?

P.S. Check out this Day in the Life series I was a part of for Zooey Magazine. There I go a little more into how my childlike hobbies turned into my job today and why loving your job is one of the most important things ever…

{Photos by Megan Welker}

39 comments

  1. Our four year old wants to be a drummer like her dad and a teacher just like the ones at her preschool. So for career day last month at school, she dressed up as a music teacher.

  2. So cute! Looks like you have a leader of some sort on your hands. My favorite answer is when my niece said she wants to me just like me when she grows up.

  3. Hahaha! Ruby is the best! Oh my gosh.
    I LOVE her answer. She sure will become an amazing boss one day. I have no doubt!

  4. That’s a great answer! My favorite answer I’ve heard is “when I grow up I wan’t to be happy”. It’s simple yet it encompasses everything.

  5. my husband asked my daughter if she was a princess. her response? “i’m not a princess. i’m a super hero!” i loved it!

  6. I love Ruby’s answer! I wanted to be a nurse and a cowgirl…guess I watched too much Dr. Quinn! (I’m a magazine art director and illustrator today.) My friends’ 3 year old girl when asked replies, “I wanna be AWESOME!” We tell her, “You already are!” 🙂

  7. such a cute answer! my daughter said she wants to vet and a mom and a “docktographer” like mommy and also do doterra like mommy
    i just can’t get over the sight of her painting on that beautiful rug with nothing underneath – you are a such a nice laid back mom to let her do that – i wish i could be more like that some days 🙂

  8. Our daughter has told us she wants to be a statistical engineer… Haha she loves math so much she wants to be like her auntie!
    The Pepper Express

  9. My older daughter (3 1/2) told me the other day, “Mommy, I want to be all the things: an animal doctor, a ballerina, and a mermaid.”

  10. I wanted to be an English teacher first but then I decided that what was really cool was to be a boss, like Ruby.
    So I went to Engineering School and I was a boss for several years…
    I finally figured out that I was a boss but I did not like what I did, so I recently reconverted into cooking… I turned from boss to chef, trying to live doing what I love most!

  11. For some reason, unknown to myself or my mother, in a scrapbook, when I was about six, I wrote “hag” after that question. I stupidly showed that to my husband a few years ago….I say stupidly because I’m 54 years old now. About twice a year, he mentions this to me while I try to shoot lasers out of my eyeballs. Never knew that I’m come to regret something I wrote in crayon.

  12. I wanted to be a veterinarian (sadly, an animal lover with terrible pet allergies) or a nurse (all those allergies meant lots of time in the dr’s office!). My niece (6 yo) wants to be a fashion designer just like her aunt (me!). Best compliment ever!

  13. I wanted to be president of the United States – not the first female president, just president. I didn’t even understand there had never been a female president. So I can definitely relate to Ruby wanting to be the boss!
    Joy – I love the Sonnet James dress you’re wearing here. Did you find the dress runs true to size?

  14. Hi Regina!
    That’s awesome – love that answer!
    As for the dress, yes, they run true to size. I have both XS and S in their dresses and I think it just depends how fitting you want it if you’re in-between sizes.
    Joy

  15. Thanks, Joy! You have a fellow Philadelphian (native and current) and longtime Lither here. I love your site and your products, and I have great admiration for the business you’ve built. Wishing you continued personal happiness and professional success!

  16. Haha oh don’t we all remember that question! Mine evolved from being a lawyer to chemist to veterinarian to journalist to writer! My little one is still a too young to share his aspirations with me, but I think it’s really important to always encourage and support their dreams (no matter how short-lived they are!). Ruby is a clever girl! xx

  17. Haha oh don’t we all remember that question! Mine evolved from being a lawyer to chemist to veterinarian to journalist to writer! My little one is still too young to share his aspirations with me, but I think it’s really important to always encourage and support their dreams (no matter how short-lived they are!). Ruby is a clever girl! xx

  18. When my (Mormon) mother asked my niece what she wanted to do when she grew up Morgan responded “Drink beer”… 🙂

Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow Along